Minimization of tillage for row crops and their productivity

Abstract

The experiments were carried out in the southern part of the Rostov region in 2007-2015 on usual heavy loam chernozem. Three methods were used: moulded ploughing on 20-25 cm with plow PN-5-35; unmoulded ploughing on 20-25 cm with unit KAO-2; surface ploughing on 8-12 cm with disker AG-2.4. It was revealed that a long-term surface tillage resulted in the increase of soil density. At the beginning of the crop rotation the soil density was 1.21 g/cm3 in the layer of 10-20 cm and 20-30 cm after surface tillage, but it was 1.07 and 1.14 g/cm3 respectively after plowing. To the end of the crop rotation the soil density was 1.11-1.09 g/cm3 after deep tillage and 1.31-1.32 g/cm3 in the layer of 10-20 cm and 20-30 cm after surface tillage. Height of sunflower plants was 1.35 m and diameter of a sunflower head was 128 mm after surface tillage; sunflower plant height was 1.39 m and diameter of a sunflower head was 149 mm after deep tillage (moldboard plowing). Height of maize plants was 2.15 m after moldboard plowing and 2.00 m after surface tillage. The productivity of sunflower was 1.64 t/ha after surface tillage and 1.88 t/ha after moldboard plowing. The productivity of maize after moldboard plowing was 5.35 t/ha on average in 2014-2015 and was only 4.06 after surface tillage that was on 1.29 t/ha less. The maximum average profitability of sunflower production was 148.9% after moldboard plowing that surpasses this index on 32.8% at a long-term surface tillage. The profitability of maize production was 175.1% after moldboard plowing and only 117.3% after surface tillage.

Keywords

• tillage
• soil density
• sunflower
• maize
• productivity
• economic efficiency