Response of bread wheat crop to tillage systems and chemical herbicides in moderate rainfall area2

• Ammar Habeeb Mahmood1, Islam. A. A. Alrijabo1, Ahmed Ibrahim Abed, Salim.H. Antar1, Maan Mohammed Salih1*, Mohammed Subhi Al -Taweel1

  Author

A field experiment was carried out in Nineveh Governorate for the 2024–2025 growing season to investigate the effect of tillage systems (conventional tillage and conservation agriculture) and three bread wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.) (Arabia, Wafia, and Ebaa 99) on growth traits, yield performers, and associated weed flora.

The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in factorial arrangements of three replications. The treatments included two tillage systems: conventional tillage, with no herbicide application, and conservation agriculture (zero tillage), with the application of the herbicide Limitless. Weed characteristics along with various agronomic and yield-related traits were examined.

The results showed that conservation agriculture significantly increased plant height and biological yield, as well as a significant decrease in density and dry biomass of weeds compared to conventional tillage. On the other hand, in number of tillers, number of spikes and 1000-grain weight: conventional tillage was superior. However, there was no significant difference in grain yield between both systems probably due to compensatory responses among yield components.

In terms of cultivar, Arabia shows a better response results in grain yield and its related components whereas Ebaa 95 had the highest number of tiller and spike hence lowest grain weight that led to a lower yield. In addition, a significant interaction was found between tillage systems and cultivars where Arabia shows a better response to conservation agriculture than the other cultivars.

These results imply that the prime determinant of wheat productivity is not a single factor but rather the interplay of increasingly well-suited management practices and the adoption of cultivar with defined adaptations. In this sense, the use of conservation agriculture together with vigor management and adapted cultivars such as Arabia is suggested to obtain higher yields according to the context of agro-environmental conditions.

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