ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Different Soil Tillage Methods on Soil Capacity
and Maize Yield in Hulunbuir Area
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1
Maize Research Institute, Hulunbuir Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Zhalantun 162650,
China
2
Maize Research Institute, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural & Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot City
010031, China
3
College of Agriculture, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010000, China
4
Department of Smart Agriculture, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010000, China
Submission date: 2024-11-08
Final revision date: 2025-05-09
Acceptance date: 2025-06-02
Online publication date: 2025-11-17
Corresponding author
Fei Zou
Maize Research Institute, Hulunbuir Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Zhalantun 162650,
China
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ABSTRACT
Conventional tillage is the most common practice in the Hulunbuir region; however, it may harm the
soil's physical properties. Reasonable tillage methods can improve soil physical and chemical properties
and create a good soil environment for crop growth. The objective of this study is to analyze the effects
of 10 sets of tillage methods on soil capacity, soil moisture, agronomic characteristics, and the yield of
spring maize (Zea mays L.) fields. The results derived indicate a reduction in soil bulk density under
tillage methods T2, T3, T4, T7, and T8. While the effect of individual tillage methods on specific
agronomic characteristics of maize was minimal, variations in tillage practices did significantly affect
the mechanical harvesting attributes of the crop. Specifically, the combined treatments of T6 × N2 and
T8 × N2 demonstrated a higher net income per hectare across both the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons.
The experimental findings evidently demonstrate the effectiveness of two specific tillage methods
for implementation in the Hulunbuir region: T6 × N2 (deep rotation with stubble clearing and straw
returning) and T8 × N2 (deep tillage combined with comprehensive straw crushing and returning). These
practices were beneficial in their capacity to augment soil organic matter content while simultaneously
enhancing the stability of soil aggregates.