Combination Of Tillage Research Articles

Research of the combined sowing working body

Today, the issues of ecology, resource conservation and reduction of production costs in agriculture are associated with the development of combined tillage - sowing machines, which make it possible to reduce a number of technological techniques. Taking into account these factors makes it possible to equip agricultural enterprises with means of mechanization adapted to the specific conditions of their production use. Therefore, a promising direction is the development of universal and combined machines, that is, technical means of mechanization capable of performing several technological operations in one working cycle or, after relatively simple retrofits, ensuring the consistent execution of a number of operations. To carry out experimental studies, an installation was developed and manufactured, which is a combined machine that provides pre-sowing tillage, strip spreading sowing, mineral fertilizers and post-sowing rolling. Using the experimental planning method, mathematical models have been developed that link factors such as the speed of the unit, the angle of attack of the coulter's paw, the depth of the coulter's paw when optimizing the degree of soil crumbling, pruning of weeds, changes in soil hardness. Analysis of mathematical models shows that factors in a certain way affect the quality of tillage (crumbling, hardness, pruning of plants). In the first place in terms of significant importance is the speed of movement. The degree of pruning of plants depends on the angle of attack. As for the depth of processing, this factor has practically no effect on the degree of pruning of weeds. This can be explained by the fact that the root system is located at a shallow depth. For other cultures, this factor may play a significant role.

Rotational Tillage Practices to Deal with Soil Compaction in Carbon Farming

Conservation tillage practices, such as reduced tillage and no-tillage, have recently garnered significant attention as core elements of the regenerative agriculture and carbon farming concepts. By minimizing mechanical soil disturbance, these practices preserve soil carbon and facilitate CO2 fixation in the soil. Despite the widely acknowledged benefits, many farmers still approach no-tillage with skepticism. Their primary concerns are weed management and soil compaction. While weeds can be effectively controlled with the deployment of integrated weed management strategies, urgent soil compaction problems can be rapidly resolved only with mechanical interventions. That is why many no-till farmers resort to occasional heavy tillage, in a scheme characterized as rotational tillage, inadvertently sacrificing their regenerative assets in soil carbon. This is also a pivotal issue within carbon farming: the fate of soil carbon at the end of a compliant scheme focused on carbon fixation. The present study explores data of soil organic matter (SOM), soil penetration resistance (PR), and dry bulk density (DBD) from the initial, six-year period of a long-term tillage experiment in Greece. During that period, modifications to the experimental design allowed diverse combinations of five tillage methods (conventional tillage, 3 reduced tillage methods, and no-tillage). The findings indeed underscore the farmers’ concerns about soil compaction. High levels of PR and DBD were observed even at the topsoil layer of the no-tillage (NT). Conventional, moldboard plowing (MP) or reduced, chisel plowing (CP) applied after four years of uninterrupted no-tillage ameliorated most of the soil compaction; however, at the same time, this induced unfavorable consequences for SOM. In contrast, NT applied permanently for six years resulted in a substantial enhancement in SOM that reached 2.24%, for a sampling depth 0–0.30 m compared to 1.54% for permanent MP. When no-tillage was rotated with plowing in the fifth year, almost 50% of the sequestered carbon was lost and the SOM dropped to 1.87%. Nevertheless, the amount of SOM observed at the deeper 0.15–0.30 m layer was greater compared to permanent NT. This suggests that while plowing induced some loss of SOM, it also facilitated the uniform distribution into the soil profile, in contrast with the accumulation in the topsoil at prolonged NT. The permanent CP method and the NT/CP rotation provided comparative outcomes in terms of both soil compaction and soil carbon sequestration with the rotational NT/MP scheme, while all the other tillage combinations were inferior.

