Transitioning phase from Conventional to No-tillage: Nitrogen fertilization is a key practice to reduce the productivity gap between the two soil managements in durum wheat

No-tillage (NT) is a sustainable and efficient agricultural practice that can improve soil health and reduce the environmental impact of agricultural systems. However, the transition from conventional tillage (CT) to NT is a process that requires careful planning and adjusting crop management practices. Indeed, the application of NT can determine a reduction in crop productivity, especially in the transition phase. Here we conducted a 2-year experiment to investigate how soil N availability can affect durum wheat performances in the switch year from CT to NT. We investigated the crop N uptake, grain yield, and N use efficiency (NUE) of two durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) genotypes (one modern variety and one old landrace) grown in CT and NT in presence of five N-fertilization rates (0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 kg N ha−1) under semiarid Mediterranean conditions. In the no-fertilization treatment (N0) the application of NT reduced both wheat N uptake and grain yield regardless of the genotype. The gap in N uptake and grain yield between the two tillage systems decreased at greater soil N supply and disappeared at 80 kg N ha−1. The two genotypes showed the same trend in all the applied treatments. However, noteworthy, the reduction of productivity observed under no fertilization conditions was less pronounced in the landraces than in the modern variety. Overall, the component analysis of the NUE showed that the advantages observed under no fertilization and at low N fertilization rates are due to a greater natural soil N availability in CT compared to NT. In conclusion, our experiment showed that the transition from CT to NT is a delicate process that cannot stand alone without a substantial reduction in plant performance. By contrast, integrating the transition from CT to NT with other agronomical practices, particularly with the N fertilization strategy, is essential to maximize crop N use efficiency and yield.