Effect of Tillage Technology Systems for Seed Germination Rate in a Laboratory Tests

Jan Winkler,Magdalena Daria Vaverková,Vojtěch Ferby,Tomáš Kopta,Lubomír Neudert

doi:10.3390/environments9020013

Jan Winkler, Magdalena Daria Vaverková + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/environments9020013

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Abstract

Reduced and soil-protective tillage technologies may represent certain negatives for cultivated crops associated with the biomass of mulch from intermediate crops and post-harvest residues. Sown crops, as well as field weeds, are exposed to impaired soil conditions. Soil conditions were assessed using biological tests. Eight plant species were chosen for the tests. Germination of tested plant species took place in controlled conditions in climaboxes. Seeds on Petri dishes were watered with soil leachates from three variants of tillage (Conventional, Minimum tillage, Direct sowing). Soil samples were collected from a 15-year field experiment. The soil leachates inhibited the germination rate of the chosen plant species. In the first term, all species exhibited a lower germination capacity in variants watered with the soil leachate. The reduced tillage technologies can apparently significantly slow down the germination rate in field crops and vegetables. Simple biological tests have the potential to assess the condition of arable soils.

Highlights

Received: 15 November 2021Plants growing together on a site can support one another in their growth, but they can compete or affect one another through allelopathy
The germination capacity of caryopses of field crops Triticum aestivum and Hordeum vulgare was the lowest in the variant watered with the NT systems leachate in the first term of assessment (Day 3 from the establishment of the experiment)
Soil leachates showed an inhibitory influence on the seed germination rate of selected plant species

Summary

Introduction

Plants growing together on a site can support one another in their growth, but they can compete or affect one another through allelopathy. Crop development is affected by allelopathy from certain weed species [6]. Alsaadawi et al [7] inform us that incorporating post-harvest residues of sunflower into the soil and subsequent growing of beans led to the efficient suppression of weeds, allowing a significant reduction of herbicides. According to TeKrony et al [8], due attention must be given to the effects of allelopathy at establishing maize stands. Allelopathy shows in the impaired germination capacity of maize [9], which results in stand gaps and in the reduced yield [10,11]; this applies to yields of other crops [12]

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