Some operating parameters and energy use efficiency of various soil tillage-sowing methods to avoid fallow applications in Erzurum region

This research was carried out at the experimental fields of the Eastern Anatolia Agricultural Research Institute under rainfed agricultural conditions. Comparison of different soil tillage methods in terms of soil penetration resistance, enterprise and plant development parameters and energy efficiency was aimed within the removing of fallow by different soil tillage–planting methods in Erzurum. Four different tillage systems; traditional soil tillage (TS1,moldboard plough+cultivator+combined harrows+universal sowing machine), reduced soil tillage–1 (TS2, cultivator+combined harrows+universal sowing machine), reduced soil tillage–2 (TS3, vertical rotator machine+sowing machine) and direct drilling (TS4, direct sowing machine) in wheat-fallow and wheat-vetch rotation were used. Stubble direct drilling method produced the best results in terms of effective labor success, fuel consumption, and man and machine labor requirement, seedling emergence, seedling emergence degree, average germination time and however low values were obtained from the traditional method. By considering wheat yield, it was obtained that the difference between the rotations was not statistically different and the effect of soil tillage methods on yield parameters was statistically significant (P < 0.01). The best results were obtained from wheat–vetch application in energy ratio, energy yield, net energy production values between alternations in energy efficiency values and wheat–fallow alternation in specific energy values. Better results were obtained from direct stubble drilling subject in all four energy efficiency parameters than the other methods between soil tillage methods. By this study, the applicability of alternative soil tillage methods under rainfed agricultural conditions was determined and it was concluded that the fallow application might be reduced or removed by these methods.