Productivity of Rainfed Winter Wheat with Direct Sowing and Economic Efficiency of Diversified Fertilization in Arid Region of South Kazakhstan

Sagadat Turebayeva,Elmira Saljnikov,Aigul Zhapparova,Akbota Yerkin,Gainiya Yesseyeva,Anuarbek Bissembayev,Khaiyrnisa Aisakulova

doi:10.3390/agronomy12010111

Abstract

Reduced soil tillage is a powerful means to mitigate soil degradation. However, in arid climates, no-till rainfed technologies often result in yield drop due to lack of soil moisture and mineral nutrition. Rainfed production of winter wheat using direct sowing and diversified fertilization in South Kazakhstan was studied in 2019–2020. Eight field-scale treatments using nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers were studied for biometric parameters of winter wheat. An economic profitability of the amendments used was assessed. The soil managed to accumulate productive moisture to support plants’ needs during formation of productive organs. Use of phosphorus fertilizer at direct sowing accelerated grain maturation, and the combination of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizer lengthened the growing season. The highest production cost of 1 tonne of grain was in the plots that did not receive any amendments, and the lowest cost was in the treatment with use of plant growth stimulants together with micronutrient fertilizer. For the first time, optimization of the soil nutritional regime with consideration of the biological and phenological demands allowed for the balance of the plant nutrition and cost efficiency of grain production with direct sowing of winter wheat in dry conditions in South Kazakhstan.

Highlights

IntroductionSignificant areas of agricultural soils are degraded due to improper management [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
Significant areas of agricultural soils are degraded due to improper management [1,2,3,4,5,6,7].World experience shows that traditional farming systems, even with their possible high productivity, lead to soil degradation problems and reduced cost efficiency [8,9,10,11,12,13]
The number of preserved plants in the control treatment was 238.0 pcs m−2, which is significantly lower than in the fertilized variants. It follows that the simultaneous application of phosphorus fertilizers alone as well as the combinations of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers with the direct sowing of winter wheat contributed to an increase in the cold resistance of plants and their safety from unfavorable winter conditions

Summary

Introduction

Significant areas of agricultural soils are degraded due to improper management [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. Traditional tillage accumulates in a small amount of crop residues on the field, accelerates decomposition of SOM and affects soil structure, which accelerates depletion of soil fertility and leads to an increased risk of erosion Conservation agriculture, such as zero and minimum tillage, are firmly gaining a place in many countries of the world. Conservation farming systems, such as minimum and zero tillage with direct sowing of cereals, can significantly help in solving soil moisture deficit problems, which is especially important for farmers in dry and hot regions of Kazakhstan These technologies preserve plant mulch on the soil surface reducing the evaporation of soil moisture by 60–70% and providing guaranteed uniform plant shoots [18,24].

Description of the Experimental Site

Experimental Design

Laboratory and Field Methods

Results and Discussion

Germination and Wintering of Winter Wheat in 2020

Impact of Fertilizer on Grain Yield of Rainfed Winter Wheat for 2019–2020

Conclusions