Tillage Systems Research Articles

Traits of weed species present in maize respond to tillage and cropping systems

IntroductionArable weeds adapt to any changes in disturbance and management. On arable fields, tilling disturbs the soil, while cropping practices like rotation, pesticide use, fertilizer use, and the use of subsidiary crops characterize the management of the field. On a species level, weeds adapt in their abundance and composition. The species have certain traits to use the on-site resources best. Our objective was to investigate if traits beyond just species describe the adaptation of weeds to tillage and cropping systems. Therefore, we present a use case of weeds on fields cropped with maize in Germany.Material and methodsOver 2 years, we conducted a nationwide weed survey on 577 maize fields. On each field, the abundance of each weed species was counted on 10 randomly sampled square plots of 0.1 m² not treated with herbicides at the fourth to eighth leaf stages of the maize. Weed species frequent on at least 5% of the fields were assigned traits. Traits were taken from published updated databases. We interviewed all farmers about the management practices of their fields.ResultsThe management practice data identified three management clusters of tillage and cropping sequence on maize fields. The standard system so far is a management system characterized by inversion tillage and maize cropped in rotations (“Traditional”). The two transformation systems are maize cropped in rotations but with non-inversion tillage as the method of soil disturbance (“Conservational”) and maize cropped continuously regardless of the tillage system (“Monoculture”). Ordination techniques showed that both weed species and traits are assigned to these management systems. Traditional disfavored weed species with a greater plant height. Conservational selected dicot weed species with a high seed weight and a long flowering duration. Monoculture mainly filtered monocot weed species and favored weeds that germinate in spring.DiscussionOur study describes weed responses on transformations of maize cropping in tillage and cropping systems on both the species and the trait level. This application expresses the importance and value of collecting weed surveys with field management data on a geographically widespread and repeated timescale.

Seed yield, physiological and biochemical attributes in canola (Brassica napus L.) as influenced by tillage system and cropping season

Canola is an important oilseed crop and its performance was influenced by tillage system. However, no study on this influence has been carried out in North Africa. Also, the effect of tillage system on physiological and biochemical traits in canola has never been investigated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of tillage system on agronomic, physiological, and biochemical traits in canola during two cropping seasons (2019/2020 (Y1) and 2020/2021 (Y2)) under Moroccan conditions. The experiment was conducted according to a complete random block design with three replications and the tillage systems studied were deep ploughing (DP), chisel ploughing (CP), minimum till (MT), and no-till (NT). Over both seasons, tillage significantly affected all traits except for proline content. Notably, NT consistently exhibited superior performance with the highest seed yield (272 kg ha−1 in Y1, 1760 kg ha−1 in Y2) and oil content (36 % in Y1, 44 % in Y2). In contrast, DP faced challenges during severe drought in Y1, resulting in no production. On the other hand, in Y2, DP showed the highest stomatal conductance and sugars content, while NT exhibited the highest chlorophyll content. Considering these findings, no-till can be recommended for canola cultivation in Morocco as well as in other North-African and Mediterranean countries with similar climate and soil conditions.

Impact of tillage systems on maize emergence

In Europe, there has been a significant change in the way tillage is approached in recent years. This change is due to a growing awareness among farmers, politicians and society as a whole that soil is not a renewable resource in itself. From an agricultural point of view, the greatest impact on soil condition can be achieved through the use of the applied tillage systems. My research takes this approach as a basis when examining the different tillage systems and their impact on the environment. In this context, conventional and a variety of no-tillage systems are examined in this paper. As a next step, it is examined how the environmental conditions created by the different tillage systems influence the emergence of maize hybrids. The analyses are carried out in a multi-factorial, long-term tillage field experiment. The same batch of the same hybrid seed was sown in several crop years, and the effects of environmental conditions on the emergence process were examined. Environmental effects and emergence-related uptake were measured in the examined plots. Measurements of environmental effects included air temperature, precipitation, soil temperature measured at seeding depth, as well as % cover of stem residue on the surface in the treated plots. The first emergence time measurements of the sown crop in the plots of each treatment were compared and relationships between these factors were investigated.

