By planting winter wheat over an alfalfa layer in the favorably moistened crop season of 2024, the best productive and yield-related traits were remarkable with the traditional cultivation technology. Data showed better results for the number of plants (298.4 m²), productive tillering (1.2), ear length (9.9 cm), grains per ear (28.3), and 1000-grain weight (44.4 g) compared with minimal soil cultivation and cutting the root collar of alfalfa at depths of 12–14 cm. The productive elements were 284.2 m², 1.1, 9.5 cm, 28.0, and 44.1 g, respectively. The winter wheat grain-yield formation was 3.4 and 3.22 t/ha, respectively. In the extremely dry year of 2025, the highest number of surviving plants per unit area was 251 m², with productive tillering (0.83), ear length (8.7 cm), the number of grains (17.9), and 1000-grain weight (28.4 g) obtained through direct sowing of winter wheat after safflower. In the dry year, the maximum productivity (1.5 t/ha) resulted from direct seeding.

Keywords: Winter wheat, safflower, alfalfa, traditional technology, minimum tillage, direct seeding, crop rotation, yield, mineral fertilizers, herbicide

Key findings: By planting winter wheat on the alfalfa layer using traditional technology, it obtained the highest grain yield (3.4 t/ha) compared with wheat sowing by direct seeding after safflower (3.05 t/ha).