Combination Of Tillage Research Articles

Application of tillage methods and seed disinfection techniques for the development and spread of diseases in spring wheat crops

Improving the tillage system will stabilize the agricultural sector of the Krasnoyarsk Region and meet the growing demand for agricultural products. The principles of minimizing mechanical tillage and preserving plant residues on its surface are the basis of the technology of conservation agriculture. Among the new agro-ecological advantages of the technology is the reduction of dependence on weather conditions thanks to effective moisture conservation. Improvement of the soil structure by reducing the pressure on it, partial replenishment of natural fertility by reducing (by 25-30%) the rate of humus mineralization. It is based on soil fertility management, minimum and combined tillage; differentiated fertilizer system. Zero sowing on the predecessor stubble - an element of technology - contributes to the accumulation of moisture, disruption of the plough-pan, an increase in the microbiological activity of the soil, etc. Presowing seed preparation is a technological technique that can increase the yield of wheat. Seed disinfection techniques significantly affect the development and spread of diseases in spring wheat crops. A systematic, scientifically grounded approach to phytosanitary rehabilitation of agrocenoses will ensure the prevention of chemical contamination of soil and agricultural products, an increase in yield (by 15-20%), a decrease in production costs per unit of produced products (by 10-15%), and an increase in production profitability.

Carbon and Nitrogen Mineralization in Dark Grey Calcareous Floodplain Soil Is Influenced by Tillage Practices and Residue Retention.

Very little is known about the changes that occur in soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) under an intensive rice-based cropping system following the change to minimal tillage and increased crop residue retention in the Gangetic Plains of South Asia. The field experiment was conducted for 3 years at Rajbari, Bangladesh to examine the impact of tillage practices and crop residue retention on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. The experiment comprised four tillage practices—conventional tillage (CT), zero tillage (ZT), strip-tillage (ST), and bed planting (BP) in combination with two residue retention levels—increased residue (R50%) and low residue (R20%—the current practice). The TN, SOC, and mineral N (NH4+-N and NO3−-N) were measured in the soil at different crop growth stages. After 3 years, ZT, ST, and BP sequestered 12, 11, and 6% more SOC, and 18, 13, and 10% more TN, respectively than the conventional crop establishment practice at 0–5 cm soil depth. The accumulation of SOC and TN was also higher compared to the initial SOC and TN in soil. Among the tillage practices, the maximum SOC and TN sequestration were recorded with ST and with R50% that might be attributed to reduced mineralization of C and N in soil particularly with increased residue retention, since decay rates of potentially mineralizable C was lower in the ST with both the residue retention practices. Increased residue retention and minimum tillage practices after nine consecutive crops has altered the C and N cycling by slowing the in-season turnover of C and N, reducing the level of nitrate-N available to plants in the growing season and increasing retained soil levels of SOC and TN.

Design and experiment of bionic stubble breaking-deep loosening combined tillage machine

Under the conditions of straw returning operation, there are three major technical bottlenecks in the Phaeozem region of northeast China, namely low stubble breaking rate, poor tillage depth consistency and high fuel consumption. In this research, a bionic stubble-deep loosening combined tillage machine (BSD) was designed through bionic prototype analysis, coupled bionic analysis, coupled bionic design, theoretical analysis and application of intelligent control techniques. It consists of a bionic stubble breaking device and a bionic self-excited vibratory deep loosening device. Based on the unique biting pattern of locust mouthparts on maize rootstocks, the bionic stubble breaking device adopted a new multi-segment serrated bionic structure and a symmetrical rotational motion, which could significantly increase the stubble breaking rate (p<0.05) and reduce the resistance to stubble breaking operations (p<0.05). Based on the unique biology of the hare's paws, toes and nails, the bionic self-excited vibration deep loosening device adopted a new series-parallel composite bionic elastic system and an intelligent tilling depth control system with a fuzzy algorithm, which significantly improved the tilling depth consistency (p<0.05). The operational performance of the BSD was verified at different operating speeds through comparative experiments and reveals the mechanism of its excellent performance through theoretical analysis. The final experiment results showed that, at the same operating speed, the BSD improved the stubble breaking rate by 9.62% and 10.67%, reduced the stubble breaking torque by 28 N·m and 33 N·m, reduced the tillage depth coefficient of variation by 12.73% and 13.48%, and reduced the specific fuel consumption by 36 g/km·h and 40 g/km·h compared to the two most common models. The operating performance of the three kinds of machines will decrease with the increase of operating speed, and the BSD has the least decrease. Keywords: bionics, stubble breaking, deep loosening, combined tillage machine DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20211404.6473 Citation: Zhao J L, Lu Y, Guo M Z, Fu J, Wang Y J. Design and experiment of bionic stubble breaking-deep loosening combined tillage machine. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2021; 14(4): 123–134.

