Triticeae Genomics and Genetics, 2025, Vol.16, No.5, 230-236 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/tgg 233 5 Effects of Tillage on Drought Resistance 5.1 Physiological indicators: leaf water potential, stomatal conductance Different tillage methods will affect some key physiological indicators of wheat drought resistance. Compared with traditional tillage, such as no-till or conservation tillage, wheat leaves can retain better water during drought, and photosynthesis will not drop too much at once (Madejón et al., 2023; 2024). Under traditional tillage, drought often causes wheat leaves to lose water content, stomata to close, and photosynthesis rate to deteriorate. Under no-till conditions, if phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are added, water evaporation can be reduced and crop drought resistance can be improved (Galstyan et al., 2022). 5.2 Soil moisture retention and water use efficiency No-till or less tillage can keep water in the ground longer. Studies have found that compared with traditional tillage, no-till can allow the soil to store 16% to 20% more water (Madejón et al., 2024; Sun et al., 2024). These tillage methods can also make rainwater more effectively used, helping crops maintain yields during droughts (Sun et al., 2024). Practices such as cross-slope ridge cultivation and strip tillage can also allow water to penetrate deeper, reduce soil compaction, and better control water (Li et al., 2024; Sojnóczki et al., 2024). Traditional tillage often causes the soil to dry out and even forms a hard layer, which makes it difficult for roots to grow downward and affects water absorption. 5.3 Root-shoot coordination and yield stability under stress Tillage methods affect the growth of wheat roots and its performance under drought conditions. No-till and conservation tillage can make wheat roots grow more, the ratio of roots to aboveground parts is more reasonable, and mycorrhizae are easier to form, all of which help wheat better utilize resources and stabilize yields when water is scarce (Madejón et al., 2023). On the other hand, under traditional tillage, drought can easily cause yield reductions, and the root-crown ratio decreases, indicating that wheat is more difficult to adapt to stress. If crop rotation or joint tillage is adopted, the yield can be more stable and wheat can better cope with weather changes, which is particularly useful in drought-prone areas (Sojnóczki et al., 2024; Sun et al., 2024). 6 Case Studies: Drought Adaptation under Tillage Regimes 6.1 No-till vs. conventional tillage in North China In North China, experiments were conducted in many fields and found that compared with conventional tillage (CT), no-tillage (NT) and a crop rotation method called NC (normal tillage for winter wheat and no-tillage for summer corn) can allow the soil to store more water during droughts. After using the NC method, the available water in the field increased by about 19.7%, the yield was more stable during droughts, and the water use efficiency was higher than other methods. This shows that in semi-arid areas, the combination of no-tillage and crop rotation is a good choice, which can make crops more drought-resistant and the yield is not easy to drop (Sun et al., 2024). 6.2 Root development under conservation tillage in the Huang-Huai region In the Huanghuai region, conservation tillage (such as reduced tillage and returning straw to the field) has been proven to be very helpful for good root growth. This farming method can increase the number and variety of microorganisms in the soil and enrich the soil nutrients. Compared with traditional tillage, conservation tillage can make the soil "ecosystem" healthier, and when drought comes, it has less impact on the food web in the soil. This better soil environment is conducive to the growth of stronger roots for wheat, allowing it to survive when there is less water (Figure 2) (He et al., 2019; Ma et al., 2025). 6.3 Straw-return tillage and water use improvement in arid northwest areas In the arid areas of Northwest China, leaving straw directly in the field is a simple and effective way. It allows the soil to retain more water and use water more efficiently. Conservation tillage methods such as straw mulching can help the land store more water, so that wheat and other crops can survive longer when encountering drought weather and are not prone to yield reduction. This is particularly important in places where extreme droughts often occur (Sun et al., 2024; Ma et al., 2025).
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