Abstract
Conservation tillage with crop covered soil surface has been found to reduce the risk of erosion and nutrient leaching. The reduction of tillage intensity changes topsoil structure affecting soil physical conditions relevant to crop growth. In this study, the effects of autumn tillage management on soil moisture during the growing season of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare) was examined on two fi eld experiments on clay soils (Vertic Cambisol, Eutric Cambisol) in southwestern Finland in 2004–11. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of reduced tillage intensity on soil moisture conditions of two different clay soils in different weather conditions. Autumn mouldboard ploughing (to 20–25 cm depth, P) was compared to stubble cultivation (10–15 cm, S) and zero tillage (N). During the growing season, soil moisture was determined once a week at the depth of 0−30 cm with a TRASE system I (Time Domain Refl ectometry (TDR)). Daily weather conditions (precipitation, air temperature) were also determined. Zero tilled soil stayed moister than the soil in other tillage treatments. When the beginning of the growing season was dry, higher soil moisture content in zero tilled soil improved the growth conditions of barley. In an unexceptional rainy beginning of growing season, the wetness of clay soils in zero tilled treatment hampered the crop growth and yield production clearly.
Highlights
During the last ten years, Finnish farmers have been increasingly interested in conservation tillage systems.In 2010, the zero and reduced tilled areas were 13 and 25% of the annually tilled area (1.15 milj. ha), respectively [1].The increasing adoption of conservation tillage systems follows the high cost of fuel and labour with conventional tillage
Conservation tillage practices have been reported to be advantageous in respect to erosion control in boreal areas [2, 3, 4, 5]
Changes can be expected in evaporation of water from the soil surface due to increased amount of crop residue left on soil surface
Summary
During the last ten years, Finnish farmers have been increasingly interested in conservation tillage systems. The increasing adoption of conservation tillage systems follows the high cost of fuel and labour with conventional tillage. Programme and the accompanying Support Scheme encourages increasing the crop covered area outside the growing season as one of the measures to decrease erosion and nutrient transport from land to watercourses. Conservation tillage practices have been reported to be advantageous in respect to erosion control in boreal areas [2, 3, 4, 5]. Adopting conservation tillage creates gradual changes in soil properties relevant to soil moisture conditions during growing season. Changes can be expected in evaporation of water from the soil surface due to increased amount of crop residue left on soil surface
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