土壤特性对保水剂持水性能的影响

为研究土壤特性对保水剂持水性能的影响,测试了4种保水剂分别与砂壤土、壤砂土、砂粘壤土1和砂粘壤土2共4种土壤混合后的保水率,混合时土壤为风干土,保水剂与土壤混合的质量百分比为0.5%。结果表明:与单纯保水剂或者保水剂与砂子混合相比,保水剂与土壤混合后可明显降低保水剂的释水速度,提高保水剂的持水能力。土壤特性对保水剂释水速度有明显影响,土壤粘粒含量高,保水剂的释水速度慢,反之,则快。土壤粘粒含量高,土壤含水量高,保水剂表面水势梯度变低,使释水速度变慢;粘粒含量低,水势梯度变大,保水剂释水速率加快。经过7 h的恒温蒸发后,4种保水剂在粘粒含量较高的砂粘壤土(粘粒含量25%)中的保水率比在粘粒含量低的壤砂土(12.5%)中的保水率高43.7%~71.3%,且具有明显的差异。     

保水剂粒径与不同质地土壤吸、失水特性的相关关系

通过室内模拟试验,对2种保水剂4个粒径(0.25~0.5mm,0.5~1mm,1~2mm,2~3mm)的吸、失水特性进行测定分析,同时研究2种保水剂4个粒径分别与砂壤土、壤砂土、砂粘壤土混合后吸、失水的变化特性。结果表明:①2种保水剂的4个粒径段中1~2mm粒径的保水剂吸水量和累积蒸发量最大,不同粒径保水剂随着吸水次数的增多吸水量逐渐降低,且粒径越小下降幅度越大;②保水剂与土壤混合后吸水量减小,初次吸水时土壤含水量与保水剂粒径成反比,随着吸水次数的增多3种质地土壤在保水剂作用下土壤含水量大小顺序分别为壤砂土-砂粘壤土-砂壤土(1~2次)、砂粘壤土-壤砂土-砂壤土(3~5次)、砂粘壤土-砂壤土-壤砂土(6~8次);③2种不同粒径保水剂的施用增加了3种质地土壤的累积蒸发量,壤砂土、砂壤土中0.5~1mm粒径的保水剂累积蒸发量最大,砂粘壤土中1~2mm粒径的保水剂累积蒸发量最大,0.25~0.5mm粒径保水剂在3种土壤中累积蒸发量最小。     

不同价态离子对保水剂吸水倍率的影响

以植物营养需要常见阳离子Fe3+、Al3+、ca2+、Mg2+、K+、Na+,阴离子Cl-、SO42-、CO32-、H2PO4-为试验对象,研究不同阴、阳离子对保水剂吸水性能的影响.结果表明:随着各种离子浓度的增加,保水剂的吸水倍率下降,二者呈显著负相关.各种阳离子对保水剂DM吸水倍率影响的顺序为:Al3+＞Fe3+＞Mg2+＞Ca2+＞Na+＞K+;对保水剂PRKM吸水倍率影响的顺序为:Al3+、Fe3+＞Mg2+＞Ca2+＞Na+＞K+.对这两种保水剂吸水倍率的影响得出的共同结论为:三价阳离子＞二价阳离子＞一价阳离子.各种阴离子对DM吸水倍率影响的顺序为:Cl-、CO32-＞H2PO4-、SO42-;对PRKM吸水倍率影响的顺序为:Cl-、CO3＞2-＞SO42-＞H2PO4-.试验结果并没出现高价阴离子比低价阴离子对保水剂吸水倍率影响大的情况.     

不同磷、钾肥对保水剂吸水、保肥性能的影响

通过对保水剂在磷肥、钾肥溶液中的吸水倍率和对肥料养分吸持量的测定,研究了不同磷、钾肥对保水剂吸水、保肥性能的影响。结果表明,保水剂在各种肥料溶液中吸水倍率显著下降,并随肥料浓度的增加下降幅度增加;磷、钾肥对聚丙烯酸钠盐型保水剂的影响大于聚丙烯酰胺-丙烯酸盐型保水剂;不同磷、钾肥对保水剂吸水倍率的影响按磷酸一铵、氯化钾、硫酸钾、过磷酸钙顺序递增。保水剂在大量吸水的同时,也对溶液中的肥料分子或者离子有吸持作用,吸持量均随肥料浓度的增加而增加;保水剂和肥料品种不同,吸持量也不同;保水剂对肥料的吸持率随肥料浓度的增加而降低,最高浓度下,吸持率按过磷酸钙、硫酸钾、氯化钾、磷酸一铵次序依次增大。     

