TILLAGE EFFECTS ON SUNFLOWER (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS, L.) EMERGENCE, YIELD, QUALITY, AND FUEL CONSUMPTION IN DOUBLE CROPPING SYSTEM

The relation between crop growing and soil tillage treatment are play important role in agricultural production. Soils under conventional tillage (CT) generally have lower bulk density and associated higher total porosity within the plough layer than under no tillage (NT). No-till farming can reduce soil erosion, conserve soil moisture and minimize labor and fuel consumption. The aim of this study were to investigate the effects of conventional, reduced and notillage methods on soil physical properties, sunflower yield and yield components, protein and oil content and fuel consumption in Southeastern of Turkey. Six tillage methods for the second crop sunflower were tested and compared each other within after lentil harvesting at 2003 and 2004 years in a clay loam soil. According to results, the first year, the bulk density had decreased from 1.29 to 1.09 g cm(-3), the second year the delta b had decreased from 1.41 to 1.23 g cm-3. Differences between years and tillage methods in terms of yield were found significant (p<0.05). However, no differences were found between the NT and CT. There were also no significance differences in content of protein, oil and ash among six tillage methods. The highest fuel consumption was measured in conventional method (CT) whereas the lowest value was found in direct seeding method as 33.48 L ha(-1) and 6.6 L ha(-1,) respectively.