Effects of the Kemink Exact Soil Management System on Crop Performance and Soil Penetration Resistance

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Kemink Exact Soil Management System is an alternative soil tillage system developed in Germany between 1970 and 1980. It is based on subsoiling, ridges and controlled traffic. All tillage operations are performed with the special Kemink implements. The soil management system rests on an alternative perception of tillage and soil fertility, which is controversial within both conventional and organic farming. The system has not previously been subjected to experimental comparisons with conventional tillage systems. In this study, the Kemink System and a modified version including ploughing after grass/clover mixtures were compared with a conventional tillage system based on ploughing. A factorial field experiment was conducted in 1998–2000 including tillage systems, crop rotations (barley-grass/cloversugarbeet vs. barley-potato-sugarbeet) and fertilization. The experiment showed that it was often difficult to establish a proper seedbed with the Kemink implements which resulted in reduced crop emergence. Furthermore weed pressure increased during the experiment due to insufficient weed control. Subsoiling only had a loosening effect on the soil in one crop rotation where soil penetration resistance was reduced. Despite a looser soil, there was no general impact on crop yield. There was, however, a positive crop yield development over time showing that the yield in the Kemink System changed from being relatively lower in 1998 and 1999 to the same level as in the traditional tillage system in 2000. In non-manured plots there was a tendency to higher yields in the Kemink System in 2000 and this difference was significant for sugarbeet. There was no significant difference in terms of crop yield between the Kemink System and the modified version which included ploughing. Experimental approaches are discussed and it is assumed that experimental methodology, e.g. plot size and traffic pattern, may influence the performance of tillage systems and thereby conclusion. If farmer skills and knowledge are important to the achievable results it can be argued whether the farmer should be considered to be a part of the tillage system.