Agrophysical and agrochemical properties of dark grey forest soils under different systems of basic tillage

The effect of long-term use of different systems of basic tillage of dark grey forest soils on the agrophysical properties, nutrient regime and yield of grain crops in grain-fallow crop rotations was determined. The study was carried out in the conditions of the Northern Trans-Urals in a stationary experiment in 1996-2018. The traditional moldboard and resource-saving systems of basic tillage were studied. The experiment took place during the third-sixth rotations of two grain-fallow crop rotations spread in time and space: bare fallow - winter rye - spring wheat - spring vetch - spring barley; bare fallow - winter rye - spring wheat - spring wheat - spring barley. When cultivating a grain crop that completes a grain-fallow crop rotation, in the fourth field after the fallow with a legume forecrop (spring vetch), it is advisable to use systems of basic tillage with elements of minimization. These include non-moldboard and combined tillage with subsurface loosening by a plow with SibIME tines to a depth of 20-22 cm differentiated with stubble-mulch at 12-14 cm and disk harrowing at 10-12 cm. The studied tillage systems ensured the conditions of the water regime, soil composition and nutritional regime close to the moldboard tillage system. The yield of barley almost equal to the moldboard system was formed: against the background of natural land fertility - 2.97-3.03 t/ha, with the use of N40P40P40 - 3.47-3.65 t/ha. Application of tillage systems with minimization elements in a grain-fallow crop rotation without planting a leguminous crop with a given crop for a repeated grain crop (wheat) led to the following results. Productive moisture availability in the soil layer 0-1.0 m decreased by 8.6-28.0%, the nutrient regime worsened significantly, especially nitrogen (by 15.5-43.8%) and phosphorus (by 39.1-51.1%), with the negative differentiation of soil fertility, and reduction of grain yield by 0.09-0.40 t/ha.

Changes in soil properties and crop performance on stubble-burned and cultivated water-repellent soils can take many years following reversion to no-till and stubble retention

No-tillage and stubble retention have been widely adopted in south-western Australia to protect agricultural soils from erosion, but potentially exacerbate repellency. In a 10-year (2008–2017) field experiment, 4 combinations of tillage (no-till vs cultivation) and stubble management (retention or burning) were applied annually from 2008 to 2011. In 2012, all plots were returned to no-till and stubble retention to determine the recovery of crop performance and soil properties from stubble burning and/or cultivation, and this recovery phase is reported here. Changes to ground cover, soil water repellency, soil water content, soil carbon and crop performance during a 6-year period (2012–2017) were compared with plots where no-tillage and stubble retention had been practised for several decades. At the conclusion of monitoring in 2017, ground cover (average 55%) and soil carbon (average 1.2%) in the previously burned treatments remained significantly (P < 0.05) less than in treatments where stubble had always been retained (average ground cover 68% and soil carbon 1.7%). Soil water repellency (Molarity of Ethanol Drop (MED)) varied with seasonal conditions but was always highest (P < 0.001) in the treatment which had been continuously no-till, stubble retained (MED 1.7 in 2017) compared with the treatment that was previously burned and cultivated (MED 1.0 in 2017), but this did not influence soil water contents which were generally higher (P < 0.05) in the more repellent soils. The effect of previous tillage treatment on soil water contents resolved quickly after the reversion to no-tillage, likely due to the rapid establishment and preservation of root pathways to aid water infiltration. However, the effect of stubble burning on soil water contents remained significant (P < 0.001) with 2% v/v less water in 2017 in previously burned treatments compared with those where stubble had always been retained. Average grain yields where stubble had always been retained were significantly (P < 0.001) greater by 22–33% than where stubbles had previously been burned in 4 of the 6 seasons. The poor recovery in crop performance in the previously stubble-burned treatments was attributed to the slow build-up of soil carbon to support water- and nutrient-holding capacity, and crop residue ground cover to protect soils from water loss and erosion.

