Effects of Crop Rotation and Tillage on Winter Wheat Growth and Yield under Cold Dryland Conditions

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

General comments
As general comments I would suggest
✓ Section 2. Material and methods
2.1. Experimental site details (it is an example)
The experiment was conducted for 3 consecutive years, from month, 2016 to month, 2017 (first year), …. month, 2017 to month, 2018 (second year) at a Dryland Agriculture Research Institute (DARI). The experimental field (378120 N; 468200 E; 1730 m a.s.l.)) is located 25 km from …. The region is characterized by a temperate …. Summers. The soil …… 15-80 cm depth. Mean annual temperature and precipitation for the most recent 5 or 10 years were xxx and xxx, respectively.
2.2. Experimental design and treatments management
For the present study, in order to investigate the effect of different crop managements methods on two winter dryland wheat genotypes’ performance, a split-split experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) replicated three times. The treatments consisting in: Three crop rotation treatments [Chickpea-Wheat (C-W), Safflower-Wheat (S-W), and Vetch-Wheat (V-W)] were considered in main plots, three tillage treatments (Conventional (CT), Minimum (MT), and No-tillage (NT)) were located in subplots, and two dryland winter wheat genotypes (Baran and Azar2) were allocated in sub-sub plots.
A soil auger was used ……
✓ Better to avoid using the same letter to refer different things even thought you describe it in each time you use. For example, in the present manuscript the letter T in some cases you use for average temperature (Table 1), in other cases stands for transpiration rate (L131) and in other cases stands for tillage (Table 3).
✓ For all figures better to standardizes their structure presentation. Also, in the caption write the meaning of the lowercase. Example: Different lowercase letters indicate statistical differences (p < 0.05). Error bars mean standard deviations
Specific comments
Abstract
1. L17: If I assume that gs stands for stomatal gas exchange, what does T stands for?
2. L20: m-3 instead of m-3
3. L22: kg ha-1 instead of kg ha-1
Introduction
4. L62: Is the meaning of MT in this line same with that in abstract in line 13-14? If that is the case, better to write again here in this section and add its abbreviation.
5. L77: kg ha-1 instead of kg ha-1
Materials and methods
6. L 90: Better to clarify and use the same designation of experiment design. Here you consider RCBD, in L10-11: you mention it as RCB.
7. L90: Better to write the meaning of the abbreviation followed by the abbreviation. Example: randomized complete block design (RCBD)
8. L95-100: The way this information is presented including the position of the table 1, seems to be more like results and not part of the material and methods. In here I was expecting to see information like: example 1: “the average temperature and precipitation is xxxx and xxxx, respectively with maximum and minimum ……”.
9. L110-112: Suggestion: After air-drying, the soil samples were dried in an oven under 70 oC for 72 hours. The soil was then crushed and sieved through 2 mm sieve and used for physical and chemical analysis, (Table 2).
10. L114: seeds per m2 instead of seeds per m2
11. L115: Do you mean tines or lines? In other words, what is tines?
12. L117-119: kg ha-1 instead of kg ha-1
13. L130: You refer to normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI) and in abstract, L16-17 you refer NDVI as normalized differences in the vegetative index. Are those words (differential and differences) same?
14. L130-131: If you assume that gs stands for stomatal conductance and T for transpiration rate, and in L17: you wrote that gs stands for stomatal gas exchange and T there is no designation, what does those designations really mean? Is this T (transpiration rate) in L131 will not create confusion for the readers with the T in the table 1 that stands for average temperature?
15. L131: flowering stage not stages
16. L: How did you determine the grain yield. Better to add more information
Results
17. L156-157: From here you affirm that moisture of S-W was not significant different with other crop rotation treatments but from the figure 1, we can see statistical differences, C-W (b), S-W (a) and V-W (ab). From the figure 1, V-W did not show statistical differences with the other two treatments but those two are statistical different between each other. How do you explain you statement in the above-mentioned lines?
18. Figure 1b: You do not present any result of it. What is the importance of adding this result?
19. L168-175: For you to be able to add this information here, you should change the title of section 3 to Results and discussion instead of results only. If you only consider results, this information is not part of your results. But if you add a discussion section means that apart of your results you are agreeing or disagreeing with several authors that conducted similar studies and had similar or different results from yours.
20. L181-182: check comment of L130
21. L182: Crop water requirement (CWR), you should abbreviate in the first time you use this expression and later on just use the abbreviation. In this case in the first time was suppose to be in L138 and even in L140 just the abbreviation would be enough.
22. L183-184: Relative water content (RWC), you should abbreviate in the first time you use this expression and later on just use the abbreviation. In this case in the first time was supposed to be in L133 and even in L135 just the abbreviation would be enough.
23. L184-185: check the words and the abbreviation and confront with those in above sections.
24. L195, 196: What does T stands for? Check the general comment
25. L212-217: The results presented here showed a bit confusion with the figure 3. Better to rewrite it.
26. Again, in figure 3, L231, gs stands for stomatal conductance, in abstract and other points of the manuscript stands for stomatal gas exchange. What is the correct meaning or does it have the same meaning?
27. L232-234 and Figure 6: Is there any statistical difference between the BY in different treatments applied in each year, or among the years? If so, what was the reason for that?
28. L246: Add the values in brackets. For example: …. Maximum and minimum values for Baran and Azar2 were recorded for 2017-2018 (241.6 and 240.4) and 2019-2020 (204.1 and 195.0), respectively.
29. L246-247: Where are the statistical analysis that revels this statement?
30. L253-254: kg m3 instead of kg m-3
31. L268: Since you are bringing the results of 1000 grain weight and yield, better to describe in material and methods section how you manage to get this data.\
32. Is there any difference between BY and GY in your manuscript? In case the answer is yes, what is that one? And is better you clarify in your manuscript
Figures and tables
33. Figure 3: There are 3 figures. Better to properly identify them and explain what does each of them refer to. On the first left figure there is for C-W (CT and NT), S-W (MT) and V-W (CT and NT). Is that correct? Again, there is in caption WR, RP, NDVI, but I can not see this in the figure. Should these be here?
34. Table 2: Is this data refer to properties of soil before the experiment? If so, you should refer that in the tittle. Is that true that the unit for pH is %?
Suggestion
K: potassium; P: phosphorus; TN: total nitrogen; OC: organic carbon; CaCO3: calcium carbonate; SP: saturation percentage
35. Table 4: In the caption, mention transpiration rate instead of transpiration. Also confirm what does NDVI stands for.
36. Table 6: Add in caption the meaning of T, gs and BY
37. Table 8: To facilitate the comparison, better to put all results in the same unit, (1000 GW and GY)
38. Table 8: This table presents data of 1000 GW and GY. What does WR, RP and NDVI doing here in the caption. Seems like you did copy and paste and you did not even pay attention on reviewing that showing your weak point on reading again your manuscript before submitting.

