EFFECT OF CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE ON YIELD AND PROTECTING ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES

Abstract

Conservative soil tillage (minimum tillage and no-tillage) are considered among the most important components of conservation agriculture. Their research and extension was imposed especially in hilly areas with specific problems of desertification (erosion, drought) as bioremedial measures. Our research follows the effects of the three tillage systems: conventional systems, minimum tillage and no-tillage on soil properties (bulk density, penetration resistance, temperature and moisture, soil respiration) and on the production of wheat, maize and soybean, obtained on an Argic Faeoziom from the Somes Plateau. Average soil bulk density grows, compared to the conventional system (1.20-1.24 g/cm3 ), in all variants with minimum tillage (1.22-1.32 g/cm3 ); the highest growth is recorded at no-tillage, being 1.35- 1.38 g/cm3 with statistically significant positive differences. Soil moisture increases in all variants with minimum and no-tillage with different percentages, ranging from 1-15% v/v, compared to the conventional system. This is also reflected in the values of resistance to penetration. Tillage appeared to affect the timing rather than the total amount of CO2 production: the daily average is lower at no-tillage (315-1914 mmoles m-2s -1), followed by minimum tillage (318- 2395 mmoles m-2s -1) and is higher in the conventional system (321-2480 mmoles m-2s -1). Productions obtained at minimum tillage and no-tillage did not have significant differences for the wheat culture but were higher for soybean. The differences in crop yields were recorded at maize and can be a direct consequence of loosening, mineralization and intensive mobilization of soil fertility.

Keywords

• minimum tillage
• no-tillage
• soil conservation
• crop production