RESPONSE OF TEN WINTER WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) CULTIVARS DEVELOPED AT NARDI FUNDULEA, TO BASIC CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE PRACTICES

Soil tillage is an essential factor of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop management. Genotypes well adapted to different agricultural practices could be identified by either conducting the breeding and selection process in the respective conditions, or just testing the response of selected cultivars to such conditions. The objectives of this study were: (a) to test the influence of seeding in no-tillage (NT) and chisel-tillage (CT) systems, within conservation agriculture conditions, on winter wheat grain yield and its components, as well as on grain protein, in the South-East Plain of Romania; (b) to estimate the response of 10 cultivars, released by NARDI Fundulea, to these cropping practices and conditions. The field experiment was conducted over two growing seasons: 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. Comparisons were done among the two tillage systems and the 10 tested varieties. Grain yield, its components, and grain protein content were not significantly affected by tillage system within conservation agriculture, but were significantly influenced by the cultivar. The cultivars under study performed well when seeded directly in no-tillage (NT) or chisel-tillage (CT) systems, producing yields of over 5000 kg ha(-1), regardless of the fact that they were developed within a breeding program which was based on conventional (traditional) agricultural practices.