Author Response

Reviewer 1

General comments

Thanks for the suggestion on the materials and method section, comments were addressed according to the suggestions.

Specific comments

1. gs stands for stomatal conductance and T stands for transpiration rate. According to the comments, T changed to E, as the standard abbreviation for transpiration rate.
2. Done
3. Done
4. Yes, MT in this section the same as in the abstract is minimum tillage. It was applied.
5. Done
6. It has been corrected according to the comment.
7. Done
8. It has been corrected according to the comment.
9. Done
10. Done
11. It was rows of seeder. It has been corrected.
12. Done
13. NDVI is abbreviation for Normalized Differences Vegetative Index. It has been corrected in whole text.
14. According to the comment 1, gs stands for stomatal conductance and E for transpiration rate. Stomatal conductance estimates the rate of gas exchange (i.e., carbon dioxide uptake) and transpiration (i.e., water loss) through the leaf stomata as determined by the degree of stomatal aperture.
15. Done
16. It has been explained and added to the text.
17. S-W and V-W are statistically similar, but C-W and S-W are not statistically similar. It has been corrected in the text.
18. It has been mentioned in the text, but the reference to Figure 1b is given in the text.
19. Discussion has been added to the title of results section.
20. Done
21. It has been corrected according to the comment.
22. It has been corrected according to the comment.
23. Done
24. Done
25. It has been corrected.
26. It has been corrected according to the comments 1 and 14.
27. Yes, BY significantly changed under tillage treatments and also years. As it was completed in the text, more water storage in NT treatment supported plant biomass production.
28. Done
29. The reference table has been added.
30. Done
31. It has been corrected according to the comment and explained in the material and methods section.
32. Yes, there is difference between GY and BY. BY refers to the total dry matter produced by a crop, but GY includes part of BY. It has been corrected in the material and methods section.
33. C-W (Chickpea-Wheat), S-W (Safflower-Wheat), V-W (Vetch-Wheat). It has been explained in the text.
34. Yes, it refers to properties of soil before the experiment. It has been corrected in the title of the Table.
35. Done
36. Done
37. Usually, seed weight reports with g and grain yield with t/ha or kg/ha.
38. It has been corrected according to the comment.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The papper must be improved. Some considerations are presented in attachment.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Reviewer 2

• Some information about the crop rotation and genotype have been added in the Introduction section.
• Material and methods;
• sentence L110 has been deleted.
• L127, soil moisture content measurement was completed.
• L143, grain yield measurement completed.
• L159, it was completed.
• Result and discussion has been combined in one section.
• L188, units have been mentioned in mean comparison Tables.
• L288, the sentence has been deleted.
• Conclusion section has been summarized.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear authors,

The manuscript is interesting from the aspect of soil and natural resource conservation.

Parts of the manuscript, abstract and material and methods are correctly written and satisfactory in length.

Introduction

Lines 47-48 are too general sentences, commonly known.

Rewrite the introduction with shorter sentences

Lines 60-63 Lines 64-69, line 71-75 , too long sentences

Table 1, add the sums of precipitation and average temperatures

The conclusion is correct.

Best regards!

Author Response

Reviewer 3

Reviewer comments, especially in the Introduction section have been done. Long sentences have been shortened.

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

An interesting and valuable publication, whitch, however, requires some corrections. 

Materials and methods -complete tillage informacjons - depth, tools, etc. ,

line 90 and table 1 - the mentioned 4 years of research, included year 2016-2017, but the yield results are given without this year

table 5, - HI - data not presented in the table, but mentioned in the header and below table

table 8 - incorrect descriptions under table

Author Response

Reviewer 4

Tillage details and machine information have been added in materials and methods section.

This experiment was done in 4 years, but the first year only crops in rotation were planted and we measured from the second year.

Tables 5 and 8 have been corrected according to the comments.

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors have attended and responded all the suggestion/ question from the previous document submitted and consequently improved their manuscript.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you for your valuable comments on the revised manuscript.

Regards,

Ramin Lotfi and Mohamad Pessarakli

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Some improvements are suggested in attachment

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you for your valuable comments on the revised manuscript. We have revised the manuscript again and here we have responded to your specific questions.

L41- The value has been clarified.

L74- We did not evaluate the relation between soil texture and tillage practice in this paper, but as almost part of Iran's dryland areas has clay-type soils, the effect of tillage practice is more important on soil water storage. Also, as soil texture is a fixed factor, the practical way to manage soil water content is by soil tillage.

L88- Done

L173- Reference has been added to the method.

L208- Done

L237- Done

Thanks again.

Regards,

Ramin Lotfi and Mohamad Pessarakli