Influence of different farming systems on the stability of low productivity soil in Southeast Lithuania

Abstract

Complex investigations designed to explore the impact of extensive, organic-sustainable and conventional-chemical farming systems on changes of soil chemical, physical and microbiological properties of sandy loam Haplic Luvisol (LVh) were performed at the Vokė Branch of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry during 2003–2012. The studies were carried out employing different crop rotations, where the plant sequence was laid out in four treatments so that the plant residues in the soil would accumulate more organic matter and nitrogen. Research evidence showed that different farming systems and plant sequences in rotations did not affect soil acidity, but significantly increased the contents of total nitrogen and organic carbon and reduced the contents of available phosphorus and potassium. Soil physical properties changed accordingly. Higher moisture levels were determined in soil under extensive and conventional-chemical farming systems. At the lower soil layers the impact of green manure on the reduction of soil bulk density and increase of total and air-filled porosity was evident. Extensive and conventional-chemical farming systems favoured the distribution of fungi in the soil. With the application of organic farming system, the balance between the number of ammonifying and mineral nitrogen assimilating bacteria was maintained.