Impact of tillage and plastic mulching on some soil physical properties in relation with tomato yield (lycopersicon esculentum l.)

Field experiment was carried out during spring season 2012 in a private field located at 50 km west of Baghdad, to investigate the effect of tillage and plastic mulching on some physical properties of silt loam soil and tomato yield. Split plots with R.C.B.D were used with three replications. The study included four treatments, conventional tillage, no tillage and both have been in sub plots treated with and without plastic mulching. Results indicated that interaction between tillage method and plastic mulching affected physical properties of the soil significantly (P ≤ 0.05). The value of bulk density, soil penetration resistance, hydraulic conductivity, mean weight diameter, and yield of tomato were 1.02-1.37 Mgm.m-3, 0.743-1.847 kg.m-2, 5.50-9.48 cm.hr-1, 0.701-1.724 mm and 54.937-93.217 t ha-1 respectively. Lowest bulk density and soil penetration resistance were observed in conventional tillage with mulching was used, whereas highest bulk density and soil penetration resistance were observed in no tillage × no mulching treatment. Highest values of hydraulic conductivity, mean weight diameter and yield of tomato were obtained conventional tillage × mulching treatment, whereas lowest hydraulic conductivity, mean weight diameter and yield of tomato were obtained in no tillage × no mulching treatment.