Treatments in the CT consisted of fall mouldboard ploughing (20cm) followed by the secondary seedbed preparation in the spring by disking (7.5–10 cm) and harrowing, and ridge-building. In RT, ridges were maintained year-to-year with a cultivator in June, and a modified lister and scrubber were used to form and press the ridge. Under the NT, no soil disturbance was practiced except for the planting using a no-till planter. Maize and soybean was planted with a no-till planter. Planting dates ranged from April 17 to May 17