The Effect of Different Methods of Tillage and Cover Crop on Radiation Interception and Use by Potato (Solanum tuberosum) under Hamedan Weather Condition

Utilization of the conservation tillage systems and the cover crops are ecological management methods in crop production techniques that lead to improvement of resources absorption and use efficiency by plants. Based on this purpose the present study was conducted to evaluate radiation absorption and use efficiency in potato farms under different tillage systems and cover crops conditions in 2013. Treatments were included tillage systems at three levels (conventional tillage, minimum tillage and no-tillage) as min plot, three levels of cover crops (vetch, barely and without cover crop) as sup plot. The results showed that leaf area index, dry matter accumulation, light absorption and light use efficiency in conventional tillage and cover crop of vetch increased. The most leaf area index of potato (6.4) was related to conventional tillage with cover crop of vetch treatment while the lowest leaf area index (3.2) was related to no-tillage with no cover crop treatment. By increasing of leaf area index, light absorption improved about 85% in conventional tillage with cover crop of vetch compare to other treatments. Vetch cover crop also had positive effects on potato growth. So, the highest dry matter accumulation (1985.56 g m-2) was observed in conventional tillage with cover crop of vetch treatment while the lowest dry matter accumulation (1236.44 g m-2) was observed in no-tillage with non-crop cover treatment. Average maximum and minimum radiation use efficiency for potato were 3.12 and 2.09 g MJ-1 in conventional tillage with cover crop of vetch treatment and no-tillage with no cover crop, respectively.