Soil density, soil moisture content and maize yield using No-till technology of cultivation

Abstract

The research was carried out at the experimental field of the North Caucasus Federal Research Center. In the field, years of experience, founded in 2012, in crop rotation of soybean-winter wheat-sunflower-corn all crops cultivated on the recommended scientific institutions technology soil treatment, and these same crops in the same crop turnover has grown by No-till technology. The recommended technology of maize cultivation consisted of soil double tillage by the heavy disk tools to the depth of 0.120-0.140 m immediately after harvesting the previous sunflower, winter plowing at 0.200-0.220 m, early spring harrowing, pre-sowing cultivation and sowing with an Optima seeder. In the No-till technology, the soil was not treated and ten days before corn sowing, the plots were sprayed with a continuous herbicide Rap 600 at a dose of 2 l/ha. The research showed that better accumulation and conservation of moisture can be provided during the flowering of maize with the content in the soil layer of 1.5 m at the depth of 34 mm, or 18.1% more moisture than usage of the technology with tillage which is recommended by scientific institutions. It contributes to a significant increase of 0.42 t/ha, or 12.0% in crop yield by using this technology.