| The field experiments were conducted from 2001 to 2005 in Dingxi on the western Loess Plateau to investigate the effects of no-tillage with stubble retention(NTS) on soil temperature in the farming system of rainfed spring wheat.The results showed that soil temperature was affected mainly by air temperature,and also by soil water storage.The more water stored in soil in the summerautumn wet season,the lower the soil temperature was in the following early spring.The difference of soil temperature between NTS and conventional tillage(T) were consistent under different weather conditions.The soil temperature of NTS was more stable than that of T.The average soil temperature of NTS during the wheat growing season was 0.5℃～1.6℃ lower than that of T,and the difference of soil temperature between these two treatments was the greatest in jointing and maturity stage,but there was no significant difference during fallow stage.The yield of spring wheat under NTS was 8.8%%～28.8% higher than that under T;however,there was no significant relationship between average topsoil temperature and grain yield. |