The Effect of Tillage Systems, Type of Organic Fertilizer and the Level of Binary Addition of Nitrogen and Phosphorus on the Growth and Yield of Clover in Gypsum Soil

A field experiment was conducted at the research station of the College of Agriculture - University of Tikrit for the agricultural season (2021-2022), and the experiment factors were three, namely: the first factor is tillage systems, as two systems of tillage were applied (no-tillage and Reduced tillage) and the second factor was the type of organic fertilizer and it included (Sheep waste and waste Mushroom), while the third factor was the level of binary addition of nitrogen and phosphorus, and it included three levels of fertilization (0%, 100%, and 125%), according to the fertilizer recommendation. The experiment was carried out according to the split-split plot system with a randomized complete block design (R.C.B.D) and with three replications. The treatments were distributed as follows: tillage systems (NT, RT) in the main plot, and the application of the type of organic fertilizer (O1, O2) In the sub plot, the levels of binary addition of nitrogen and phosphorus (M0, M1, M2) were placed in the sub-sub plots, and the results of the experiment showed that the system of Reduced tillage was significantly superior to the system of no-tillage in all the studied traits, and sheep waste was significantly superior to mushroom waste in All the characteristics of the study, as well as the level of binary addition M2 was significantly superior to the other levels in all the characteristics of the study. The results showed that the treatment (T1O1M2) was significantly superior in all traits of vegetative growth and yield traits of clover plant.

The Impact of Tillage Systems and Herbicide Type on the Growth and Yield of Wheat and the Growth Parameters of Associated Weeds

The investigation was placed in the Al-Ghamij region, which is located north of Basrah in Iraq, in silty-clay soil. Three tillage systems were used in the study: conventional tillage with a moldboard plow, reduced-tillage with a disc harrow, and the no-till system. Additionally, three herbicides were used: Chevalier (300 g ha-1), Granstar (15-20 g ha-1), and Topic (0.75 l ha-1) to control weed growth. According to the RCBD design, using split plots, with the main plots devoted to tillage techniques and the split plots to herbicide. The results showed the significant superiority of the reduced-tillage system by the disc harrow, with the fewest weeds per square meter, the fewest weeds dry weight per square meter, the tallest plants, the most tillers per square meter, the most spikes per square meter, the most grain yield, and the most biological yield totaling (48.7 plants m-2, 3.82g m-2, 81.67 cm, 370.78 tiller m-2, 344.4 spike m-2,4519.00 kg ha-1, and 10340.00 kg ha-1), compared to no-till and reduced-tillage methods, conventional tillage using a moldboard plow resulted in the highest number of weeds, the highest dry weight of the weeds, the shortest plant, the fewest tillers per square meter, the fewest spikes per square meter, the smallest grain and biological yield (105.3 plants m-2, 10.20 g m-2, 78.33 cm, 310.22 tiller m-2, 264.9 spike m-2, 3296.00 kg ha-1, and 9985.00 kg ha-1). The results of the study demonstrated the significant superiority of the Chevalier herbicide as it exhibited lower dry weight of weeds per square meter, the highest plant, more tillers and spikes per square meter, and the highest biological yield (4.49 g m-2, 82.33 cm, 347.89 tiller m-2, 309.7 spike m-2 and 10301.00 kg ha-1) respectively,. On the other hand, the Topic herbicide displayed the highest weeds dry weight, shortest plants, the lowest number of tillers and spikes, and the lowest biological yield (8.87 g m-2, 78.00 cm, 326.11 tiller m-2, 297.7 spike m-2 and 10023.00 kg ha-1).

