Crop and soil nitrogen status of tilled and no-tillage systems in semiarid regions of Saskatchewan

We examined 1990-1996 crop and soil N data for no-tillage (NT), minimum tillage (MT) and conventional tillage (CT) systems from four long-term tillage studies in semiarid regions of Saskatchewan for evidence that the N status was affected by tillage system. On a silt loam and clay soil in the Brown soil zone, spring what (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield and protein concentration were lower for NT compared with tilled (CT or MT) systems for a fallow-wheat (F-W) rotation. Grain protein concentration for continuous wheat (Cont W) was also lower for NT than for MT. For a sandy loam soil in the Brown soil zone, durum (Triticum durum L.) grain protein concentration was similar for NIT and NT for both Cont W and F-W, but NT had higher grain yield than NIT (P < 0.05 for F-W only). For a loam soil in the Dark Brown soil zone, wheat grain yield for NT was increased by about 7% for fallow-oilseed-wheat (F-O-W) and wheat-oilseed-wheat (W-O-W) rotations. The higher grain yields for NT reduced grain protein concentration by dilution effect as indicated by similar grain N yield. However, at this site, about 23 kg ha(-1) more fertilizer N was required for NT than for CT. Elimination of tillage increased total organic N in the upper 7.5 cm of soil and N in surface residues. Our results suggest that a contributing factor to decreased availability of soil N in medium- and fine-textured soils under NT was a slower rate of net N mineralization from organic matter. Soil nitrates to 2.4 m depth did not indicate that nitrate leaching was affected by tillage system. Current fertilizer N recommendations developed for tilled systems may be inadequate for optimum production of wheat with acceptable grain protein under NT is semiarid regions of Saskatchewan.