Effect of tillage managements, sowing depth and soil-covering on the seedlings quality of mechanical sowing wheat under intercropping condition

In order to research the agricultural measures that can improve the mechanical sowing quality of intercropping wheat in hilly area, three sowing depth (2, 5, 8 cm) and soil-covering (no-covering was as CK) were designed to study the seedlings quality under no-tillage and tillage cultivation condition. The results indicated that the sowing depth was the most important factor, and the optimum depth was 5 cm. On the contrary, seedling number, emergence rate, root activity, dry matter and green leaf area decreased significantly with the treatment of 2 cm sowing depth. Besides, at 8 cm, the longest subcrown internode leaded to lower emergence rate, moreover, tillers number, the maximum tillers number, dry matters and green leaf area decreased highly significant by the treatment. Under tillage cultivation condition, wheat seedlings tillered strongly, according to tillering node was buried more deeply, but subcrown internode became longer and emergence rate became lower. The growth amount, plant height and green leaf area increased with the treatment of no-tillage cultivation. Tillers number, the maximum tillers number and root activity were significantly enhanced by the treatment of soil-covering. Agricultural measures of no-tillage cultivation with 5 cm sowing depth and soil-covering are recommended in hilly area.