Using Brassica Cover Crops as Living Mulch in a Vineyard, Changes over One Growing Season

Farmers hoping to manage cropping systems sustainably are turning to cover crops to help mitigate plant pathogens. Plants with biofumigant properties are used to control soil-borne pathogens in agricultural settings, especially in till systems, where the brassicas are incorporated into the soil as green manure or seed meal. The effect of these crops is not well studied in no-till systems; thus, it is hard to know if they are as effective as green manure. Whether or not these cover crops can effect changes during a single growth season has not yet been studied. This study compared the response of the soil microbial community to four different brassica cover crops, two of which are commonly used in vineyards (Sinapis alba L. (white mustard) and Raphanus sativus (L.) Domin (tillage radish)) as well as two brassicas that are native or naturalized to the Okanagan (Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. (Shepherd’s purse) and Boechera holboelli (Hornem.) Á. Löve and D. Löve (Holbøll’s rockcress)). Cover crops did not affect fungal species richness, but B. holboelli recover crops were associated with increased evenness among fungal taxa. Both C. bursa-pastoris and S. alba had lower levels of plant parasitic nematodes compared to non-brassica controls. These results were apparent only after a single growing season, which indicates growers could use this approach as needed, minimizing long-term exposure to biofumigants for beneficial soil microbes.

Dicamba-Based Herbicide Programs, Cropping Sequences, Tillage Types in Cotton – Profitability and Risk Efficiency Analysis

Herbicide-resistant weeds threaten cotton production, and herbicides alone are not a sustainable remedy. Field trials at two locations, College Station and Thrall, Texas (2019-21), assessed dicamba-based herbicide programs in various crop sequences and tillage systems to identify sustainable weed management recommendations based on weed control and partial net returns. The study showed no-till cover cropping and conventional tillage had the highest aggregate partial net returns at College Station and Thrall, respectively. A cotton:sorghum:cotton rotation provided significantly higher partial net returns (>$450 ha-1) compared to continuous cotton only at Thrall. Partial net returns were significantly higher in a low input herbicide program (LI) compared to a high input herbicide program (HI) from 2019-21 only at Thrall. Herbicide programs showed a high degree of overlap and were indistinct in all tillage types at College Station based on CDFs graphs. Low input under cotton:sorghum:cotton rotation showed 100% probability of higher partial net returns compared to continuous cotton in all tillage types at Thrall. Stoplight charts showed LI provided greater than 50% probability of partial net returns greater than $1,066 ha-1 across tillage types at College Station. In Thrall, LI under cotton:sorghum:cotton rotation offered 88% and 26% probability of partial net returns above $1,066 ha-1 in conventional and strip tillage, respectively. Higher partial net returns for LI were mostly attributed to cost savings from using inexpensive herbicides rather than higher yields. Therefore, using less expensive herbicide programs and crop rotation appeared to be the most risk efficient strategy for managing weeds in irrigated and dryland cotton production.

Improving Soil Health of Commercial Vegetable Home Gardens through Conservation Agriculture in Cambodia

Tillage systems are components of broad agricultural practices that affect soil properties and soil health. These changes include soil respiration, density, moisture, and pH. Conservation agriculture practices have the potential to improve soil health by reducing tillage. In agricultural production, there can be numerous approaches to achieving consistently high yields annually; however, this study specifically looked at conventional tillage and conservation agriculture systems. This study aimed to determine soil fauna biodiversity and soil health under conservation agriculture (CA) and conventional tillage (CT) management practices of vegetable production in Cambodia. Five CA and five CT plots were selected and included in this study. Fifty soil samples were collected from CA and CT plots for soil fauna measurement, and in-situ tests were made using Biofunctool© for soil health assessment. The results showed that the abundance of soil fauna and aggregation stability were greater in CA than in CT. Soil fauna biodiversity enhancement may provide better soil health for soil improvement by adapting farming management practices.