Evaluation of the Performance of a Combined Tillage Implement with Plough and Rotary Tiller by Experiment and DEM Simulation

In order to improve the performance of tillage tool for straw incorporation in silty clay loam, a combined tillage implement with plough and rotary tiller was designed. Its performance on straw incorporation and power consumption was investigated, and the combined tillage types (CTSR and CTDR) were compared with traditional tillage types including a sole plough type (SP and DP), a sole rotary tiller (RT), and a two-pass tillage type (SP+RT and DP+RT) in a rice field experiment. The effect of the forward speed and rotary speed for RT and CTSR were studied by DEM simulation. The ratio of straw coverage by CTSR and CTDR increased nearly 20% compared with RT, and the stability coefficient of tillage depth and CV of the surface evenness after tillage also improved in the field experiment. The total power of CTSR and CTDR was less than that of RT and two-pass tillage types by measurement. DEM simulation indicated that the total power of CTSR increased with the increase of the forward speed and rotary speed, and the reduction of the rotary power for the combined tillage implement can be obtained at a relatively high rotary speed. The combined tillage implement improved the performance on straw incorporation and had an advantage on power consumption at some operational conditions.

IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY INDICATORS OF THE PROCESS OF SOWING OF ROW CROPS

The level of technology in agricultural production, the quality and cost of the products are largely determined by the degree of perfection of the machines and units used. In resolving this issue in our country and abroad, work is underway to identify rational ways of tillage, namely the minimum energy and labor costs per unit of crop production. Improvement of tillage technology is carried out in two main directions: minimization of tillage and combination of several operations in one pass of the agricultural unit. Along with the application of fertilizers, one of the important operations in the cultivation of crops is sowing, which is performed by seeders and combined tillage and sowing units. Seeders for sowing row crops are a special group of sowing machines. The modern market of agricultural machinery offers a number of field units suitable for sowing with different tillage technologies. The main working body of the drill, which determines the quality of sowing, is the sowing machine, and the opener group is the most important unit of the drill. It must remove lumps of soil from the row area, prepare the seedbed, lay the seeds on its dense bottom, maintain a given depth of its laying, ensure good contact of seeds with the soil, create a loose mulching layer. Despite their diversity, a universal combined device is needed that meets all agronomic and operational requirements for sowing seeds with different physical and mechanical properties. The most promising in this aspect are vibrating sowing machines, in which uniform sowing of seeds and fertilizers is achieved by transmitting their mass of oscillating motions. At vibration of loose material with a certain frequency and amplitude of oscillations friction forces between separate particles decrease, it becomes more fluffy, mobile. The method of sowing crops is determined by the required sowing density and the order of placement of plants per unit area. There are spreading, row, nesting, dotted and stubble methods of sowing and planting crops. The choice of sowing method largely depends on the sowing qualities of the seeds of the crop and soil and climatic conditions. Depending on this, the size of the row spacing and the distance between the plants is taken.

Weed management using tillage, seed rate and bed planting in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) under an organic agriculture system

Weed management is a major obstacle in conversion from conventional to organic agriculture system and objective of this study was to manage weeds in organically grown durum wheat. The treatment combinations of conventional tillage (CT) or deep tillage (DT) with 50% higher plant densities, zero tillage (ZT) with and without residues, straw mulching 6 t ha−1 and bed planting plus 25% higher plant density followed by hand pulling were evaluated for weed control in durum wheat in a two-year study. Tillage has differential effect on weed seed distribution and more than 60% of weed seeds was concentrated in 0-7.5 cm soil layer in CT and ZT whereas 50.9% of weed seeds were displaced to 15-30 cm soil layer in DT. Bed planting plus 25% higher plant density followed by hand pulling resulted in lowering of weed density and biomass by 61.2% and 58.9%, respectively at harvest. The maximum growth parameters, yield attributes and wheat grain yield were obtained under bed planting with 25% higher plant density and one hand pulling. Sowing of durum wheat on raised beds or ZT with residue retention may be used as an effective and economical weed management tool under organic agriculture systems.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;Integrated Sustainability Evaluation of Field Environment for the Combinations of Tillage and Cover Crop Practices by FAO-SAFA (Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems) Applied with a Modified Rating Method