生物质炭保水剂的吸水保水性能研究

以生物质炭为原料,选择保水性和黏结性较强的MW型、阴型和阳型等聚丙烯酰胺(PAM)对生物质炭进行了亲水性改性,分析了改性后的生物质炭保水剂吸水特性的变化以及对土壤水分蒸发和苗期玉米生长的影响。研究结果表明,施用3%生物质炭两周后可降低土壤水分蒸发量4.1%施用2.5%和5%的生物质炭后盆栽土壤含水量分别比对照显著提高了39.7%和50.4%。通过PAM改性后的生物质炭可显著提高保水能力,施用改性的生物质炭后盆栽土壤含水量较生物质炭本身提高了10.5%~63.0%。3种生物质炭保水剂的吸水倍率均表现为2:10型>1.5:10型>1:10型,说明生物质炭保水剂的吸水倍率随PAM的质量比的升高而升高,且MW型的吸水效果最好。施用2.5%和5%保水剂的土壤含水量分别比对照提高了54.3%~84.0%和119.5%~145.1%,但从土壤保水作用和对作物生长两方面出发,2.5%的生物质炭保水剂对其持水性和玉米植株的生长较为适宜。     

4种剂型保水剂吸水和保水特性研究

对旱宝贝保水剂（B）、植物体保水剂（D）、营养型保水剂（N）、生态功能型保水剂（L）等4种剂型保水剂的吸水与保水特性,粒径与吸水倍率关系以及冷冻对吸水和保水性的影响进行了研究。结果表明,不同剂型保水剂均具有较好的吸水性,但剂型不同,吸水特性不同。吸水过程中,L型保水剂具有明显的吸水高峰;B3和N型保水剂吸水曲线平缓,达到吸水饱和所需时间较长;吸水初期,D型保水剂的吸水速率大于B3和N型保水剂,之后则变小。同种溶液中,保水剂的吸水倍率表现为L型保水剂最大,B3和N型保水剂次之,D型保水剂最小;不同溶液中,保水剂吸水倍率表现为：蒸馏水〉井水〉土壤提取液。剂型不同,保水性不同;充分吸水情况下,保水剂吸水倍率越大,完全失水所需时间越长;相同吸水量下,4种保水剂间保水性差异可分为差异显著期和差异不明显期。成份相同的保水剂,小颗粒吸水较快,大颗粒吸水较慢。水溶液中的离子对保水剂影响较大,能显著降低其吸水倍率。经冷冻处理后,保水剂的吸水倍率和保水性变化不大。     

保水剂在尿素和阳离子溶液中的吸水性能及养分吸附特征

【目的】电解质种类和浓度影响保水剂的吸水性能。探明保水剂与尿素、不同价态阳离子间的相互作用，对于正确使用和开发水肥调控性能优越的缓释材料具有重要意义。【方法】试验选用聚丙烯酰胺–丙烯酸盐型保水剂[P(AA-AM)]和聚丙烯酸盐型保水剂 (PAA)。以分析纯盐酸盐和尿素分别配置了浓度1～256 mmol/L的尿素、NH₄+、Na+、K+、Mg2+、Ca2+、Fe3+、Al3+溶液。称取保水剂0.3000 g于75 μm尼龙袋中，分别置于以上各系列溶液和去离子水300 mL中，静置12 h。取出保水剂袋，沥水30 min，以差减法测定保水剂吸水倍率和对溶质的吸附量。【结果】在溶质浓度从1 mmol/L增加到256 mmol/L时，尿素溶液中保水剂的吸水倍率没有显著下降，而各阳离子溶液中保水剂的吸水倍率显著下降，保水剂的相对吸水倍率与尿素、各种离子浓度之间呈显著幂函数的减函数关系，最终下降幅度由小到大依次为尿素、一价阳离子、二价阳离子、三价阳离子。保水剂对溶液中尿素和各种阳离子的吸附量随溶液浓度的增加而增加，P(AA-AM) 的最大吸附量:尿素64.66 mmol/g、Na+ 45.24 mmol/g、K+ 34.26 mmol/g、NH₄+ 32.63 mmol/g、Mg2+ 30.09 mmol/g、Ca2+ 23.96 mmol/g、Fe3+ 8.07 mmol/g、Al3+ 12.74 mmol/g。保水剂对尿素和一、二价阳离子的吸附特征可用Freundlich等温吸附模型表征，对三价阳离子的吸附特征可用Langmuir等温吸附模型表征。尿素和二、三价阳离子对P (AA-AM) 吸水倍率的影响均小于其对PAA的影响（P < 0.05），一价阳离子对P (AA-AM) 和PAA影响差异不明显（P > 0.05）。P (AA-AM) 吸附尿素和阳离子的能力要大于 PAA（P＜0.05）。【结论】保水剂对尿素的吸附量远高于阳离子，而尿素浓度基本不影响保水剂的保水性能。三价、二价和一价阳离子可显著降低保水剂的吸水倍率，阳离子浓度与保水剂的吸水倍率之间呈幂函数关系。保水剂对一价阳离子的最大吸附量大于对二价阳离子的吸附量，也远大于对三价阳离子的吸附量。聚丙烯酰胺–丙烯酸盐型保水剂[P(AA-AM)]对溶质的吸附性能大于聚丙烯酸盐型保水剂 (PAA)。因此，把保水剂作为缓释包膜材料包裹尿素比较适宜，但不适宜包裹盐类肥料。     