CURRENT TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS IN THE UDMURT REPUBLIC

Minimisation of soil tillage is one of the defining trends in the development of agriculture. It allows for a significant reduction in agrotechnical operations in crop cultivation, thereby reducing the technological load on soils, energy, and labour inputs in production and increasing soil resistance to erosion processes. Minimum tillage effectively promotes the restoration of potential and adequate soil fertility and aligns with the principles of adaptive landscape agriculture. Despite numerous positive aspects of minimum tillage, its implementation in production is restrained by certain drawbacks: worsening of crop phytosanitary conditions, increased plough layer density, differentiation of the plough layer by agrochemical and agrophysical indicators, and more. To assess the possibility of implementing minimum tillage in the soil and climatic conditions of the Udmurt Republic, long-term field experiments have been conducted at the Udmurt Research Institute of Agriculture since 1980. Both positive and negative aspects of three types of primary soil tillage have been identified. Moldboard ploughing, throughout the observation period, compared to other types of tillage, provided the highest crop yield (by 0.15 0.50 t per hectare or 5.6 17.5%) and energy efficiency coefficient (by 1.9 16.7%). No-till soil treatment proved to be the most environmentally friendly, increasing the organic matter content in the 0-10 cm layer by 8.1 11.5%. However, it led to a strong differentiation of the plough layer into two sub-layers: 0-10 and 10-20 cm. The lower sub-layer was characterised by higher density and lower content of mineral nutrients and humus. In most cases, combined tillage showed intermediate results. Further scientific research is needed to develop agrotechnologies with more significant minimisation of soil tillage.

Energy consumption and its indices under different tillage methods in mungbean (Vigna radiata)–wheat (Triticum aestivum) system in semi-arid conditions of Haryana

A field experiment was conducted during 2019–20 and 2020–21 at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Bawal (Rewari), to study the energy consumption and indices under different tillage methods in mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system. The treatments included 9 tillage combinations for crop establishment under mungbean–wheat cropping system (MWCS), viz. zero-tillage mungbean (ZTM) followed by (fb) zero-tillage wheat (ZTW), ZTM fb reduced tillage wheat (RTW), ZTM fb conventional tillage wheat (CTW), reduced tillage mungbean (RTM) fb ZTW, RTM fb RTW, RTM fb CTW, conventional tillage mungbean (CTM) fb ZTW, CTM fb RTW, CTM fb CTW, laid out in randomized block design with 3 replications. The yields of mungbean sown after ZTW were higher (775–785 kg/ha) than after RTW (756–783 kg/ha) or CTW (753–780 kg/ha). However, the highest grain yield (5,367 and 5,025 kg/ha during 2019–20 and 2020–21, respectively) of wheat was obtained under ZTM–ZTW. Energy inputs under ZTM–ZTW were lowest, which saves 18% of energy incurred in CTM–CTW. Output: input ratio of energy was highest (10.13) under ZTM–ZTW and lowest (7.67) under CTM–CTW. Zero-tillage resulted in the minimum specific energy (energy consumed/kilogram of grain production) in mungbean (4.37–5.16 MJ/kg) and wheat (2.94–3.10 MJ/kg). Zero-tillage based establishment of MWCS was realized to be sustainable for resource conservation as well as crop productivity.

Анализ дисковых рабочих органов лесных почвообрабатывающих орудий

The designs of disk working bodies are analyzed and a variant of the developed combined tillage tool is presented. One of the main active working bodies is disc working bodies, which are mounted on various forestry and agricultural machinery: plows, seeders, harrows, etc. and are intended for processing forest areas during reforestation. Disk working bodies are classified, which are divided by type, purpose and design. Due to the fact that forest soils are flooded with roots, stumps, stones, and when carrying out reforestation work they need high-quality preparation, it is required to increase the number of passes through the cultivated territory. Disc working bodies from the moment of their creation continue to undergo improvements aimed at increasing efficiency, increasing strength characteristics, etc. Disc working bodies represented a wide range of design features, but in the subsequent range was concentrated on reducing traction resistance. A change in the design in the process of studying the working body led to the creation of cutouts of various geometric sizes, one of the positive characteristics was a decrease in the traction force required for cutting, crumbling the soil, as well as an increase in quality characteristics.

