Abstract: 【Objective】To explore the effects of tillage methods optimization on the physical properties and foxtail millet yield of brown soil in the western Liaohe Plain,Inner Mongolia.【Methods】Using the traditional shallow tillage of 30 cm（CK） as a control,setting deep tiller tillage 50 cm（SF）,deep loosening machine loosening tillage 50 cm（SS）,deep loosening machine loosening tillage 50 cm and rotary tiller rotary tillage 30 cm（SSX）,and deep tiller tillage 50 cm and rotary tiller rotary tillage 30 cm（SFX） four treatments,on soil hardness,soil bulk density,soil moisture content,and foxtail millet yield of 0-100 brown soils were compared and analyzed in different treatments and different growth stages.【Results】The soil structure was improved by different tillage methods,and the soil bulk density of SS,SSX,SFX,and SF treatments significantly decreased by 0.16%-2.26%,4.63%-6.24%,3.81%-5.88%,and 1.08%-3.95% compared with CK in 0-10,10-20,20-40,40-60,and 60-80 cm soil layers,respectively（P<0.05）;the soil moisture content of 20-40 cm soil layer was the highest in the 0-100 cm soil layer,and the soil moisture content of each treatment was SSX>SFX>SF>SS>CK at different growth stages,and the soil moisture content of SSX treatment increased by 4.81%-9.90% compared with CK.In terms of agronomic traits and yield of foxtail millet,the ear thickness,ear length,ear weight and 1 000-grain weight of SSX and SFX treatments were significantly increased by 11.67%,9.28%,8.25%,10.98% and 9.63%,7.70%,6.04%,8.63%,respectively（P<0.05）,and the yield of foxtail millet after SSX treatment increased most significantly compared with CK,was 7.65%（P<0.05）;the water consumption of foxtail millet in all growth stages was CK>SS>SF>SFX>SSX,and the water consumption of foxtail millet under SSX treatment was 893.60 mm,and the water use efficiency of foxtail millet was improved under four treatments,and the effect of SSX treatment was best,which was improved 8.14% than CK.【Conclusion】The tillage methods optimization can significantly improve soil structure,increase soil moisture in tillage layer,and increase foxtail millet yield,the treatment of deep loosening machine loosening tillage 50 cm and rotary tiller rotary tillage 30 cm has the best effect,which is the optimal mode to alleviate the soil barrier of brown soil in the western Liaohe Plain,Inner Mongolia,and ensure stable and increased yield of foxtail millet.

Key words: Tillage methods, Brown soil, Soil physical properties, Foxtail millet, Yield, Inner Mongolia, Liaohe Plain