γ射线引发合成P(AA-co-AM)/FA新型农林保水剂的性能研究

为了合成绿色环保农林保水剂,解决农林保水剂功能单一的问题,以丙烯酸和丙烯酰胺为原料,富里酸为添加剂,通过~(60)Co-γ射线引发合成聚丙烯酸/丙烯酰胺/富里酸[P(AA-co-AM)/FA]高吸水性材料,探讨了辐照剂量、FA添加量对保水剂吸水倍率、吸盐倍率的影响,保水剂的反复吸水性能以及其对土壤水分的影响。结果表明,当保水剂中富里酸(FA)含量为15 wt%,辐照剂量为6 kGy时,吸水倍率和吸0.9%NaCl溶液倍率分别为437倍和61倍;30 min达到溶胀平衡,重复吸水10次后,保水剂溶胀倍率为199倍,下降54%;自制保水剂的施用明显增加了土壤含水量,促进了玉米生长。该方法提高了保水剂的吸水保水性能,克服了传统合成方法污染大、能耗高等问题,同时具有多功能性,合成的高吸水性材料适合制作农林保水剂,为植酸类保水剂合成工艺提供了参考。     

利用小麦秸秆制备的保水剂性能研究

[目的]以小麦秸秆纤维素接枝丙烯酸制备保水剂,并检测各因素对保水剂吸水性能的影响,探索制备保水剂的最佳反应条件,以期制备出成本低,降解性好,保水性高的新型保水剂。[方法]采用水溶液聚合法制备保水剂,并通过单因素试验和正交试验来确定最佳反应条件,对合成产物的吸液倍率、保水性能和表观形态进行测定与表征。[结果]温度为70℃,去离子水用量为160ml,2.0%N,N’-亚甲基双丙烯酰胺(MBAM)用量为9ml,引发剂(过硫酸钾:硫代硫酸钠=3∶1)与丙烯酸单体比为2.0%,丙烯酸中和度为70%,反应时间为1h,合成的保水剂具有较高的吸水或盐水倍率,1g保水剂吸0.9%NaCl溶液41.2g/g,吸去离子水430.9g/g。红外光谱分析和电镜扫描结果表明,保水剂胶体接枝聚合成功,胶体具有良好的表面形态。[结论]制备的保水剂吸液速率快、重复吸水效果较好。保水剂在氯化铁溶液中吸水倍率最高,达到113g/g。复合离子溶液中,在离子浓度为1g/L时吸水倍率最高达57g/g。     