Effect of Reduced Nitrogen Fertilization on the Chemical and Biological Traits of Soils under Maize Crops

The European Commission’s “Farm to Folk” strategy recommends reducing fertilizers by at least 20% by 2030. In this context, the aim of this study was to verify whether a 20 and 40% reduction of nitrogen (N) fertilization rate will be sufficient to maintain soil chemical features, fertility, and yields in monoculture maize cultivation in the no-tillage (NT) system versus the traditional plowing (PL) system. We also examined which tillage system (PL, NT) allows the reduction of fertilization while maintaining good yields of the tested soils. Two fields (10 ha each) were established for PL and NT maize cultivation, and soils (0–20 cm) were sampled twice per year—before maize sowing and after maize harvesting. A broad range of chemical and biological parameters were monitored (i.e., pH, forms of nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon, content of selected macronutrients and humic substances, and respiration activity). It was concluded that the 20% reduction in N fertilization (after 4 years of use) did not have an adverse effect on the soil’s chemical and biological features, which mainly depended on the season of the year. The maize yield seemed to be higher in the PL system, which was mostly the result of the tillage system rather than the N dose. The study will be continued in the next vegetation season to further verify our findings, especially with regard to the maize tillage system and yields.

Degree of compaction, aeration, and soil water retention indices of a sugarcane field without soil disturbance after initial tillage

Soil compaction after initial soil tillage for crop establishment has been a major problem in crop fields because of its deleterious effects on soil functioning and crop performance. Therefore, the study aimed to determine the degree of compaction, soil air capacity, near-surface optimum ratios, and water retention characteristics in a sandy loam. Dystrophic Paleudalf initially under different tillage methods for sugarcane crop but without tillage for two seasons in southern Brazil. Initial soil tillage systems consisted of no-tillage (NT), compacted no-tillage (NTC), conventional tillage, and chiseling of no-tillage (Ch). Disturbed and undisturbed soil was sampled from 0 to 10, 10 to 20, 20 to 40, and 40 to 60 cm layers to determine degree of compaction, air capacity, near-surface optimum ratios, soil water retention characteristics, and soil physical quality index S. Initially, NT treatment had the significantly ( p < 0.05) lowest degree of compaction (87%), highest soil air capacity (0.104 cm3 cm−3), air capacity/total porosity ratio (0.261), and better water retention characteristics in the surface layer. Over time, Ch had improved the structure of the subsurface soil layers with the lowest degree of compaction (≈88%) and highest air capacity (≈0.140 cm3 cm−3), while the measured indices were poor in NTC. Irrespective of tillage, the surface layer showed resilience during the years without soil disturbance with low degree of compaction, increased water retention, and air capacity. NT could be a good soil management option for sugarcane production, while mechanical chiseling is advocated for ameliorating compacted soils.

Soil physical quality response to management systems in a long‐term sugarcane trial

AbstractIn order to support sugarcane growth for biofuel production without compromising the environmental sustainability, this work aims to assess the physical quality of soils cultivated under different long‐term tillage and management systems to identify the system that most contributes for a sustainable sugarcane production. Visual assessments and soil sampling to determine physical soil quality indicators were performed in sugarcane plots managed with no‐tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) with 0 (CT0–NT0) and 4 (CT4–NT4) Mg ha−1 of lime and in an adjoining area with native forest. In general, the results from traditional indicators showed no statistical difference between the different sugarcane cultivation systems and the different depths, so were not sensitive to identify the best tillage and management system in relation to soil physical quality for soils cultivated with sugarcane. However, even without statistical difference, three indicators presented limiting values for plant growth and development (Bd, ASW, and S index) in at least two sugarcane cultivation systems and one depth. Although all the systems showed a good soil structural quality in surface, the visual assessments suggest a poor and unsatisfactory soil structural quality in the subsurface of CT0, CT4, and NT0 (3.7 ± 0.2, 3.3 ± 0.6, and 3.7 ± 0.7 in Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure [VESS] and 2.2 ± 0.3, 3.1 ± 1.0, and 3.6 ± 1.1 in Rapid Diagnosis of Soil Structure [DRES], respectively), requiring immediate management changes, while structural quality in NT4 (2.6 ± 0.9 and 3.9 ± 0.7, in VESS and DRES, respectively) was considered good. Thus, NT4 is suggested as the tillage and management system that least compromises structural quality of soils cultivated with sugarcane, and it is considered a viable alternative to promote soil conservation, as well as environmental and economical sustainability for sugarcane cultivation, as this system corrects soil acidity, minimally disturbs the soil, and maintains the soil cover, thus delivering ecosystem services.

