Long-term impact of reduced intensity tillage systems, straw and green manure combinations on soil properties

Abstract

Since 1999, a long-term field experiment has been carried out at the Experimental of Aleksandras Stulginskis University at 54°52'50 N latitude and 23°49'41 E de. The soil of the experiment site is Epieutric Endocalcaric Endogleyic )l (Endoclayic, Aric, Drainic, Humic, Episiltic) according to WRB (2014), at 0-20 cm depth is silty medium loam (33.7% sand, 50.3% silt, 16.0% clay), 40 cm depth - silty light loam (35.4% sand, 51.1% silt, 13.5% clay). The ve of our investigations was to assess the long-term impact of reduced intensity systems, straw and green manure combinations on soil physical properties and productivity. The soil samples have been analysed in the Agro-biological laboratory of mdras Stulginskis University. Long-term application of reduced tillage results in ificant increase in soil penetration and soil shear resistance. The lesser the tillage depth the higher the soil penetration and soil shear resistance. The effect of plant le spreading is lower. Long-term tillage of different intensities and plant residue ding as well as catch crop cultivation for green manure did not have significant t on soil structure. Meanwhile, soil structural stability was highly dependent on illage. Shallow rotovating before sowing increased soil structural stability by up 8 times, incorporation of green manure of white mustard into the soil by a rotovator before sowing increased it by up to 2.0 times and direct drilling by up to 1.9 s. compared with deep ploughing.