Effects of conservation tillage with straw mulching on annual yield and water utilization in a winter wheat‐summer maize cropping system on the North China Plain

AbstractUnderstanding the combination of conservation tillage and straw mulching on water utilization is important for developing water management strategies in arid and semiarid areas. Few studies have investigated the effects of different tillage treatments on precipitation efficiency in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)‐summer maize (Zea mays L.) cropping systems. A 3‐year field experiment with five treatments, that is, conventional tillage (CT), no‐tillage, no‐tillage with straw mulching (NT + S), subsoiling tillage, and subsoiling tillage with straw mulching (ST + S), was conducted. The objective was to investigate how conservation tillage with straw mulching affected soil water storage (SWC), precipitation storage efficiency (PSE), water consumption, grain yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and precipitation use efficiency (PUE) in a winter wheat‐summer maize cropping system. The results indicated that the ST + S treatment increased SWC by 10.1% and 8.3% in 2014–2015 and 2015–2016, respectively. The average PSE over the 3 years under the ST + S treatment was significantly higher, by 9.1% and 6.6%, than that under the CT treatment during the respective wheat and maize seasons. Compared with CT, the average annual yield under the NT + S treatment and ST + S treatment increased by 8.5% and 14.4%, respectively. In the winter wheat‐summer maize system, the NT + S and ST + S treatments significantly increased the annual WUE and PUE. The annual average PUE under the ST + S treatment was significantly higher, by 14.1%, than that under CT over the 3 years. Therefore, the ST + S treatment was more beneficial than the other treatments for increasing yield, WUE and PUE in sandy loam soil on the North China Plain.

Interactive effect of tillage, residue, nitrogen, and irrigation management on yield, radiation productivity and water productivity of winter wheat in semi-arid climate

Water, nutrients, and energy are the three main inputs in agricultural production and recently there has been a drop in the factor productivity of these inputs because of their improper management and deterioration of soil health. To maximize agricultural productivity while lowering strain on natural resources, the best synergistic combinations of tillage, residue, nitrogen, and water management should be identified for improving resource use efficiency of wheat. Hence, an attempt has been made to evaluate the impact of contrasting tillage, crop residue mulch, nitrogen, and irrigation interaction on yield, radiation productivity (RP), and water productivity (WP) of wheat in a split-factorial design. Results showed that wheat yield was higher under no-tillage (4.8%) than that of conventional tillage. Crop residue mulch (CRM) and higher nitrogen application enhanced RP, WP, and yield of wheat; although RP increased with increase in nitrogen application up to 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN). CRM significantly reduced the seasonal evapotranspiration (6.0‒7.2%) as compared to residue removal treatment. Deficit irrigation enhanced the WP while it lowered the crop yield significantly. Therefore, wheat can be grown under no-tillage, CRM, 100% RDN with deficit irrigation to obtain higher WP but with full irrigation to obtain higher yield, and RP in the semiarid climate of India.

Conservation agriculture impacts on soil carbon sequestration under a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)-wheat (Triticum aestivum) system in the Indo-Gangetic plains

Despite many studies reporting conservation agriculture (CA) impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, the impacts of long-term permanent bed planting under CA on SOC sequestration are rarely reported. Hence, this study assessed the permanent bed planted CA impacts on SOC sequestration rates in 0–30 and 30–60 cm soil depths under a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). The treatments comprised diverse combinations of tillage and residue retention (R), viz. conventional tillage (CT), narrow bed, narrow bed + R, broad bed, broad bed + R, flat bed + R and flat bed. Results indicated that the total SOC stock was ~32, 31 and 29% higher in CA plots than in CT plots (farmers' practice), in 0–30 cm soil depth. The SOC sequestration rate (over CT plots) in the CA plots was ~0.76 Mg C/ha/yr. The broad bed + R, narrow bed + R and flat bed + R plots had appreciably high total SOC sequestration (~0.24 Mg C/ha/yr) compared to CT plots in deep soil layer (30–60 cm). The yield data (2-year mean basis) was recorded highest in the broad bed + R (3.48 tonnes/ha and 8.11 tonnes/ha for cotton and wheat, respectively) and flat bed + R (3.38 tonnes/ha and 8.46 tonnes/ha for cotton and wheat, respectively) treatments showing a positive impact of the adoption of long-term CA in the IGP. Thus, adopting raised beds with residue retention has great potential for higher carbon sequestration and improving yields and can be recommended for sustainable intensification of arable lands in the region.

