A field study was conducted during two cropping seasons (2009/10 and 2010/11) at the Institute of Field Crop-Agricultural Research Station of Setif (eastern Algeria) to compared the effect of tillage (no till and conventional tillage) and residue management (0, 30 and 60% soil cover) on the growth and grain yield of durum wheat. The cumulative growing season precipitations were 427.7 and 312.1 mm. Soil water storage to a depth of 0.4 m was higher under CT in the first year and no significant differences existed between NT and CT during the second year. Above-ground biomass was higher under CT, while grain yield, spikes m -2 and number of kernels m -2 were higher under NT. Residue rate affected positively all measured traits, suggesting the necessity to maintain residue cover to avoid reducing yield under NT management system. Averaged over residue rates, Transpiration was higher under CT than under NT, in 2009/10, but not significant difference was noted in 2010/11. The opposite was noted for evaporation. Transpiration increased as residue rates increased during both seasons. CT showed higher WUE BIO and WUE GY in the first year, while during the second year, NT expressed higher WUE BIO and WUE GY. WUE BIO and WUE GY increased as residue rate increased, during both cropping seasons. The results of the present study indicated that with adequate residue cover, no-till did not decreased grain yield, which suggested that durum wheat can be grown under NT with the expectation that gain yield will be higher or at least equal to CT grain yield.
