With recent increases in energy costs, information on energy inputs is becoming a more important aspect in management decisions on selection of crop production systems. The effects of long-term (45–55 years) monocropping, rotation cropping, and fertilization on tillage energy (implement draft and tractor fuel consumption) were determined for a Brookston clay-loam soil in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Treatments included fertilized and unfertilized monocrop (continuous) corn (Zea mays L.), and a four year fertilized and unfertilized corn – oat (Avena sativa L.) – alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) – alfalfa rotation with all phases of the rotation present in each year. The corn and second year alfalfa plots were moldboard plowed each fall after crop harvest, and then spring-tilled (disc, harrow) prior to planting; oat and first year alfalfa plots were not fall plowed or spring-tilled. Moldboard plow draft and tractor fuel consumption were measured annually from 2004 to 2014 using an instrumented tractor and the same plow and settings.

Monocrop unfertilized corn consistently exhibited the greatest plow draft and tractor fuel consumption. Draft averaged over ten years was 13.0% higher for unfertilized than fertilized rotation corn, and 15.5% higher for fertilized than unfertilized second year alfalfa; fuel consumption was 10.4% higher for unfertilized than fertilized rotation corn and 5.1% higher for fertilized than unfertilized second year alfalfa. These differences were attributed to treatment-induced changes in soil strength. Both plow draft and fuel consumption were lower in rotation corn relative to monocrop corn, while plow draft was greater in fertilized alfalfa relative to unfertilized alfalfa due to greater root growth. This study demonstrated that long-term cropping systems can have substantial impacts on the energy required for tilling a clay loam soil.

随着近年来能源成本的增加，有关能源投入的信息在选择作物生产系统的管理决策中正变得更加重要。针对加拿大安大略省西南部的布鲁克斯顿粘壤土，确定了长期（45-55 年）单作、轮作和施肥对耕作能源（机具吃水和拖拉机燃料消耗）的影响。处理包括受精和未受精的单作（连作）玉米（Zea mays L.），以及为期四年的受精和未受精玉米-燕麦（Avena sativa L.）-苜蓿（Medicago sativa L.）-苜蓿轮作，包括轮作的所有阶段每年都会出现。玉米和第二年苜蓿地块在作物收获后每年秋天进行犁耕，然后在播种前进行春季耕作（圆盘、耙）；燕麦和第一年苜蓿地块没有秋耕或春耕。从 2004 年到 2014 年，每年使用仪表拖拉机和相同的犁和设置测量犁板犁吃水和拖拉机燃料消耗。

单作未施肥玉米始终表现出最大的犁耕吃水量和拖拉机燃料消耗。十年间平均吃水量，未施肥的轮作玉米比施肥的轮作玉米高13.0%，施肥的比未施肥的第二年苜蓿高15.5%；未施肥的燃料消耗比施肥的轮作玉米高10.4%，施肥的燃料消耗比未施肥的第二年苜蓿高5.1%。这些差异归因于处理引起的土壤强度变化。与单作玉米相比，轮作玉米的犁吃水量和燃料消耗都较低，而由于根部生长更快，施肥苜蓿相对于未施肥苜蓿的犁吃水量更大。这项研究表明，长期耕作制度会对耕种粘壤土所需的能量产生重大影响。