Growth, yield and yield components of rice (Oryza sativa) as influenced by tillage methods and cultivars

Different tillage methods i.e. zero tillage, natural farming, reduced tillage and conventional tillage in combination with 3 rice varieties, viz. Sukara Dhan 1 (HPR 1156), Him Palam Dhan 1 (HPR 2656) and Him Palam Lal Dhan 1 (HPR 2795) were evaluated in terms of growth, yield attributes and yield of direct seeded rice at research farm of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh during rainy (kharif) season of 2020 and 2021. The experiment, was laid out in split plot design with tillage options in main plot and cultivars in subplot and replicated thrice. Findings exhibits that the, conventional tillage recorded significantly higher grain, straw and biological yield followed by reduced tillage and zero tillage while significantly lower values of all these traits were observed in natural farming during both the years of experimentation. Significantly greater and lower yields recorded in conventional tillage and natural farming treatments were due to the significantly higher and lower values of different yield attributes including number of panicles/m2, number of grains/panicle, grain weight/panicle and 1000-grain weight, observed in the respective treatments. From the present investigation it can be concluded that conventional tillage resulted in higher yield attributes and yield as compared to natural farming while lower values of yield attributes and yield were recorded under natural farming. Among different rice cultivars Him Palam Lal Dhan 1 was found superior than Sukara Dhan 1 and Him Palam Dhan 1.

Moisture Regime of Leached Chernozem, the Yield and Quality of Sugar Beet Root Crops under Different Weather and Agrotechnical Conditions in the Сentral Сhernozem Region

The efficiency of moisture use and the yield of sugar beet increased with the use of fertilizers, combined tillage and an increase in the moisture coefficient (according to Ivanov) for 2 months before cleaning. A more favorable soil moisture regime and a lower density of addition in sugar beet crops were formed in conditions of high moisture during combined tillage. The best technological qualities of the root fruits are determined with average moisture and combined processing. The share of the influence of weather conditions on crop yield was 51, fertilizers – 30, tillage – 3%. The highest yield of sugar beet (48.3–48.5 t/ha), energy efficiency (4.6) and profitability of production (95%) were established with multi-depth dump and combined tillage in crop rotation, fertilization and high soil moisture.

Deep tillage inhibits microbial species interactions and exhibits contrasting roles in bacterial and fungal assembly

Tillage is an important agricultural practice influencing soil ecosystem functions, but much uncertainty remains concerning adaptations of soil microbial communities to tillage practices and the subsequent impacts on soil quality and crop yields. We investigated the microbial community compositions and ecological characteristics in both top and subsoils undergoing different tillage regimes with crop residue retention: no tillage, rotary tillage and deep tillage. The crop yield increased by 24–47% in deep tillage combinations compared with rotary tillage and no tillage. Deep tillage combinations increased the diversity of both bacterial and fungal communities and led to more unique species with yield-increasing potential than no tillage. Both deep and rotary tillage had negative impacts on species interactions than no tillage, with a stronger effect in deep tillage combinations. Compared with no tillage, the contribution of stochastic processes increased by 4–9% in the bacterial assembly but decreased by 4–14% in the fungal assembly in deep tillage combinations. Furthermore, the fungal community composition in the top soils, which was affected by the alkali-hydrolysable nitrogen content, was the strongest driving factor of yields. The deep tillage combinations enriched symbiotrophic fungi, which had positive correlations with the yields. In conclusion, compared with no tillage, deep tillage combinations harbored microbial communities with distinct characteristics, including higher diversity, weaker species interactions, more stochastic processes in bacterial assembly and more deterministic processes in fungal assembly. The crop yields were driven by fungal community composition in top soils, with the higher abundance of symbiotrophic fungi resulting in higher yields.

Crop rotation and cultivation effects on Convolvulus arvensis population dynamics in small grain organic cropping systems

Convolvulus arvensis L. Scop. (field bindweed) is a difficult weed to manage in organic cropping systems. Convolvulus arvensis suppression often requires intensive tillage and cultivation practices that have negative impacts on soil quality. To improve C. arvensis management in organic, small grain cropping systems, we compared ten cropping system treatments in a field trial from the autumn of 2017 until harvest of 2020 in Corvallis, MT, USA. Cropping system treatments varied along a gradient of tillage and crop competition, with tillage intensity and competition inversely related. High soil disturbance and no competition occurred in two treatments that remained in tilled fallow for two consecutive years. Six cropping system treatments had different combinations of tillage and annual or biennial crops, including wheat and forages. Two treatments had minimal soil disturbance and maximum competition from two consecutive years of perennial alfalfa. Convolvulus arvensis ramet density was counted annually to estimate changes in treatments over time. Differences in soil chemical and physical properties between treatments were also assessed in the final years of the study. In the first two years, there was no difference in C. arvensis ramet density among cropping system treatments. In the final two years of the study, C. arvensis density remained below one ramet per m2 in intensively tilled fallow treatments and perennial alfalfa treatments, but was much more variable in treatments with more diverse annual and biennial crop rotations with minimal to moderate tillage. The only differences between treatments in soil physical and chemical properties was aggregate stability. Soil from the most intensively tilled fallow treatments had lower soil aggregate stability than six other treatments, indicating higher erosion potential. Our results suggest that annual cropping systems can lead to increased C. arvensis density. Incorporating a perennial forage or an intensively tilled fallow period can prevent C. arvensis expansion in small grain organic cropping systems, but the perennial forage can protect and enhance soil quality.

