Influence of row spacing and seeding rate on crop yields cultivated by “No-Till” technology in Kulunda steppe (Altai Region)

Abstract

The long-term field experience has been carried out in the LLC Farm Enterprise “Partner”, Mikhailovsky District of the Altai Region, one of the basic sites of the “Kulunda” project. The field experience was founded in 2013, implemented over the next four years in a similar way; the alternation of crops was carried out in accordance to the crop rotation. In total, there were four sets of experiments in eight variants in triple number of replications. There were four variants of row spacing implemented: 25.0 cm, 33.3 cm, 37.5 cm, and 50.0 cm. We also used two seeding rates for every crop: spring wheat - 75 and 120 kg/ha; rapeseed – 2 and 4 kg/ha; peas – 140 and 180 kg/ha. The sowing was made with an expimental grain seeder “Cornor-DMC” with chisel-shaped copying coulters, the “Amazone” company production. Combine harvesters “Lexion” (peas and rapeseed) and “Sampo” (wheat) carried out harvesting in August-September. As an object of research, the technological process of cultivation of agricultural crops in the crop rotation of spring wheat–pea–spring wheat–rape was considered. The influence of the row spacing and the seeding rate on the yield was evaluated. An increase in row spacing from 25 cm to 50 cm leads to an almost linear decrease in the yield of crops. The increasing of the seeding rate in the studied limits leads to the yield enhancement. The obtained data will allow substantiating the rational row spacing, design of the sowing complex and seeding rate. This is extremely important for introducing the “No-Till” technology in the arid steppe of the Altai Region.