Use Of Tillage Systems Research Articles

Resource-saving technologies for the basic cultivation of chernozem typical in the northeastern region of the Central Chernozem region

The research was carried out with the aim of solving the problem of optimizing the system of basic tillage, providing a reduction in energy costs, obtaining high crop productivity and profitability of production in a grain-fallow crop rotation in the conditions of the northeast of the Central Chernozem Region. The work was carried out in 2013-2021, in a stationary field experiment on a typical heavy loamy chernozem with a high supply of mineral nutrients with a humus content in the arable layer of 6.8-7.0%. The scheme of the experiment included the following options for the main tillage systems: traditional mid-depth moldboard, for soybean at 25-27 cm (control); resource-saving: surface (disking by 10-12 cm) for all crops and non-moldboard mid-depth, 25-27 cm for soybeans and 20-22 cm for cereals; combined: moldboard-less plowing (25% plowing for soybeans + 75% non-moldboard semi-deep plowing for cereals) and moldboard-surface (25% plowing for soybeans + 75% surface plowing for cereals). Against the background of treatments for crop rotation, fertilizers and plant protection products were used. It was found that resource-saving non-moldboard and combined tillage for sowing, on average, for crop rotation crops, accumulated more moisture in the arable layer by 12.1-13.8%, by 3.9-7.8% in the meter layer, compared with traditional moldboard cultivation. . Surface tillage reduced the reserve of productive moisture in the arable layer by 4.4%, in the meter layer - by 5.1%. It has been studied that the best nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium regimes are established with traditional dump and combined dump-surface treatments. In the variants with surface and non-moldboard tillage, a decrease in the content of mineral nutrition elements in the arable soil layer is noted. At the same time, there was an increase in the process of differentiation of the arable layer by fertility with a concentration of nutrients in the layer of 0-10 cm and a significant decrease in them in the layer of 20-30 cm. 2.1 times without herbicides, 2.2 times against the background of herbicide treatment, in terms of the number of weeds and 1.4 and 1.5 times in terms of their mass, in comparison with traditional moldboard treatment. The use of herbicides contributed to a decrease in the number of weeds and the mass of the weed component on average for the variants of the experiment by 55.4 and 60.0%, respectively. It was analyzed that the use of surface and non-moldboard tillage systems led to a decrease in the productivity of a hectare of arable land in crop rotation by 0.09 tons of grain units without protection and by 0.11-0.14 tons in combination with plant protection. The combined (dump-surface) system of tillage ensured the productivity of arable land at the level of the traditional dump system at different depths. It has been proved that the highest profitability of production in crop rotation (250.3%) was achieved using a combined (dump-surface) tillage system in combination with the use of complex protection products (seed dressing + pesticides for crop vegetation). Resource-saving processing systems (surface and non-moldboard) worsened economic performance. Income from the use of these tillage systems decreased by 4.8-5.5%, profitability decreased by 1.6-2.7% compared to the traditional mid-depth moldboard tillage system in crop rotation.

Crop residue grazing and tillage systems effects on soil physical properties and corn (Zea mays L.) performance

Abstract Crop-livestock systems under no till (NT) could negatively affect soil physical prop-erties and crop performance, due to the additive effects of reduced soil cover and cattle trampling due to livestock grazing, and the absence of tillage. We evaluated the effects of four grazing strategies and of a shallow tillage (ST) on soil physical properties and corn (Zea mays L.) performance for a mollisol after 15 years under crop-livestock systems under NT in Argentina. Grazing strategies evaluated were: closure (C), one grazing (OG), high stocking rate (HR) and farmer’s management (FM), and the tillage systems were: NT and ST. Bulk density (BD), penetration re-sistance (PR), hydraulic conductivity ( k s ), plant population, surface root distribution, aboveground dry matter accumulation, aboveground total N (TN) accumulation and corn yield were evaluated. High stocking rate and FM increased RP. On the other hand, ST decreased PR and BD and increased k s . Corn yield was higher under ST than under NT, and under HR than under the other grazing strategies. Total N ac-cumulation was higher under HR than under the rest of grazing strategies. Rational grazing management and use of tillage systems on resilient soils could have pre-vented soil physical properties be affected beyond critical thresholds.

Summer survival of arbuscular mycorrhiza extraradical mycelium and the potential for its management through tillage options in Mediterranean cropping systems

AbstractThe potential to manage arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization within Mediterranean agricultural systems depends on the summer survival of extraradical mycelium. To investigate this further a three‐stage experiment was undertaken. The first stage was the creation of two contrasting levels of extraradical mycelium development, achieved by two contrasting levels of soil disturbance (typifying full tillage and no‐till). In the second stage, this differential mycelial inoculum was subjected to Mediterranean summer temperature and soil water regimes representing the post‐harvest fallow. During the third stage, corresponding to the next growing season, survival was evaluated without further soil disturbance (typifying no‐till conditions) using wheat as host crop. The results clearly indicate that the extraradical mycelium survived the prevailing summer conditions. The knowledge that extraradical mycelium can survive the Mediterranean summer encourages the use of tillage systems that minimize mechanical disturbance of the soil, such as no‐till. The results from this study suggest that by making the appropriate choice of crops to establish a mycorrhizal‐supportive rotation there can be opportunities for agro‐ecosystem management to benefit from the symbiotic relationship.

Efeitos dos sistemas de manejo sobre o carbono orgânico total e carbono residual de um latossolo vermelho eutroférrico

The soil degradation is related to inadequate use of tillage systems, which result in decrease of organic matter content, chemical fertility and physical attributes. The no-tillage system is effective in protection of the soil surface. This study aimed to evaluate the carbon content of the oxissol under conventional tillage, no-tillage and pasture systems, using a secondary forest in regeneration as reference. As smaller the mobilization and larger the maintenance in soil of the vegetable residue, larger were the content of organic carbon and of residual carbon.