Dynamic Change Patterns of Soil Surface Roughness and Influencing Factors under Different Tillage Conditions in Typical Mollisol Areas of Northeast China

Soil surface roughness is an important factor affecting hydrology and soil erosion processes, and its development is influenced by precipitation, topography, and tillage practices. In this study, the typical mollisol area in northeast China was taken as the research object. Then, the variation in soil surface roughness with time was analyzed under different terrains, as well as different tillage methods, and the effect of the precipitation condition on roughness was also discussed in detail. Through the design of field experiments, the height information of the soil surface was measured using a probe-type roughness plate. Two parameters, the root-mean-square height (RMSH) and the correlation length (CL), were selected to quantitatively characterize the soil surface roughness. In addition, the dynamic change patterns of surface roughness resulting from five tillage methods, including rotary tillage, combined tillage, no tillage, conventional tillage, and reduced tillage, under both sloping and flat land, were compared and analyzed throughout the soybean growing season, under the influence of rainfall. The results show that with the increase in rainfall, the RMSH of the soil surface, under different tillage methods, showed a trend of first decreasing, and then increasing. The results also showed that the RMSHs under rotary tillage, combined tillage, conventional tillage, and reduced tillage in flat land were greater than those in sloping land, and that the CLs of the soil surface under different tillage methods in flat land were smaller than those in sloping land. In addition, the degree of variation in the soil surface roughness was greater in flat land than that in sloping land under all tillage practices, indicating that this study is of great practical importance in the rational selection of tillage methods, and in the scientific quantification of soil erosion, which also show obvious significance for soil and water conservation.

INCREASING THE TRACTION AND TRACTION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ENERGY VEHICLE WHEN CARRYING OUT COMBINED SOIL PROCESSING OPERATIONS

The article is devoted to the study of methods and means that help to improve traction and traction characteristics of power vehicles, in particular tractors, when performing combined operations of soil treatment. The article analyzes the impact of weight distribution, tire pressure, and the use of special devices on the quality of tillage operations. It was established that the efficiency of combined tillage operations depends on the level of traction and traction characteristics of the power tool. To increase traction characteristics of the tractor, it is proposed to use mathematical methods of increasing tire pressure and optimal weight distribution on the axle. The article also describes special devices for increasing traction resistance, which help to provide better traction and increase traction characteristics. This article examines the influence of soil parameters on traction and traction characteristics of an energy vehicle during combined soil treatment operations. It was found that soil indicators, such as moisture, density and fractional composition, have a significant impact on the quality of soil processing operations and traction characteristics of the tractor. To solve this problem, methods of increasing traction and traction characteristics are proposed, such as a mathematical method of increasing tire pressure and a method of optimal weight distribution on the suspension. The use of special devices to increase traction resistance, which help to ensure better traction and improve traction characteristics, is also considered. The research conducted by the authors can be useful for tillage and tractor maintenance specialists who are engaged in optimizing the operation of energy equipment at agricultural enterprises.