&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;Integrated Sustainability Evaluation of Field Environment for the Combinations of Tillage and Cover Crop Practices by FAO-SAFA (Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems) Applied with a Modified Rating Method

Effect of tillage, biochar, poultry manure and NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer, and their mixture on soil properties, growth and carrot (Daucus carota L.) yield under tropical conditions

Tillage, biochar, poultry manure, NPK fertilizer and their combined application could improve soil quality, sustainability and carrot productivity. The effects of two tillage treatments: conventional tillage (CT) and reduced tillage (RT) each combined with 30 Mg ha−1 biochar (B), 10 Mg ha−1 poultry manure (PM), 300 kg ha−1 NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer, 150 kg ha−1 NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer +15 Mg ha−1 biochar +5 Mg ha−1 poultry manure and a control (no biochar/poultry manure/NPK fertilizer) on soil properties, growth and carrot yield were investigated. The research was carried out for two consecutive growing seasons (2018 and 2019) at Owo in the forest-savanna transition zone of Nigeria on a sandy loam. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design in a factorial combination of ten treatments and replicated three times. Reduced tillage had relatively lower soil bulk density, penetration resistance, dispersion ratio and temperature, and had significantly higher (p = 0.05) soil aggregate stability, mean weight diameter, porosity and water content than conventional tillage and these resulted in higher soil pH, organic C, N, P, K, Ca and Mg, growth and fresh root yield of carrot compared with conventional tillage. Reduced tillage increased fresh carrot root yield by 2.3 Mg ha−1 and 2.6 Mg ha−1 for the first and second growing seasons, respectively, compared with conventional tillage, which corresponded to a 11.1% increment for both years. Application of biochar alone, poultry manure alone and complementary application of NPK fertilizer, biochar and poultry manure decreased soil bulk density, penetration resistance, dispersion ratio and temperature and increased soil water content, porosity, aggregate stability and mean weight diameter whereas NPK fertilizer did not improve these soil physical properties. Biochar alone, poultry manure alone, NPK fertilizer alone and combined application of NPK fertilizer, biochar and poultry manure increased soil total N, available P, and exchangeable K, Ca and Mg concentrations compared with the control. Application of biochar alone improved soil pH, OC, K, Ca and Mg better than the NPK fertilizer. Poultry manure improved soil pH, OC, N, K, Ca and Mg better than the NPK fertilizer. Combined application of NPK fertilizer, biochar and poultry manure at sub-optimal rates gave higher soil N, P, K, Ca and Mg concentrations, higher plant, number of leaves, root length, root diameter and fresh carrot root yield compared with NPK fertilizer or biochar or poultry manure alone. Compared with control, NPK fertilizer alone, biochar alone, poultry manure alone and mixture of NPK fertilizer, biochar and poultry manure increased fresh carrot root yield by 43, 24, 46 and 76%, respectively. Reduced tillage in combination with NPK fertilizer, biochar and poultry manure gave the highest fresh carrot root yield. The results indicated that reduced tillage in combination with NPK fertilizer, biochar and poultry manure prove to be an effective and sustainable management strategy for improving soil quality and carrot yield than conventional tillage in combination with NPK fertilizer, biochar and poultry manure.

