Triticeae Genomics and Genetics, 2025, Vol.16, No.5, 230-236 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/tgg 234 Figure 2 Root weight density of winter wheat within the 0-45 cm soil depth under various tillage practices at jointing, anthesis and 20 DAA in the 2014-2016 growing seasons. Results presented as the mean of 2 years. P, plowing tillage; R, rotary tillage; SR, strip rotary tillage; SRS, strip rotary tillage after subsoiling. Error bars represent SEM; n=3. Different letters indicate significant differences between treatments. FT, FS and FT × FS represent F-values of tillage, soil layers and their interaction in variance analysis respectively. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01 (Adopted from He et al., 2019) 7 Concluding Remarks Tillage methods affect the development of wheat roots and their drought resistance. Compared with conventional tillage (CT), conservation tillage methods such as no-tillage (NT) and reduced tillage (RT) generally make it easier for the soil to retain water, and also allow the roots to grow denser and have more mycorrhizae, so that water can be better utilized during droughts and yields are more stable. However, there is a problem with no-tillage, which is that it is easy to harden the soil, especially in deep areas, which will prevent deep roots from growing and absorbing deep water. Reduced tillage can find a better balance between root preservation and yield preservation. In droughts, the amount of wheat roots will decrease and their shape will change. However, if conservation tillage is used, this effect can be mitigated. This is because this method allows roots, soil and microorganisms to cooperate better, which is very helpful to crops. Which tillage method is best depends on the local soil, climate and planting conditions. In areas prone to drought, using no-tillage or back-tillage can allow the soil to retain more water and help the roots and microorganisms cooperate better. However, sometimes you still have to turn the land regularly, such as using rotary tillage, to prevent the soil from hardening and allow the roots to grow deeper. Weeds must also be controlled, especially when re-tilling, otherwise weeds will grab water during droughts, which will reduce production. If conservation tillage can be combined with other methods, such as retaining straw and crop rotation, it can also make drought resistance stronger. Future research can consider more comprehensive tillage methods. For example, combining the benefits of conservation tillage with some special measures to control soil hardening while helping roots grow better and adapt to drought weather. Now, the analysis of root traits, soil biology and precision agriculture are becoming more and more advanced, and they can also help us develop more reasonable management methods based on the conditions of each plot of land. As the climate becomes more and more unstable, selecting wheat varieties with strong roots and drought resistance, and combining them with appropriate tillage methods, has become the key to stable production and income. Acknowledgments I appreciate Dr Xu from the Hainan Institution of Biotechnology for her assistance in references collection and discussion for this work completion. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The author affirms that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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