Winter wheat productivity under different systems of typical black soil cultivation and under climatic changes in the conditions of the Left-Bank Forest Steppe

The article highlights the influence of different tillage systems and climate changes on the formation of winter wheat productivity, yield and quality indicators in the conditions of the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe. Taking into account the crop importance in Ukraine's food security and its place in world exports, the importance of effective methods development to improve technological performance due to the decrease in the share of high quality grain suitable for milling and baking purposes is emphasized. In particular with the climate changes it is necessary to use of moisture-saving technologies and the introduction of crop rotations with a scientifically based choice of crops with plastic properties to unstable soil and climatic conditions. In the course of the research it was determined how winter wheat productivity is affected by tillage methods – plowing, disking and no-till technology on the example of typical black soil. The analysis of weather conditions was carried out, which revealed that uneven distribution of precipitation with long periods without rain or with high rain intensity during all stages of crop ontogeny are the factors limiting yields and reducing grain quality. At the same time the importance of mineral fertilizers in regulating grain yields and quality under rapid climate changes was also determined. Increased average monthly indicators, characterizing the weather conditions during the studied periods, created risks for the full growth and development of cultivated plants, that was described in detail in the article. According to the research results it was found that the highest yield indexes of winter wheat were obtained during of N120P60K90 application, that in 2021, under traditional plowing, provided 5.2 t/ha of high quality grain with a protein content of 16.4 % and gluten content of 30.45 %. Also in terms of crop yield level and quality indicators the variant of soil protection technology no-till differed little, which produced 4.88 t/ha of grain with a protein content of 15.6 % and 28.7 % of gluten in a favorable 2021. Key words: climate changes, short-term crop rotation, tillage, no-till technology, winter wheat, crop yield, grain quality.

Effect of tillage, residue and nitrogen management on yield, water and nitrogen use efficiency of wheat (Triticum aestivum)

A two-year field study was carried out during winter (rabi) seasons of 2020–21 and 2021–22 at the research farm of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi with the aim of examining the impacts of various methods of tillage, residue management and nitrogen (N) application on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and nitrogen use efficiency in terms of Partial Factor Productivity of Nitrogen (PFPN). The study utilized a split-split plot design with 3 replications, where the main plot consisted of two tillage systems [conventional tillage (CT) and no tillage (NT)], the subplot comprised 2 residue levels [maize residue @5 t/ ha (R+) and no residue (R0)], and the sub-sub plot involved 3 N levels [60, 120, and 180 kg N/ha, representing 50% (N60 kg N/ha), 100% (N120 kg N/ha), and 150% (N180 kg N/ha)] respectively. The results indicated that both tillage and residue management considerably influenced the grain and biomass yield of wheat. Over the two years, NT exhibited a 7% higher WUE compared to CT, but the change was insignificant. However, in years with lower rainfall, crop residue mulching had a significant positive impact on WUE, while in years with higher rainfall; its effect on WUE was insignificant. Moreover, tillage practices had a considerable effect on the PFPN. In the year 2020–21, PFPN under NT was 3.59% higher than under CT, and in the year 2021–22, it was 2.06% higher. Furthermore, with an increase in N levels, WUE showed a substantial increase, while PFPN decreased.

Гербологічний стан посівів сільськогосподарських культур у короткоротаційній сівозміні залежно від систем основного обробітку ґрунту та удобренн

Гербологічний стан посівів сільськогосподарських культур у короткоротаційній сівозміні залежно від систем основного обробітку ґрунту та удобренн

A global insight on sensitivity of nitrate leaching to drainage in arable cropping systems