ЕФЕКТИВНІСТЬ ОСНОВНОГО ОБРОБІТКУ ҐРУНТУ ТА МІНЕРАЛЬНОГО ЖИВЛЕННЯ У ВИРОЩУВАННІ СОЇ НА ЗРОШЕННІ

In the article the brought results over of experimental researches of influence of different methods and depth of soil basic tillage and doses of mineral fertilization on agrophysical properties and productivity of soybean. A purpose of researches is establishment of the most effective methods of soil basic tillage and doses of application of mineral fertilizers at growing of soybean in row croprotation on the irrigation of south of Ukraine and their influence on a height and development of plants, forming of harvest and quality of seed. During an experiment used the field, in-gravimetric, visual, laboratory, calculation-comparative, mathematically-statistical methods with the use of confessedly methods and methodical recommendations. For determination of efficiency of action of soil basic tillage and doses of fertilizers on the productivity of soybean five variants of methods of basic tillage were stopped up and three variants of fertilizer systems: organic and two organo-mineral with doses bringing of mineral fertilizers - N30P60, N60P60 on a background of post harvesting bits and pieces of cultures of crop rotation and optimal mode of irrigation. Results. The changes of agrophysical properties happened under act of the systems of soil basic tillage, nourishing mode, that stipulated creation of different terms for a height and development of culture and forming of harvest. The productivity of seed of soybean at plowing on a 25-27 cm averaged for five years on a background the dose of fertilizers of N60P60 of 4,22 t/ha. At the combined tillage which united disk loosening on a 14-16 cm with slotting on a depth a 38-40 cm, 4,12 t/ha of seed of soybean is got in the system of differentiated-1 soil tillage. On the average on a factor B (system of fertilizer), the productivity of seed of soybean at organic system of fertilize made 2,38 t/ha. Bringing of dose N30P60 assisted the height of harvest on 0,84 t/ha, and N60P60 on 1,39 t/ha, or on 35,2 and 58,4% accordingly. Conclusion. In the short row crop rotation on the irrigated lands of south of Ukraine the most favorable terms for a height, development and forming of harvest of soybean on dark-chestnut soils are created in the systems of plowing basic soil tillage with the turn of layer or differentiated- 1 tillage with the deep loosening under soybean or shallow on a background slotting on a depth a 38-40 cm under a previous culture.

English

A field trial was conducted to determine the effect of tillage and mulch practices on the biomass response of cereal maize and soybean, lablab and grazing vetch which are legumes, when planted as fodder crops. The experiment was conducted using split-plot design with three replications. The main plot treatments were two mulch levels (Mulch and No-Mulch). The mulch was maize straw left from previous cropping season. The subplot treatments were minimum tillage (0.2 m) and deep tillage (0.35 m). The parts of the four crops quantified were leaf, stem and roots. The combination of deep tillage and mulch practices resulted in significant (P&lt;0.05) increase in the leaf, stem and root biomass of maize and, soybean, lablab and grazing vetch. Minimum tillage and no-mulch combined depressed (P&lt;0.0.5)&nbsp; the leaf, stem and root yield of maize while, for soybean, lablab and grazing vetch there was no definite trend of&nbsp; significantly (P&lt;0.05) depressed biomass for the leaf, stem and root yield under minimum tillage and no-mulch, and deep tillage and no-mulch. There was low correlation and positive significant relationship between leaf, stem and root and legume crops whereas, maize had a high correlation relationship with its biomass parameters. It is recommended that maize, soybean, lablab and grazing vetch can be grown as forage crops under combined deep tillage and mulch practices in the Foothills agro-ecological zone of Lesotho to obtain enhanced biomass. Key words: Cereal, legume, leaf, stem root, forage.

Crop Yield and Physicochemical Properties of Wheat Grains as Affected by Tillage Systems

In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of tillage systems (TS) on wheat grain yield, yield components, and physicochemical properties under rain-fed conditions over 2 years (2018–2019) in the Kuhdasht region in southwestern Iran. The tillage treatments were a combination of conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT), and no tillage (NT) systems based on randomized complete blocks with three replications. Wheat grain yields and yield components, physical properties (geometrical dimensions, sphericity, thousand-grain mass (TGM), water absorption (WA), volume (V), and density), chemical composition (protein content (PC), water content (WC), fiber content (FC), ash content (AC)), surface color parameters (L*, a*, and b*), and correlations among measured parameters were assessed. The results showed that wheat grain yield and yield components were significantly affected by TS (p &lt; 0.01). The wheat grain yield was higher under CT (2.72 t ha−1), with a significant difference between RT (1.76 t ha−1) and NT (1.20 t ha−1). The highest TGM (49.19 g) was achieved under CT, followed by RT (43.41 g), with the lowest (39.17 g) in the NT system. TS had significant effects on certain physical properties of wheat grains (p &lt; 0.01). Wheat grain, size, shape, and mass values were higher under CT than RT and NT systems in all experimental years. CT resulted in the highest WA, while the lowest resulted from NT. TS had no significant influence on the density of the grains. TS had significant effects on PC, AC, and WC values of grains at the 1% probability level and on FC at the 5% level. Higher PC values were obtained under the CT system (13.07%, against 11.90% and 10.67% for RT and NT, respectively) in all growing seasons. Additionally, the AC was significantly lower in the sample grains under RT (2.38%) and NT (2.43%) than in those from CT (2.56). The FC was higher under NT (15.73%) than RT (13.73) and CT (13.71%). The grain WC was significantly higher under NT (7.57%) than RT (6.79%) and CT (7.0%). The TS significantly affected the surface color parameters of grains, while the L* (lightness) and b* (yellowness) values of grains under CT were higher than in RT and NT.

