Effect of Tillage Systems on energy used maize production and Soil Compaction under the semi-arid region

The experiments were conducted in clay soil at the Agricultural Research Station of University of Basrah (Karmat Ali Campus) in July 2022. The study aimed to assess the effect of various tillage systems on soil compaction, grain yield, and energy use efficiency in maize production. The experiment was organized in a complete randomized block design (RCBD) with four tillage systems namely: CTm (moldboard plow + spike teeth rollers), CTs (chisel plow + disk harrow), DP (subsoiler + spike teeth rollers), and RT (disk harrow + spike teeth rollers). Results indicated that deep tillage (DP) gave the lowest soil penetration resistance value of 1.15 MPa compared to CTm, CTs, and RT by 26.75, 20.69, and 40.41% respectively. Soil penetration resistance was increased by 46.56% at the end of the season compared to the beginning season. The results also showed that DP and RT exhibited the highest and lowest maize grain yield values of 5820 and 4225 kg respectively. Energy analysis showed that DP recorded the highest energy efficiency of 8.02% and a net energy value of 85082.27 MJ ha-1. In contrast, the RT system obtained the lowest energy consumption efficiency of 6.29% and a net energy value of 59347.54 MJ ha-1. Irrigation and fuel-oil consumption are the most energy-intensive inputs. The results showed that DP is significantly efficient in productivity and energy use efficiency in maize production. DP was the most effective strategy to increase maize yield and energy efficiency, making it the most favourable option for field performance in maize farming.