基于Hydrus-1D模型的玉米根系吸水影响因素分析

为探索土壤质地、植物生长状况和气象条件对不同土壤水分条件下根系吸水速率的影响机理,该文以相对根吸水速率与土壤含水率的关系衡量土壤水分有效性,利用Hydrus-1D模型模拟了3种土壤（壤黏土、黏壤土和砂壤土）中不同玉米生长状况（包括叶面积指数、根系深度和根系剖面分布）或蒸发力条件下根系吸水速率随含水率的动态变化,确定了不同条件下根系吸水速率开始降低的临界含水率。结果表明：土壤质地、植物的叶面积指数和根系分布及大气蒸发力都对根系吸水动态曲线的临界含水率有一定影响,其中根系深度和根系分布形状还影响根系吸水速率与含水率关系曲线的形状,但在3种土壤中,根系吸水速率的动态变化对植物生长和大气蒸发力的响应不同。总体而言,3种土壤临界含水率的大小是壤黏土＞黏壤土＞砂壤土;临界含水率随大气蒸发力的升高而升高,随根系深度和深层根系分布的增加而降低;各因子对玉米根系吸水影响程度的大小是土壤质地＞根系分布形状＞根系深度＞大气蒸发力＞叶面积指数。     

土壤质地和灌水器材料对负压灌溉出水流量及土壤水运移的影响

负压灌溉法是一种新近提出的节水灌溉技术，灌溉时供水水头为“负值”，即灌溉水源高程低于灌水器高程。不同材料灌水器和土壤质地是影响灌溉系统出水流量及土壤水运移的重要因素。该文研究了在高程差H为-0.5 m情况下两种灌水器及两种质地土壤对两者的影响。结果表明：灌水器相同时，累计入渗量、水平和垂直最大湿润距离随时间呈幂函数关系变化；在历时相同时黏壤土较砂壤土大；湿润体近似为六分之一的竖直椭球体，但黏壤土水平与垂直最大湿润距离之比大于砂壤土。土壤质地相同时，纤维灌水器较陶土灌水器出水流量高。试验结果进一步证明了负压灌溉的可行性，并为确定负压灌溉系统应用范围及规划设计过程中灌水器选择提供了依据。     

Extractability of 2,4-D,Dicamba and MCPP from Soil

The adsorption of herbicides on soil colloids is a major factor determining their mobility, persistence, and activity in soils. Solvent extraction could be a viable option for removing sorbed contaminants in soils. This study evaluated the extractability of three herbicides: 2,4 dichlorophenoxy-acetic acid (2,4-D), 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxypropanoic acid (mecoprop acid or MCPP), and 3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (dicamba). Three solvents (water, methanol, and iso-propanol) and three methods of extraction (column, batch, and soxhlet) were compared for their efficiencies in removing the herbicides from three soils (loamy sand, silt loam, and silty clay). Both linear and non-linear Freundlich isotherms were used to predict sorption intensity of herbicides on soils subjected to various extraction methods and conditions. High K_dand K_fr, and low N values were obtained for all herbicides in silty clay soil by batch extraction. Methanol was the best solvent removing approximately 97% of all added herbicides from the loamy sand either by column or soxhlet extraction method. Isopropanol ranked second by removing over 90% of all herbicides by soxhelet extraction from all three soils. However, water was ineffective in removing herbicides from any of the soils using any of the three extracting procedures used in this study. In general, the extent of herbicide removal depended on soil type, herbicide concentration, extraction procedure, solvent type and amount, and extraction time.     

Growth,yield and water use efficiency of chickpea (Cicer arietinum): response to biochar and phosphorus fertilizer application

Field experiments were conducted during summer (2013/2014) and winter (2014) in two different soil types to evaluate the effect of biochar and P fertilizer application on growth, yield, and water use efficiency of chickpea. Soil types include Rhodic Ferralsols (clay) in Thohoyandou and Leptic Cambisols (loamy sand) in Nelspruit, South Africa. Treatments consisted of a factorial combination of four biochar levels (0, 5, 10 and 20 t ha^?1) and two phosphorus fertilizer levels (0 and 90 kg ha^?1) arranged in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. Biochar application at 5 t ha^?1 significantly increased biomass, grain yield and water use efficiency of biomass production (WUE_b) in the clay soil compared to 10 and 20 t ha^?1. However, the increase was attributed to the addition of P fertilizer. Biochar application had no effect on yield components in the loamy sand soil, but P fertilizer addition increased number of seeds/pod in the loamy sand soil and number of pods/plant in the clay soil. Biochar and P fertilizer application on growth and yield of chickpea varied in soil types and seasons, as the effect was more prominent in the clay soil than the loamy sand soil during the summer sowing.     

