Vol. 19(2), pp. 196-209, February, 2023 DOI: 10.5897/AJAR2022.16272 Article Number: 7479CB170384 ISSN: 1991-637X Copyright ©2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article http://www.academicjournals.org/AJAR African Journal of Agricultural Research Full Length Research Paper Response of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars to ridge -furrow tillage systems Zabdi Kipngetich Chumba 1 , James Otieno Owuoche 1* , Victor Wafula Wasike 2 and Alex Machio Kange 3 1 Department of Crops Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University, P. O. Box 536-20115, Egerton University, Kenya. 2 Genetic Resources Research Institute - Muguga, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), P. O. Box 781- 00902 Kikuyu, Kenya. 3 School of Pure and Applied Sciences, Bomet University College, P. O. Box 701 - 20400 Bomet, Kenya. Received 10 November, 2022; Accepted 18 January, 2023 Tillage system is one of the main factors influencing growth and physiology of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), that eventually translates to high yield and good kernel quality. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of the ridge (RT) and flat tillage (FT) systems on (i) growth and production of spring wheat, (ii) root growth and physiology and (iii) soil physical properties. Trials were conducted at Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Njoro and Egerton University. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a split plot arrangement with tillage system as the main plot and cultivar as sub-plot was used in the study. Data analysis was done using PROC GLM procedure from SAS software version 9.4. The study showed that root length, surface area and volume were 34.66, 42.17 and 47.56% higher in RT than FT, respectively. The RT had 8, 7.66, 39.19 and 20% higher NDVI, TKW, yield and HI, than FT. Soil moisture and electrical conductivity were 38.43 and 9.02% higher in the RT than FT. Soil temperature and BD were 1.05 and 38.94% higher in FT than RT. The RT provided a conducive environment for wheat growth and physiology, resulting in high yield and kernel quality. Key words: Wheat, physiology, ridge-furrow, flat-tillage, grain yield. INTRODUCTION Tillage system significantly influences root penetration and absorption of nutrients, soil moisture content, availability of soil nutrients and capacity of soil to hold water which translates to yield production (Desta et al., 2021). In Kenya, annual wheat production is estimated at 300,000 tonnes as of 2020 statistics which is way below the country demand of over 1 million tonnes (Https://knoema.com/atlas/Kenya). Wheat production in Kenya has also been usually practiced on flat soils surfaces (solid stands) in rain-fed and open-field production systems which results in greater crop lodging, soil degradation, inferior water and nutrient use efficiency, limited soil volume and rhizosphere processes that ultimately result in lower yields (Tripathi et al., 2004). This, therefore, necessitates improving the physiological growth and production of wheat through increased production and management systems (Shiferaw et al., 2013). Thus, the use of tillage systems which reduced *Corresponding author. E-mail: zabdich@yahoo.com. Tel: +254 725 828 794. Author(s) agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License