Simulating soil organic carbon in maize-based systems under improved agronomic management in Western Kenya

Improved management practices should be implemented in croplands in sub-Saharan Africa to enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and/or reduce losses associated with land-use change, thereby addressing the challenge of ongoing soil degradation. DayCent, a process-based biogeochemical model, provides a useful tool for evaluating which management practices are most effective for SOC sequestration. Here, we used the DayCent model to simulate SOC using experimental data from two long-term field sites in western Kenya comprising of two widely promoted sustainable agricultural management practices: integrated nutrient management (i.e. mineral fertilizer and crop residues/farmyard manure incorporation) and conservation agriculture (i.e. minimum tillage and crop residue retention). At both sites, correlations between measured and simulated SOC were low to moderate (R2 of 0.25−0.55), and in most cases, the model produced fairly accurate prediction of the SOC trends with a low relative root mean squared error (RRMSE < 7%). Consistent with field measurements, simulated SOC declined under all improved management practices. The model projected annual SOC loss rates of between 0.32 to 0.35 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 in continuously tilled maize (Zea mays) systems without fertilizer or organic matter application over the period 2003–2050. The most effective practices in reducing the losses were the combined application of 4 Mg ha-1 of farmyard manure and 2 Mg ha-1 of maize residue retention (reducing losses up to 0.22 Mg C ha-1 yr-1), minimum tillage in combination with maize residue retention (0.21 Mg C ha-1 yr-1), and rotation of maize with soybean (Glycine max) under minimum tillage (0.17 Mg C ha-1 yr-1). Model results suggest that response of the passive SOC pool to the different management practices is a key driver of the long-term SOC trends at the two study sites. This study demonstrates the strength of the DayCent model in simulating SOC in maize systems under different agronomic management practices that are typical for western Kenya.

Erosion hazard evaluation for soil conservation planning that sustains life expectancy of the A‐horizon: The black soil region of China

AbstractSoil erosion is threatening crop production in the black soil region (BSR) of China. This study aims to: (i) evaluate soil erosion hazard for all sloping croplands in BSR; (ii) identify optimum soil conservation practices and propose a schedule for soil conservation. High‐quality spatial data were collected and converted to a map with 30‐m resolution for analysis, including consideration of climate, soil, gemology, topography, and land use. The current erosion hazard was evaluated with soil life expectancy of the A‐horizon (SLEA). The lands with SLEA &lt; 0 yr, 0–20 yr, 20–100 yr, 100–1,000 yr, and ≥1,000 yr were classified as ‘Damaged’. ‘High hazard’, ‘Moderate hazard’, ‘Low hazard’, and ‘No hazard’ in erosion hazard degree, respectively. The result indicated that the current area ratio of these degrees was 8%, 5%, 22%, 61%, and 4%, respectively. Conservation practices are urgently needed. Moreover, optimum practices were identified by comparing SLEA, feasibility, and relative crop yield in the future (2020–2120) under several soil conservation scenarios. The optimum practices were found to be: (i) no‐till (zero‐tillage) for all ‘Damaged’, ‘High hazard’ in warmer BSR, and ‘Moderate’ in warmer BSR; (ii) Combo (a combination of contour tillage, terracing, and ‘green for grain’ measures) for ‘High hazard’ in cooler BSR and ‘Moderate’ in cooler BSR; (iii) maintaining present conditions for all ‘Low hazard’ and all ‘No hazard’. Practices should be implemented to assist ‘Damaged’ and ‘High hazard’ immediately, no later than 2040 for ‘Moderate hazard’ and at any time for ‘Low hazard’ and ‘No hazard’. The strategy suggested by this study is useful for soil conservation works in other regions.

