Table 2. Statistical output from linear mixed modelling (texture, tillage, duration, depth) for the physico-chemical characteristics of soils under zero tillage and conventional tillage (F_(df1,df2) statistic).

Parameter	Clay (%)	Tillage	Duration of non-tillage	Depth	Tillage × depth	Duration of non-tillage × depth
Moisture content	6.97(1,58)*	17.86(1,10)**	ns	52.29(1,63)***	ns	ns
Porosity	6.70(1,32)*	16.49(1,9)***	ns	59.3(1,63)***	15.86(1,63)***	ns
Pore size	11.31(1,21)**	14.21(1,9)**	ns	17.2663***	4.89(1,63)**	ns
Pore area	14.71(1,36)***	17.01(1,9)***	ns	47.71(1,63)***	8.36(1,63)**	ns
pH	6.72(1,46)*	ns	ns	38.49(1,63)***	15.78(1,63)***	ns
SOM	ns	33.24(1,9)***	ns	84.13(1,63)***	ns	ns
NH4-N	3.86(1,44)*	ns	ns	7.52(1,63)**	ns	ns
NO3-N	ns	ns	ns	29.8(1,63)***	5.03(1,63)*	ns
MBC	ns	33.96(1,9)***	ns	37.14(1,63)***	35.67(1,63)***	4.82(1,63)*
MBN	ns	25.85(1,8)***	ns	20.42(1,63)***	7.44(1,63)**	ns
CO2a	ns	8.91(1,13)*	ns
CO2b	ns	11.12(1,11)**	ns
CH4a	ns	5.79(1,19)*	ns
CH4b	ns	4.99(1,18)*	ns
N2Oa	ns	10.04(1,14)**	ns
N2Ob	ns	6.38(1,14)*	ns

Subscripted numbers indicate degrees of freedom for F value; df1 = numerator df, df2 = denominator df, ns: non-significant, SOM: soil organic matter, MBC: microbial biomass carbon, MBN: microbial biomass nitrogen, superscripts a and b following CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O represents potentials expressed in mg m⁻² h⁻¹ and ng g⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively).

***p < 0.001.

**p < 0.01.

*p < 0.05.