Influence of Soil Tillage Systems on the Yield and Weeds Infestation in the Soybean Crop

Abstract

Soybean is an important crop due to its multiple uses but also due to its agronomic advantages. Regardless of the agrotechnical system practiced, in the success of the crop, a very important role is represented by weed control. Soybeans are sensitive to infestation with weeds both at the early stages of growing season until the plants cover the soil, but also to maturity after the leaves fall. A soil tillage system applied, through its effect on the soil and on weed control, influences the soybean crop. This paper presents the evolution of soybean crop weeds and soybean yield under the influence of soil tillage systems (conventional, minimum tillage and no tillage) and climatic conditions from 2017 to 2021. The soil’s mobilization by plowing significantly reduces the infestation with weeds, especially the perennial ones. Reducing the intensity of the soil tillage system and the depth of tillage causes an increase in the amount of weeding and, especially, perennial weeds. This determines a lower production of soybean crop by 23–243 kg ha−1 in the minimum tillage system and by 675 kg ha−1 in the no-tillage system, compared to the conventional system. Differentiation of the weed control strategy is required depending on the soil tillage system.

Keywords

• climatic conditions
• soybean
• soil tillage system
• weeds
• yield