Investigating soil quality indicators in different tillage systems under rapeseed cultivation in Kermanshah province

Tillage is an important component of soil management that affects crop production. In addition, tillage can contribute to agricultural sustainability and improve soil quality by altering the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil. One of the most useful tools for assessing soil management status in different tillage systems is soil quality assessment, and the use of quantitative indices is one of the most appropriate methods for determining and comparing soil quality. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of different tillage systems on soil quality at two depths of 0-25 and 25-50 cm. The experiment was factorial in a randomized complete block design in the Campus Agriculture and Experimental Natural Resources. The results showed that the tillage system impacted all the studied traits with different intensities. By changing the tillage system from traditional to more conservative, the soil properties had a positive change, which resulted in improved quality. The percentage of increase and the highest variation among the biological characteristics of microbial biomass carbon was 53.49% and 42.45% respectively. Cumulative and developmental indices had the highest values in conservation, reduction, and traditional tillage systems, respectively. Overall, the cumulative quality index was more accurate in determining soil quality.