Impact of Tillage Intensity on Planosol Bulk Density, Pore Size Distribution, and Water Capacity in Faba Bean Cultivation

Abstract

Tillage systems affect many properties of soil, such as soil bulk density, porosity, pore distribution, and soil water capacity. However, the effect of reduced tillage (RT) on faba bean cultivation requires wider analysis. We carried out our investigations at Vytautas Magnus University, Agriculture Academy (Lithuania), as part of a long-term field experiment. The aim was to determine the effect of tillage intensity on soil bulk density, pore distribution and soil water capacity in faba bean cultivation. Five tillage systems were used: deep (DP) and shallow (SP) ploughing, deep cultivation (DC) (chiselling), shallow cultivation (SC) (disking), and no tillage (NT). The results showed that the soil bulk density in NT plots was somewhat higher in upper (0–10 cm) and less in deeper (15–20 cm and 30–35 cm) soil layers compared to DP. The distribution of soil pores depended more on the sampling depth than on tillage. In RT and NT plots, the number of meso-pores was often higher, and that of micro-pores was lower than in ploughed plots. In the upper (0–5 cm) soil layer, the highest water capacity was established in NT, and in deeper layers, this was found in RT plots compared to DP. The density of soil mainly affected the volume of micro-and-macro-pores and water capacity.