Efficiency of basic tillage systems in the cultivation of barley

The effectiveness of long-term use of various basic tillage systems of dark grey forest soil in the conditions of the Northern Trans-Urals was established. Their impact on the efficiency of barley cultivation depending on the grain (spring wheat) or legume forecrop (vetch for grain) was determined. The research was carried out in a stationary experiment covering moldboard, nonmoldboard, combined, differentiated, stubble-mulch and surface systems of basic soil tillage. The experiments took place during the third–sixth rotations (1996–2018) of two grain-fallow crop rotations spread in time and space. The first crop rotation was: bare fallow – winter rye – spring wheat – spring vetch – spring barley, the second crop rotation: bare fallow – winter rye – spring wheat – spring wheat – spring barley. When cultivating barley following the legume forecrop (spring vetch), it was economically feasible to use basic tillage systems with the elements of minimization. It included non-moldboard and combined tillage with subsurface loosening by a plow with SibIME tines to a depth of 20-22 cm differentiated with stubble-mulch at 12-14 cm and disk harrowing at 10- 12 cm. These methods provided conditions for the formation of productivity close to the moldboard system and practically the same yield of barley, net income and energy efficiency coefficient. Without fertilizers, the yield was 2.97-3.03 t/ha, with the use of N40P40P40 it was 3.47-3.65 t/ha. When planting barley following wheat sown twice, the most effective was moldboard tillage system with a net income of 14.67 thousand rubles/ha without fertilizers and 22.75 thousand rubles/ha with fertilizers and energy coefficient of 2.65 and 2.75. The use of resource-saving tillage methods with repeated wheat led to a decrease in the yield of barley grain by 0.09–0.40 t/ha, and a decrease in the net income of barley cultivation compared to the legume forecrop by 31.0–44.1%.

ОЦЕНКА ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ ОБРАБОТКИ ПОЧВЫ И ЗАЩИТЫ РАСТЕНИЙ НА ЗЕРНОВЫХ БОБОВЫХ КУЛЬТУРАХ В УСЛОВИЯХ ЛЕСОСТЕПНОЙ ЗОНЫ ПОВОЛЖЬЯ

The article presents results of studies of comparative productivity and cultivation economic efficiency of soybeans, peas, lupine and chickpeas, depending on main tillage systems in crop rotation and the level of plant protection from harmful organisms. Grain legumes are capable of forming a seed yield of 2.0 t / ha in the conditions of the forest-steppe zone of the Volga region. Three-year experimental studies have shown that the studied leguminous crops can be arranged in the following row according to the yield level: peas - 2.51 t / ha&gt; lupine - 2.12 t / ha&gt; chickpea –2.11 t / ha&gt; soybean - 2.10 t / ha. Evaluation of the effect of soil tillage in cultivation of grain legumes showed a significant yield increase by plowing for 25-27 cm in comparison with tillage for 12-14 cm for all the studied crops, a yield increase for adaptive-integrated plant protection was also noted in comparison with minimum protection (protection only against weeds). Studies show that lupine crops had an advantage in protein content, its yield is from 533 to 802 kg / ha, as for soybeans, protein yield was 449-666 kg / ha, peas - 430-521 kg / ha, and chickpeas - 346-486 kg / ha with the advantage of the mentioned variants. A higher conditional net income was obtained on soybeans (31555-44584 rubles / ha) and chickpeas (27777-40037 rubles / ha), especially on combined tillage in crop rotation. Plant protection systems had an equal impact on economic efficiency of their cultivation; in some variants, adaptively integrated plant protection was less effective

Performance Indices of a Combined Tillage Machine for the Incorporation of Leguminous Green Manure at Appropriate Depth