Acidity Changes of Foreign Acidic Soils Introduced into Calcareous Soil Environment

Abstract

Many tropical plant species originated in areas with acidic soils and do not grow well in calcareous (high pH) soils. It is impossible to acidify soils that have high contents of calcium carbonate in south Florida. Replacing calcareous soils with acidic soils obtained from distant regions is an alternative. Unfortunately, such introduced acidic soils may eventually be neutralized by irrigation and ground water that is saturated with calcium carbonate. The objective of this investigation was to examine the acidity changes and buffering capacities of three types of acidic soils (silica sand soil, red loamy sand soil, and a mixed soil) used to establish tropical plants in a rainforest exhibition at Fairchild Tropical Garden, Miami, FL. The three areas were excavated to remove native calcareous soil, limestone bedrock, and filled with acidic soils. Various rainforest plants were planted. Soil samples were collected in contiguous 10 cm‐deep segments from the soil surface to the bedrock shortly after deposition of the soils and one year later. Soil pH, EC, particle distribution, buffering capacity were determined. Results showed that both silica sand and mixed soils had been neutralized and the soil pH values had risen over 7 in all soil depths after one year. However, less than 10 cm of the surface and bottom soil layers of red loamy sand had been neutralized and the soil pH in the middle of soil profile remained unchanged due to its higher buffering capacity. A column leaching study showed that the acidity in the red loamy sand soil would be neutralized by irrigation water and by capillary movement of groundwater with a high concentration of calcium bicarbonate. Buffering curves indicate that it is easier to maintain acidity in sandy soil than of loamy sand and mixed soils with acidified irrigation water. Indeed it is difficult to acidify the mixed soils with high organic matter content after these soils have been neutralized.     

气化渣改良风沙土对土壤水分物理性质的影响

为了探讨气化渣对毛乌素沙漠风沙土的改良效果,利用气化渣作为一种风沙土改良材料,与风沙土按不同掺入量混合,通过对土壤粒径组成、保水性能以及土壤水分特征曲线的变化情况分析,探讨了气化渣对风沙土土壤水分物理性质的影响。结果表明:添加气化渣使风沙土的粒径组成得到明显改善,砂粒含量降低5.89%～35.8%,黏粒、粉粒含量分别提高0.89%～2.92%,7.94%～32.88%,风沙土土壤容重显著降低(p<0.05),降低幅度为7.75%～55.5%; 风沙土土壤质地也由砂土转向砂质壤土,保水性能也随之呈现上升的趋势,显著影响了土壤饱和含水量、毛管持水量和田间持水量(p<0.05),增长幅度分别为13.53%～158.93%,7.12%～126.95%,23.19%～252.47%; Van Genuchten模型可以很好地拟合气化渣添加后风沙土的土壤水分特征曲线,表明气化渣的添加明显提高了土壤保水性,并且风沙土土壤保水性能的主成分分析结果表明气化渣添加量越高土壤保水性提高越明显。由此可以得出,水煤浆气化渣能够有效地改善风沙土的水分物理性质,显著提高风沙土的保水性能,对风沙土改良效果明显。     

Soil structural indices' dependence on irrigation water quality and their association with chromophoric components in dissolved organic matter

Irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW) may affect soil structure and stability and the characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) of the soil solution. The objectives of our study were (i) to evaluate the impact of TWW irrigation, as compared with fresh water (FW) irrigation, on aggregate stability and saturated hydraulic conductivity (indices of soil structure stability) and (ii) to determine whether these indices can be associated with the chromophoric indicators of water‐extractable DOM in TWW‐ and FW‐irrigated soils. We studied aggregate stability and soil hydraulic conductivity (HC) of four different soil types irrigated with either TWW (for at least 5 years) or FW. The results were linked to earlier published data on the concentration scores of fluorescent chromophoric DOM components (obtained from excitation‐emission matrices of flouorescence coupled with parallel factor analysis), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and absorbance at 254 nm (Abs254). These were all obtained from water extracts of the same soils as those used in the current study. Irrigation with TWW decreased aggregate stability, in comparison to irrigation with FW, in the sandy clay and clay soils, while in the loamy sand TWW increased aggregate stability. The apparent steady state HCs in the TWW‐irrigated samples in the loamy sand, sandy clay and clay soils were similar to, or significantly less than, those obtained in the FW‐irrigated samples. In the sandy loam the opposite trend was noted. Results of principal component and classification analyses showed that the aggregate stability indices were directly associated with soil organic matter and DOM attributes in the coarse‐textured soils, while in the fine‐textured soils inverse associations were noted. Only in the fine‐textured soils were the HC attributes associated (directly) with some of the DOM characteristics. Our results suggest that structural indices of fine‐textured soils are more sensitive than those of coarse‐textured soils to the composition of water extractable DOM.     