The development of harmful organisms in corn crops depending on tillage and protection system

Goal. Determine the impact of tillage and protection system on weed species and the development of diseases and pests of corn on grain in the Western Polissia zone.
 Methods. The research is based on field experiments using methods: visual — to determine phenological phases of growth and development of culture; calculation — to determine the development of diseases, pests, parameters of the structure of crop and harvest capacity of culture; chemical — to determine the content of nutrients in the soil; mathematical and statistical — to assess the reliability of research results; calculation-comparative — for the analysis of economic efficiency.
 Results. It has been established that tillage has a significant impact on the accumulation of harmful organisms. First of all, this is clearly observed by the number of weeds. For example, with overdeep tillage, the number of weeds was 277.1 pcs./m2, while with soil loosening it was 2.0 times higher (545.6 pcs./m2). The number of weeds, depending on the tillage, when spraying with herbicides, was in the range of 12.5—53.5 pcs./ m2, which is 22.2—10.2 times lower than in the variants without herbicides. A slightly smaller difference in the influence of soil cultivation was monitored on the development and spread of diseases and pests.
 Conclusions. Under tillage and spraying with herbicides, the number of weeds was 96.8% lower compared to the control. Technical efficiency fungicide Retengo, k.e. (pyraclostrobin, 200 g/l) (0,5 l/ha) against fusarium was at the level of 87.1—90.0%, gray rot — 78.3—80.1% and helminthosporiosis 79.4—81.4%, depending on the tillage. Against them, the main deterrent was still chemical protection. In the variants without an insecticide, the population of maize hairy aphids was 85%. The use of Belt 480 SC, k.s. (flubendiamide 480 g/l) (0.15 l/ha) made it possible to reduce the plant population by the pest by 3.5 times. The 20—22 cm overdeep tillage and 10—12 cm shallow tillage ensured corn yields of 6.90 and 6.28 t/ha of grain, respectively, compared to the 6—8 cm soil loosening (5,36 t/ha). However, the combination of tillage with an intensive protection system allowed to increase the yield to 11.83 and 10.63 t/ha.

Soil CO2 emission reduction with no-tillage and medium nitrogen fertilizer applications in semi-humid maize cropland in North China Plain

To better understand the effects of tillage practices and nitrogen (N) fertilizer applications on the microbial-mediated soil CO2 emissions in the maize fields, a four-year (2018–2021) experiment was performed to compare conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) in combination with different N rates (high N (HN) and medium N (MN) applications) on the temporal dynamics of CO2 emissions in the soil. The results showed that soil CO2 emissions were decreased by 10.3%24.5% and 18.9%31.8% under NT and MN as compared to CT and HN, respectively. The lowest and highest soil cumulative CO2 emissions occurred in the NTMN treatment (a recommended pattern) and CTHN treatment (an extensively used pattern locally), respectively. Relative to CT and HN, NT and MN increased the grain yields by 1.4%9.0% and 7.0%, respectively. NT decreased bacterial richness and alpha-diversity by 9.8% and 6.2% at the taxonomic level than CT. Meanwhile, NTMN reduced fungal diversity by 0.7%, bacterial diversity by 3.4% and bacterial richness by 0.3% compared to CTHN. NT and MN inhibited metabolic processes associated with carbon (C) cycling and enhanced C fixation pathways in prokaryotes. NTMN treatment reduced substrate availability and energy sources for fungal and bacterial activities by altering soil biochemistry, further decreasing fungal and bacterial diversity, suppressing soil CO2 emissions, and increasing yields, which were in turn enhanced by changes in soil temperature, moisture, and bulk density. This research emphasized the necessity to explore eco-friendly cropland practices in maize cultivation zones, which would contribute to the sustainable development of the agricultural sector with positive effects on reducing soil CO2 emissions and increasing crop yields. However, stability and validity need further investigation on long-term scales.

Physical and Chemical Properties of Leached Chernozem under Different Soil Treatment and Fertilizer Application in Cropped Rotation Central Black Earth Region

In the zone of unstable humidification of the Central Black Earth Region in 1985–2021, in the steam link of the fruit-replaceable 9-pole crop rotation, the influence of dump, dumpless and combined soil treatments on non-ventilated and fertilized (N59P59K59 + manure 11 t/ha of crop rotation area) backgrounds was studied. The purpose of the work is to study the influence of basic tillage and fertilizer systems on the physico-chemical properties of the soil in 4 rotations. The soil is leached heavy loamy medium-sized chernozem with a humus content of 5.3–5.6% in the arable layer, with an average supply of nutrients and optimal physical properties. During the first 2 rotations, the pHKCl indicator decreased by 0.04–0.46 units relative to the initial one. In the 4th rotation, the actual acidity was 6.06–6.18 units. Minimal changes in acidity were noted during combined tillage. In the 4th rotation, with combined tillage, the amount of absorbed bases increased to the greatest extent (by 10–12%). Physico-chemical properties in winter wheat crops were more favorable than in sugar beet crops. Soil buffering in the 4th rotation tended to increase compared to the 2nd rotation. The multi-depth dump treatment increased the buffering of the chernozem.

Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) performance under tillage and weed management in rice (Oryza sativa)-based cropping sequence

The present field experiment was conducted at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam with Sesbania-winterrice (Oryza sativa L.)-Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) cropping sequence during 2017–2019 comprising 20treatment combinations of tillage and weed management practices. The study revealed that seed, stover and oil yield of Indian mustard were increased in the year round minimum tillage with rice residue retention by 35.97, 23.41 and 38.90%, respectively due to higher crop growth characteristics and yield attributes as compared to conventional tillage. Among weed management practices, integrated weed management (IWM) showed higher weed control efficiency (WCE) and weed control index (WCI) as well as improved seed and oil yield by 39.66 and 39.61%, respectively as compared to weedy check. Combination of minimum tillage along with rice residue retention and IWM enumerated higher oil yield (6.40 q/ha) of Indian mustard grown after direct seeded rice (DSR) under minimum tillage. The findings of the experiment implied that minimum tillage with rice residue retention along with integrated weed management encouraged crop growth and productivity of Indian mustard (IM) as a succeeding crop after direct seeded rice grown under minimum tillage condition.

Combined Implement for Soil Preparation and Sowing Сucurbits

The design of an energy-saving combined implement capable of performing basic and pre-sowing tillage, applying mineral fertilizers, forming irrigation furrows and sowing melons and gourds in one pass is substantiated. The use of a combined tillage unit allows to reduce labor costs by up to 39%, energy consumption for soil preparation – up to 45%, reduce the duration of work, reduce soil compaction by reducing the unit’s passes across the field and retain moisture in the soil layer.

Dry rainfed conditions are key drivers of the effect of conservation tillage and a nitrification inhibitor on N fate and N2O emissions: A field 15N tracing study

The sustainability of rainfed crops under semiarid conditions is threatened by low plant nitrogen (N) recovery as well as the potential loss of reactive N to the environment. A field 15N tracing experiment on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) under rainfed conditions was carried out to study how different tillage management practices and the use of the nitrification inhibitor DMPSA affected the fate of N. The experiment consisted of a factorial combination of tillage (i.e., no tillage, NT, and conventional tillage, T) and fertilizer treatments (unfertilized control and ammonium nitrate, AN, with or without DMPSA). Single-labelled ammonium nitrate (15NH4NO3, 15AN, or NH415NO3, A15N) was applied at top-dressing to microplots at a rate of 80 kg N ha−1. Our results show out that DMPSA modulates the nitrification process from both fertilizer-N and endogenous soil-N (which was the main contributor to plant N uptake and N2O emissions), affecting soil residual N at the end of the cropping period (i.e., higher topsoil retention of 15AN in DMPSA-amended plots). Generally, cumulative N2O emissions from fertilizer were derived from 15AN rather than from A15N, thus confirming the site-specific choice of the source of synthetic N as an effective N2O mitigation strategy. Two months after harvest, a rewetting event produced a remarkable N2O emission peak that drove total cumulative N2O emissions and was also mainly derived from endogenous N. These results suggest that dry seasons could decrease N2O losses after fertilization while causing critical peaks after rewetting, thus potentially limiting the effectiveness of mitigation strategies. The average plant N recovery from the synthetic fertilizer was 22.6%, while the use of DMPSA combined with NT enhanced plant N uptake from endogenous soil-N. This could be a result of the improved crop development and plant N acquisition under NT, consistent with the decrease of soil N retention for A15N in the deeper layer at the end of the experiment in the nontilled plots. This study contributes to the mechanistic understanding of the effect of nitrification inhibitors and tillage on N2O emissions, soil N dynamics and N plant recovery, revealing relevant effects of both management strategies and a critical role of endogenous soil-N under dry rainfed conditions. It can be concluded that, under the conditions of our study, combining DMPSA with NT could help to improve plant N recovery, thus resulting in positive impacts on reactive N loss and climate change mitigation and adaptation.