ALTERNATIVE SOIL MANAGEMENT FOR STUDY VINEYARDS

Abstract

Abstract In the significant part of the Hungarian vineyards with sandy soils, the intensive mechanisation of the last decades had a series of unfavourable impacts on the soil. For the partial elimination of the problems in soil biology life, soil structure and environment protection and for the development of the mechanisation technology we started to develop and evaluate modern and not-typical environment friendly tillage systems. Within the frame of this we developed vineyards with cover crops and straw cover methods. We replaced chemical treatments with modern, controlled line cultivation machines, and for the loosening of compacted soils we carried out subsoiling. During the research the soil moisture content, the soil penetration resistance and the correlation between the height of the cover crop and soil moisture content were measured. Based on our measures and observations the followings can be stated: amongst the lines examined the inter-row area covered by straw had the highest soil moisture content. Amongst the species of cover crops and amongst the soil cultivation methods in yearly distribution the most favourable moisture values were measured in case of the intre-row covered by Digitaria, the next one was the one with rye, then set-aside and the natural weed flora cover. The most favourable moist content were measured when the stubble was maintained at 12-15 cm high, while the worse values were given when the stubble was 20-23 cm. The moisture value of the stubble with the height of 5 cm was between the two. It could be shown in case of each cover crops and cultivation method that the soil penetration resistance – being in correlation with the soil compaction – was 1,2-1,5 times higher in the inter-row than at the bottom of the row, while the maximum value in the wheel track of the tractors and machines reaches 2,1-3,8 times higher values. The unfavourable conditions of the soil can be terminated by using suitable subsoilers.