Agromeliorative treatment of drained soils

Abstract

The paper shows efficiency of volumetric slotting, methods of basic treatment and their combined effect on the performance of field crops and agrophysical properties of drained soils. The experiments were carried out at the Gubino experimental agro-polygon of the All-Russian Research Institute of Reclaimed Lands (VNIIMZ), located at the reclamation facility in the Tver region. The soils under experiment are cultivated soddy-podzolic, light loamy gleyic, formed on a thin binomial, drained by closed pottery drainage method. Volumetric slotting was carried out to a depth of 45–50 cm with filling the subarable part (30–50 cm) with crushed straw, plant residues mixed with a humus layer. The slotting was carried out with a specially designed tool. Slot width – 16 cm, slotting pitch – 140 cm. Efficiency of ridge plowing, volumetric slotting of the soil and their joint action has been determined. The yield of oats during ridge plowing increased by an average of 0.36 t/ha (12.0 %) over 5 years, in case of slotting – by 0.60 (20.0 %), in case of combined action – by 0.82 t/ha, or 27.0 %. The share of slotting in the total increase in yield on average over 5 years was 73.2 %, ridge plowing – 26.8 %. The positive effect of slotting on the yield of field crops during the experiment was observed for 6 years. The total increase in yield from volumetric soil slotting on oats for 5 years was 3.0 tons of grain per 1 ha, with combined action with ridge plowing – 4.1 tons of grain per 1 ha, or 36.7 % higher. The increase in the yield of oats, both with soil slotting and with ridge plowing, occurred due to an increase in the number of productive stems and the mass of grain in the panicle. With slotting, these indicators increased by 8.4 and 11.3 %, with ridge plowing – by 6.1 and 12.0 %. The results of the research can be used in the development of agro-reclamation tillage systems and in adaptive agricultural technologies for the cultivation of spring grain crops.