The effect of different tillage systems upon some microorganisms

Abstract

The aim of this research was to establish the influence of two tillage systems: one without ploughing, and one with conventional tillage, upon soil microorganisms. The experiment was carried out on the farm of Brezovo, in two variants - control, with applied conventional tillage and a second variant – without ploughing, on an area of 200 dk for each variant. The soil type of the field is sandy - clay, with medium to high cation exchange capacity. The nitrate nitrogen content was determined colometrically and spectrophotometrically for phosphorus and potassium. The ratio of carbon to nitrogen was measured twice - before sowing and during harvest time. The amount of total bacterial and fungal microflora, as well as the ratio of active bacteria and fungi was monitored. Based on the obtained results, it was found that the numbers of the total bacteria and fungi is higher in the variant without ploughing, compared to the control sample. The same trend is maintained in the quantitative ratio of active fungi and bacteria. Reduced tillage systems create better conditions for the development of the studied groups of microorganisms, compared to conventional cultivation technologies.