Influence of Conservation Tillage on Water-Use Efficiency and Yield of Peanut.

A large percentage of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) are produced with tillage-intensive operations. One of the increasing environmental concerns today is water conservation and optimum water use. The potential to capitalize on the known benefits of conservation tillage practices is particularly appealing, especially considering that conservation tillage has received scant attention in peanut. This research thus compares strip tillage (one form of conservation tillage with in-row subsoil shank) versus conventional tillage (with turning plow) for peanut in terms of water-use efficiency (WUE) and yield. In this study, the eddy-covariance technique was used to compare CO₂ flux, evapotranspiration, and WUE between strip tillage and conventional tillage management for peanut in 2019. Preliminary results suggest that WUE was significantly greater for early (103%), mid (49%) and late maturity (32%) stages of strip tillage peanuts compared to that grown in conventional tillage. Likewise, leaf area index was greater in strip tillage in early (29%), mid (40%) and late maturity (18%) stages, which is a probable reason for greater WUE. Furthermore, strip tillage also had 33% greater yield than conventional tillage. More definitive studies are in progress following a repetition of this experiment. This research can help growers plan more effective cultivation practices and irrigation strategies.