Background: The decomposition rate of biomass depends significantly on soil properties and on the design of the machine used for incorporation. Well-chopped biomass, incorporated in a productive zone with uniform mixing, gives better results instead of placing longer stalks on or near the field surface. Methods: In the field experiments conducted during 2017 and 2018, interaction of soil and biomass, placed at various depths in sandy loam soil, was studied 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 90 days after incorporation (DAI). Further, mechanical incorporation of green manure crop with innovative two-bottom combined tillage machine, namely biomass incorporator, was studied at different levels of soil type, plant height, forward speed and rotor speed.Result: The depth range of 70-140 mm was found most appropriate for incorporation to achieve a higher decomposition rate. Plant stem of 50 days old dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata) crop decomposed by 13.0, 31.5, 29.25, 24.25 and 22.05% at depth range 0-70 (D1), 70-140 (D2), 140-210 (D3), 210-280 (D4) and 280-350 (D5) mm, respectively 10 DAI. About 55% of the biomass, incorporated at depth range D2, got decomposed 40 DAI. The average depth of placement of biomass with biomass incorporator ranged between 92 and 131 mm. The soil pulverization index and crop mixing index with the machine varied from 3.58 to 30.65 mm and 93.62 to 98.05%, respectively. The surface profile coefficient with the machine ranged between 24.2 and 50.6 mm. The efficient mixing of the biomass into the soil with thorough coverage of pulverized soil was achieved with rational field undulation.

Integrated Effect of Tillage and Herbicides on Wheat Crop

Combining tillage with herbicides is an economical and efficient method for weed management and yield improvement in wheat. A two-year study was conducted having three tillage levels viz. 2″ tillage (shallow tillage, ST), 4″ tillage (conventional tillage, CT) and 6″ tillage (deep tillage, DT). The weed control treatments were five including three herbicides i.e. bromoxynil + MCPA (a broad-leaf weed killer), fenoxaprop-p-ethyl (a grass killer) and isoproturon + carfentrazone (a broad-spectrum herbicide), along with a hand weeding (HW) and a weedy check (WC). Results showed that the recorded parameters were significantly affected by the varying tillage depths, herbicide applications and their interactions. The weed density and biomass were the highest in ST and the lowest in DT, while among the weed control treatments, the weed density and biomass were highest in WC and lowest in HW. On the other hand, the DT treatments resulted in highest number of spikes m−2, 1000-grain weight (TGW), biological yield and grain yield; while ST showed the lowest values. Among the weed control treatments, the number of spikes, TGW, biological and grain yields were the highest in HW and the lowest in WC treatments. The herbicide isoproturon + carfentrazone performed the best among the three applied herbicides in diminishing the weed population density and biomass, and improving the number of spikes, TGW, biological and grain yields. In conclusion, the combination of deep tillage and herbicide isoproturon + carfentrazone can prove to be the best option for optimum weed management in wheat at higher altitudes.

Impact of basic tillage systems and fertilization on agrochemical indices of soil fertility in the right bank of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

The paper presents the results of stationary multifactor field experiment on study of the mutual impact of various systems of soil deep and surface tillage in combination with various levels of organic and mineral fertilizers application on crop rotation performance, as well as on a number of agrochemical indicators of black soil fertility. Researches were carried out as a stationary field experiment on the experimental field of Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University in 2013-2018. During the crop rotation in all the studied tillage methods, especially mouldboardless and disking tillage, the hydrolytic acidity of the arable layer increased with increase in fertilizer rates, and the amount of bases absorbed, saturation degree, level of exchangeable calcium and magnesium cations decreased, but in most cases these changes were not significant. Systematic mouldboardless and disking tillage enhance the topsoil heterogeneity in relation to agrochemical indicators of its fertility. Heterogeneity increases with increase in the level of applied fertilizers. With the mouldboard tillage during the crop rotation period at unfertilized areas, the largest part of humus loss in the arable layer is observed in the top, and the smallest - in its bottom parts; the opposite pattern was observed on fertilized areas at the highest rate. With mouldboardless and disking tillage, directly opposite patterns were observed in comparison with mouldboard tillage. An annual application of 8 t/ha of manure + N76P64K57 stabilizes the humus state of the arable soil layer when carrying out differentiated and disking tillage in crop rotation. Fertilization rate of 12 t/ha of manure + N95P82K75 for these tillage options a significant increase in humus and total nitrogen reserves is provided.