The effects of no-till and conventional tillage systems on water infiltration and related soil parameters were investigated in five fields under dryland farming in southern Saskatchewan. A rainfall simulator was used for the infiltration measurements. Three fields were under a no-till system for different lengths of time ranging from 5 years to 13 years. A heavy duty cultivator was used in both fields under conventional tillage; one field was under continuous cropping, and the other under a traditional wheat-fallow rotation. Fields under the no-till system had higher organic matter contents, higher macroporosities, and higher saturated hydraulic conductivities than the fields with the conventional tillage. Organic matter in the no-till and conventional continuously cropped fields increased approximately 0.2% for every year since the last conventional fallow-crop rotation. The field in conventional fallow had the lowest infiltration rates, while the conventional continuously cropped field had the highest infiltration rates, although not significantly different than those from the 13 year old no-till field. Cumulative infiltration at 60 minutes was most highly correlated with organic matter content; for every 1 percentage point increase in organic matter, cumulative infiltration increased by 9 mm.
