A COMPARISON OF AN EXPERIMENTAL PLOW WITH A MOLDBOARD AND A DISK PLOW ON THE SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

The moldboard plow is the most popular tillage tool in Turkey. However, the efficiency of the moldboard plow is poor compared to rotary tillage tools and it does not produce good soil conditions. Experiments were conducted on a wheat stubble field to compare the effects of an experimental plow (EP), a disk plow (DP), and a moldboard plow (MP) on soil bulk density, moisture content following tillage, cone index, and aggregate size distribution. The experiments were carried out on a silty loam soil, at a constant depth (200 mm), and with three travel speeds (4.5, 5.4, and 6.3 km h(-1)). The results showed that the type of plow did not significantly affect the soil bulk density, the moisture content following tillage, and the cone index. However, for spring tillage, the EP caused more moisture to be stored in the 0- to 100-mm top layer, compared to the MP and the DP This is beneficial for germinating the seeds as they can find enough moisture on the top layer. The EP was found to reduce aggregate size more than the MP and the DP Also, the EP produced a soil aggregate size distribution that is typically desirable as a seedbed. The effect of travel speed on the soil physical properties was not statistically significant. As the travel speed increased, the soil aggregate size and the moisture content following tillage decreased while the cone index and the bulk density increased.