Nitrate (NO3–) leaching leads to widespread deterioration of water quality. NO3– leaching can be regulated by both biochemical and hydrological processes. However, the extent to which drainage accounts for the variation in NO3– leaching and the sensitivity of NO3– leaching to drainage remain unclear, particularly at the global scale. This raises uncertainties in prioritizing the regulation of hydrological (e.g., drainage) processes for reduced NO3– leaching. A global meta-analysis was conducted for arable cropping systems to test two hypotheses: (1) Global variations in NO3– leaching are explained more by drainage and associated influencing factors (e.g., water input); (2) NO3– leaching is more sensitive to the changes in drainage under conditions with lower risks of preferential flow. In this meta-analysis, the average NO3– leaching loss from arable cropping systems was 22.2 kg N ha−1 year−1. Water input, followed by N input, were the most influential in explaining global variations in NO3– leaching. Compared with NO3– concentration, drainage and associated influencing factors explained more of the global variations in NO3– leaching losses. NO3– leaching was more sensitive to drainage in soils with finer texture and higher soil organic carbon content, in regions with low to medium mean annual temperature (<15 ℃) and medium mean annual precipitation (600–1000 mm), where water input during the measurement period was low (<2 mm day−1), nitrogen fertilizer rates were high (>200 kg N ha−1), and where conservation tillage systems (no-tillage or non-inversion tillage) were adopted. Therefore, more attention should be given to avoiding excessive water application in soils characterized by low risk of preferential flow. Preferential flow reduces the chance for drainage water to interact with NO3– in the soil matrix, particularly in areas with high N inputs. While this study has successfully tested our hypotheses, it further highlights the importance of water input management for mitigating global NO3– leaching risks, particularly under environments and changing climate conditions more conducive to drainage events.

Research of the Influence of Agrophytotehnical Works on Rapeseed Production Parameters

Two tillage systems were studied between 2022 and 2023 in Grebenișu de Câmpie and near Ungheni city (Mureș County, Romania) and their impact at growth and production parameters of rapeseed crop. Also, for each tillage system, the growth plant parameters have been monitorized. One of the studied tillage systems was conventional, including stubble cultivation followed by ploughing at 25 cm depth. The second tillage system was minimum tillage, using a trailed field cultivator for soil preparation, at a depth of 20-25 cm, one day before seeding. In both tillage systems, power harrow was used before seeding. During the growth stages of rapeseed, the plants were analyzed and compared for each tillage system and for each field from Ungheni area and from Grebenișu de Câmpie. The morphological characters were analyzed in laboratory. All colected data were statistycal represented in tables by location and by tillage system. In the variant with conventional plough, average height, number of branches, stem thickness and root development were smaller than in the fileds with minimum tillage. Regarding the morphological characters of plants, a significant difference was determined in the height and the number of plant branches, the values were higher at minimum tillage system.

Atrazine selectivity for Panicum maximum cv. Massai under no-till and conventional tillage

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of atrazine applied in pre-emergence in the control of weeds and its selectivity for forage Panicum maximum cv. Massai in no-till and conventional tillage systems. The experiment was installed in a stripped experimental design, in an 8 x 2 factorial scheme (8 doses of atrazine in 2 planting systems) with three replicates for each treatment. The variables were analyzed and being the presence of phytotoxicity, dry matter accumulation (DM), height of Massai grass plants, and visual evaluation of control effectiveness on weeds. The data were submitted to analysis of variance with the application of the F test, where the control values of 50% of weeds (C50) and a reduction of 50% in the growth of weeds and Massai grass (GR50) were defined. In the no-tillage system the doses for C50 and GR50 of weeds were 944.83 g a.i. ha-1 and 556.39 g a.i. ha-1, respectively. For the conventional planting system, the doses for C50 and GR50 of weeds were 329.52 g a.i. ha-1 and 301.77 g a.i. ha-1, respectively. In both systems, doses below the recommended were able to perform efficient weed control, where the GR50 values of the crop were higher than those of weeds, requiring doses of 1,184.51 g ai ha-1 for no-tillage and 1,632.92 g ia ha-1 for conventional planting.

