Impact of tillage systems on chemical, biochemical and biological composition of soil

The influence of reduced tillage (RT) on the biochemical properties of soil and crops has been studied thoroughly worldwide. In contrast, we lack regular results on long-term (more than 20 years) RT and especially no-till (NT) impact on the composition of soil and main crops in semi-humid subarctic climate of the Baltic States. For this reason, investigations were carried out at the Research Station of Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Lithuania, in 2009–2012. The aim was to investigate the influence of RT and NT on soil pH, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) concentrations, enzymatic activity and abundance of earthworms. This study comprised soils which were conventionally (CP) and shallowly (SP) ploughed, deeply chiselled (DC), shallowly disked (SC) and not tilled (NT). Primary tillage systems did not have significant impact on the soil pH or its P and K content but initiated the separation of soil layers into an upper one (0–15 cm), with a higher P and K status (55.5% P and 59.0% K of the total content), and a bottom one (15–25 cm), with lower concentrations of the elements (44.5 and 41.0%). Non-inversion tillage systems and NT raised the activity of soil enzymes such as saccharase by 32.2 to 60.8% and urease by 1.6- to 3.1-fold. The most marked rise in enzyme activity occurred in SC and NT soil. RT systems lead to an increase in the number and biomass of earthworms in the soil under wheat but the highest rise of the earthworm number and biomass was observed in NT plots, where the average count of earthworms doubled and their biomass increased by 3.7-fold compared with CP. In general, NT was the most efficient system in terms of the enrichment of soil biochemical properties

Phytomelioration of secondary saline irrigated lands of the southeast of Kazakhstan

eISSN 2518-1467The article describes phytomeliorative methods for increasing the productivity of saline irrigated lands by sowing phytomeliorants and treating seeds and spraying the above-ground part of crops with PA-2,1 (adaptogen) preparation. The results of observations of the growth and development of phytoemeliorants showed that phytoemeliorants intensively grew, developed and accumulated aboveground masses, especially on variants treated with adaptogen. The intensive growth and development of phytomeliorants contributed, at the end of the growing season, to a decrease in the salt content in the soil and an increase in the yield of soybeans, sorghum, and Sudan grass. The conducted economic calculations to determine the effectiveness of cultivation of phytomeliorants on degraded irrigated lands showed that cultivation of phytomeliorants on saline soils, along with a decrease in the content of salts in the soil, makes it possible to obtain net incomes with high profitability. The article presents the results of field research on the cultivation of basic and intermediate crops and the economic justification for obtaining two crops per yearVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Impact of tillage systems on chemical, biochemical and biological composition of soil

The influence of reduced tillage (RT) on the biochemical properties of soil and crops has been studied thoroughly worldwide. In contrast, we lack regular results on long-term (more than 20 years) RT and especially no-till (NT) impact on the composition of soil and main crops in semi-humid subarctic climate of the Baltic States. For this reason, investigations were carried out at the Research Station of Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Lithuania, in 2009–2012. The aim was to investigate the influence of RT and NT on soil pH, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) concentrations, enzymatic activity and abundance of earthworms. This study comprised soils which were conventionally (CP) and shallowly (SP) ploughed, deeply chiselled (DC), shallowly disked (SC) and not tilled (NT). Primary tillage systems did not have significant impact on the soil pH or its P and K content but initiated the separation of soil layers into an upper one (0–15 cm), with a higher P and K status (55.5% P and 59.0% K of the total content), and a bottom one (15–25 cm), with lower concentrations of the elements (44.5 and 41.0%). Non-inversion tillage systems and NT raised the activity of soil enzymes such as saccharase by 32.2 to 60.8% and urease by 1.6- to 3.1-fold. The most marked rise in enzyme activity occurred in SC and NT soil. RT systems lead to an increase in the number and biomass of earthworms in the soil under wheat but the highest rise of the earthworm number and biomass was observed in NT plots, where the average count of earthworms doubled and their biomass increased by 3.7-fold compared with CP. In general, NT was the most efficient system in terms of the enrichment of soil biochemical properties