Yield and Quality of Soybean Crop under the Influence of Tillage Systems
Abstract
Soybean cultivation requires appropriate soil tillage and effective weed management to ensure high and stable yields of good quality. Therefore, identifying suitable methods of soil preparation and weed control represents an essential technological component in soybean production. A polifactorial experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research and Development Station (ARDS) Turda over two consecutive growing seasons (2024 and 2025), based on the split-plot design. The biological material studied was the soybean variety Felix, sown at 50 cm between rows and 55 g.g./m². The study aimed to assess the stability of yield, thousand kernel weight, and seed quality (oil content, protein content, and fatty acids) under two soil tillage systems (plowing and chisel) and different weed control methods (a control variant without treatment, pre- and post-emergent herbicides for monocots and dicots, as well as combinations with mechanical or manual hoeing). The results obtained in both experimental years indicate a high level of weeding, especially in the non-herbicidal variant. Average yields were higher in the plowing system, while chisel ensured more pronounced stability of yield. Average yields were higher in the plowing system, while the chisel system provided greater stability in yield capacity. The best results were obtained then chemical herbicide application with hoeing, confirming the effectiveness of integrated weed management. The maximum yield (2034 kg/ha) was achieved under plowing with chemical weed control, whereas in the untreated control, yields were 785 kg/ha for plowing and 500 kg/ha for chisel system. Thousand kernel weight was similar in both systems (130-145 g), slightly higher and more stable under the chisel system. Seed chemical composition was relatively consistent: the chisel system promoted higher oil content (21.06%) and oleic acid (26.44%), whereas plowing slightly increased protein content (33.93%) and linolenic acid (5.24%). Low coefficients of variation indicated high stability of seed quality traits. While the conservative chisel system provided stable yield and quality, plowing offered a higher productive potential, especially under favorable environmental conditions.