Impact of Winter Ploughing Tillage on Moisture Content and Grain Hardness in Wheat: A Statistical Analysis of Harvested Samples

Winter ploughing is a soil tillage practice performed between harvest of the previous crop and planting of the next one within the winter months. This study investigates the impact of the tillage practice on the quality of wheat grain, focusing on two key parameters: moisture content and grain hardness. A total of 72 wheat grain samples were collected from a field at Látókép Experimental Station (Debrecen, Hungary), where winter ploughing was applied before sowing and harvesting. The two parameters were measured using a grain analyser, and the results were subjected to Past4.11 Statistical Software for analysis. The mean moisture content of the wheat grains was 11.907%, with a standard error of 0.0787 and a 95% confidence interval ranging from 11.75% to 12.064%. Grain hardness averaged 106.49 psi, with a standard error of 1.8856 and a 95% confidence interval of 102.73 psi to 110.25 psi. The results revealed moderate variability in both moisture content and grain hardness, with skewness values of 0,264254 and -0,4254446, indicating slight asymmetry in both parameter distributions. Statistical analyses, including t-tests and confidence intervals of 1,9768 at p=0.05 confirmed the reliability of the observed results. These findings suggest that winter ploughing tillage contributes to stable moisture retention but shows variable effects on grain hardness, possibly due to factors such as soil conditions and environmental variability. Further research is recommended to explore the long-term effects of winter ploughing on wheat quality and yield, as well as its impact under different weather conditions and wheat varieties.