Role of the basic soil tillage in the culture of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the dry steppe zone of the Lower Volga region of Russia

Abstract

When growing crops in the Lower Volga region, where the main factors limiting yields are soil moisture and air drought, it is important to select the optimal method of tillage in order to maximize moisture conservation and increase the productivity of cultivated crops. Therefore, in the conditions of the dry-steppe zone of the Right Bank of the Volga in 2018-2020, we on light chestnut soils in the crop rotation black fallow - winter wheat - spring wheat, studies were carried out to identify the optimal method of basic tillage (FNC Agroecology RAS, Russia, Volgograd). The water regime of the soil, the structural elements of the crop, the level of productivity were analyzed. A statistical analysis of the obtained data was carried out. It has been established that the use of a chisel tillage tool contributes to a better preservation of productive moisture by the end of the spring wheat growing season (4.4-5.5 mm), greater payback of precipitation (5.5 kg/mm), the maximum number of productive stems (247 pieces/m2), the number of grains in ear (26 pcs.), weight of 1000 grains (26.7 g) and obtaining the maximum grain yield (1.34 t/ha) compared with the control (without the main treatment) and moldboard plowing.