Soil Tillage and Cropping System Effects on the Physical-Hydric Properties of a Soil under No-Tillage

A no-tillage system (NT) is an alternative to replace soil management with intense soil tillage and degradation. Our objective was to evaluate the physical–hydric properties of soil under NT for four years after undergoing 13 years of minimum (4NTM) and conventional tillage (4NTC) with reference to continuous NT for 17 years (17NT). The soil bulk density, porosity, storage capacities of water and air, visual evaluation of soil structure (VESS), and saturated hydraulic conductivity were determined. The root dry biomass of soybean, maize, and palisade grass was also measured. NT during four years established after receiving 13 years of tillage did not significantly affect soil properties compared to 17NT, which means that four years of NT reached structural stability similar to continuous 17NT. The VESS scores were less sensitive to identifying soil compaction. Crops have no significative influence on soil properties, but the roots of maize seem to be less sensitive to soil compaction, which is important considering it is in a crop rotation system. The treatments (soil tillage and crop rotation) presented soil compaction below a 10 cm depth, and to our loamy textural class soil, a Bd &gt; 1.60 Mg m−3 restricted soil aeration due to macroporosity &lt; 0.10 m3 m−3.

ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF SOYBEAN PRODUCTION DEPENDING ON SOIL TILLAGE SYSTEM

The aim of the study was to evaluate the economic efficiency of soybean cultivars at different soil tillage system (ploughing method, reduced tillage, strip tillage). The study was based on the results of a five-year (2016-2020) field study, conducted at the Agricultural Experimental Station in Kępa Puławy (farm in Osiny), belonging to the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation in Puławy. In the scheme of trial two cultivars of soybean: Aldana (000 – early) and Merlin (00-mid-early) were used. The strip-till system brought the highest value of harvested soybean seeds of Merlin cultivar – 6,262 PLN/ha (mean in 2016-2020). The high value was also obtained under full ploughing system (6,251 PLN/ha). The highest profitability of soybean cultivation determined based relation production value of seeds to direct cost was obtained under strip-tillage system (mean for two cultivars – 1.68). In direct cost structure the highest percentage had seeds material cost. The gross margin was determined as an indicator of economic efficiency. The economic effectiveness of cultivation of two soybean cultivars was evaluated from the perspective of utilizing the basic factors of production – land. Analysis showed that the highest level of gross margin determined on based the difference of production seeds value, direct cost and indirect cost was obtained in soybean cultivation under strip-tillage system. The profitability index was also determined as the relation of production value of soybean seeds to direct costs. The level of the gross margin was more impacted by the level of the obtained yield and the cost of agrotechnical treatments than by the level of other direct costs.

Application of Unconventional Tillage Systems to Maize Cultivation and Measures for Rational Use of Agricultural Lands

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the main agricultural crops grown worldwide under very diverse climate and soil conditions. For maize cultivation in a conventional tillage system, autumn plowing is a mandatory condition. Minimum soil tillage or no tillage has been applied in recent years, both in research and in production, for reasons relating to soil conservation and fuel economy. This paper presents the results of the research executed under pedoclimatic conditions at the Agricultural Research and Development Station Turda (ARDS Turda, Romania; chernozem soil) regarding the behavior of the maize hybrid Turda 332 cultivated in four tillage systems and two levels of fertilization during the period of 2016–2022. The following soil tillage systems were applied: a conventional tillage system (CT) and unconventional tillage systems in three variants—a minimum tillage system with a chisel (MTC), a minimum tillage system with a disk (MTD), and a no-tillage system (NT). They were applied with two levels of fertilization: basic fertilization (350 kg ha−1 NPK 16:16:16, applied at sowing) and optimized fertilization (350 kg ha−1 NPK 16:16:16 applied at sowing + 150 kg ha−1 calcium ammonium nitrate with additional fertilization in the phenophase of the maize with 6–7 leaves). The results highlight the fact that under the conditions of chernozem soils with a high clay content (41% clay content), maize does not lend itself to cultivation in MTD and NT, requiring deeper mobilization, with the yield data confirming this fact. This is because under the agrotechnical conditions for sowing carried out in MTD and NT, the seeder used (Maschio Gaspardo MT 6R) does not allow for the high-quality sowing of maize, especially under dry soil conditions. Instead, the MTC system could be an alternative to the conventional tillage system, with the yield difference being below 100 kg ha−1.