Effects of Different Tillage Methods on Soil Physical Properties under Second Crop Sesame in the Harran Plain, Southeast Turkey

This study was addressed for determination of the best soil tillage method in sesame production. A replicated randomized complete block design with the treatments of cultivator and scrubber (T1), rotarytiller and roller (T2), plough, rotarytiller and roller (T3) and rotary cultivators for row crops and scrubber (T4) has been conducted for three years at the Sanliurfa Rural Affairs Research Institute in Turkey. In this study, four different tillage systems were compared in terms of their effects on some physical properties of soil (bulk density, penetrometer resistance and porosity), fuel consumptions, labor and time efficiency and crop yield. In the research, second crop sesame was planted as rotational crop with four different tillage applications. The purpose of this research was to determine the best tillage method to provide the most reliable environmental conditions for sesame growth. Statistical analyses were used to compare the different soil tillage methods. Statistical results indicated that all of the tillage parameters were significant. The results of this research were indicated that the T2 tillage method had the highest bulk density results and the highest crop yield (473.84 kg ha-1). On the other hand, the T3 method had the highest porosity values. The penetrometer resistance values of soils were decreased by all tillage applications from average 3.7 to 2.0 MPa. It was suggested that T2 (Rotarytiller and roller) method can be used in sesame farming for the proper soil physical properties and the highest crop yield.