Tillage and Nitrogen Management Effects on Wheat Productivity Under Moroccan Conditions
摘要
The challenges posed by climate change and resource scarcity necessitate the development of innovative strategies for sustainable wheat production in semi-arid regions. This study evaluated the interaction between tillage systems and nitrogen (N) fertilization on bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) performance in Morocco’s Saïs region. A field experiment was conducted over two growing seasons using a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement. The plots comprised tillage systems (conventional tillage, no-till), while the subplots contained four nitrogen rates (0, 50, 100, 150 kg N ha⁻¹). In the first year (wet season), no-till (NT) with 150 kg N ha⁻¹ produced the highest grain yield (4275 kg ha⁻¹), approximately 7% greater than conventional tillage (CT). In the second year (dry season), the maximum yield (2274 kg ha⁻¹) was achieved with 100 kg N ha⁻¹ under NT, about 62% higher than CT. No-till also improved water use efficiency, protein content, nitrogen use efficiency, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, and proline accumulation compared with conventional tillage. Overall, no-till combined with adequate nitrogen fertilization enhanced wheat performance under contrasting seasonal conditions, with the best responses obtained at 150 kg N ha⁻¹ in the wet year and 100 kg N ha⁻¹ in the dry year.