Soil salts reduce hydration of polymeric gels and affect moisture characteristics of soil

Abstract

Hydration of a hydrophilic crosslinked polystyrene (gel) in deionized water at 65 g of gel per g of soil was studied. Four different soil types were selected, three were light‐textured soils (loamy sand and sandy clay loam) and the other a clay. Container capacity, field capacity, permanent wilting point, and available water for these soils were measured for gel contents equal to 0,0.1, 0.2, and 0.3%. Absorption capacity of the gels when incorporated into the soil decreased considerably compared to its absorption in pure water. This was attributed to the increased ionic strength of soil moisture and the formation of additional ionic crosslinks in the gel network due to the presence of multivalent ions in the soils. It was found also that container capacity, field capacity, and available water capacity increased with the gel content in soil, whereas the permanent wilting point was not significantly affected.     

滨海盐土灌水脱盐动态的土壤质地和水质差异性研究

通过在天津滨海新区的野外灌水脱盐试验,对比分析了灌溉淡水、中水和微咸水的中壤质、重壤质土和粘土土壤含盐量及pH的动态变化。结果表明,粘质滨海盐土经灌淡水后的土壤全盐量降低是逐渐的;重壤质滨海盐土的土壤全盐变化趋势与粘质土相似,最初4次灌水使各层土壤全盐累积降幅较大;中壤质滨海盐土则第一次灌水后土壤含盐量降低较多,表层（0～20cm）由1.75%降到0.511%,以后灌溉土壤全盐量降低得较缓慢,20～40cm土层的含盐量始终降低得较缓慢。灌溉淡水、中水、微咸水均能使土壤全盐量降低,灌溉中水、微咸水后表层和土体下层土壤的含盐量均逐渐降低,而灌溉淡水的表层土壤全盐量以初次降低明显,土体下层的土壤全盐量始终变化幅度较小。同灌淡水的情况下,中壤质滨海盐土的土壤pH较为稳定,在7.5～8.5范围,而重壤质和粘土在最初表现下降,至约7.5后上升到8.5～9.0范围,质地越粘土壤pH越高。灌溉淡水、中水、微咸水均使土壤pH有升高的趋势,灌溉淡水后表层土壤pH能够上升到9.0,灌溉微咸水、中水后土壤pH能够升高至8.5左右。     

A study of some tillage practices for sustainable crop production in India

Soil tilth has been defined in terms of a ‘Physical Index’ based on the product of the ratings of eight physical properties — soil depth, bulk density, available water storage capacity, cumulative infiltration or apparent hydraulic conductivity, aggregation or organic matter, non-capillary pore space, water table depth and slope. The Physical Index and a tillage guide were used to identify the tillage requirements of different soils varying in texture from loamy sand to clay in the semi-arid tropics. The physical index was 0.389 for a loamy sand, 0.518 for a black clay loam and 0.540 for a red sandy loam soil and the cumulative rating indices in summer and winter seasons were 45 and 44 for loamy sand, 52 and 51 for red sandy loam and 54 and 52 for black clay loam soils, respectively. The compaction of the loamy sand by eight passes of a 490 kg tractor-driven roller (0.75 m diameter and 1.00 m length) increased the physical index to 0.658 and chiselling of the red sandy loam and black clay loam increased the physical indices to 0.686 and 0.729, respectively. The grain yields of rainfed pearl millet and guar and irrigated pearl millet, wheat and barley increased significantly over the control (no compaction) yields by compaction.

The chiselling of the soils varying in texture from loamy sand to clay at 50 to 120-cm intervals up to 30–40 cm depth, depending upon the row spacing of seedlines and depth of the high mechanical impedance layer, increased the grain yields of rainfed and irrigated maize on alluvial loamy sand, rainfed maize on alluvial sandy loam and red sandy loam, rainfed sorghum on red sandy loam and black clay loam, irrigated sorghum on black clay loam and rainfed black gram on red sandy loam, pod yield of rainfed groundnut, tuber yield of irrigated tapioca and fresh fruit yield of rainfed tomato on red sandy loam and sugarcane yield on black clay soil, significantly over the yields of no-chiselling systems of tillage such as disc harrow and country plough.