The comparison of soil organic matter balance with methods by Eich and Kundler, and Heyland

Abstract

Podstawowym warunkiem uzyskania stabilnych i zadowalających plonów jest utrzymanie właściwego bilansu materii organicznej w glebie. Najprościej i najtaniej, a jednocześnie precyzyjnie możemy go określić, stosując metody Eicha i Kundlera lub Heylanda. Celem badań było oznaczenie wpływu stałego wprowadzania plonów ubocznych wszystkich roślin uprawnych w zmianowaniu (burak cukrowy – pszenica jara – jęczmień jary) i międzyplonów ścierniskowych na bilans substancji organicznej w glebie. Do analizy wykorzystano metody Eicha i Kundlera oraz Heylanda. Bilans przeprowadzono dla czterech systemów uprawy, często stosowanych w praktyce rolniczej w gospodarstwach Dolnego Śląska. Mimo różnych kryteriów oceny zawartości substancji organicznej w glebie, obie metody okazały się pomocne przy optymalizacji sposobu gospodarowania. Najprostszym sposobem poprawy bilansu materii organicznej w glebie jest nawożenie naturalne i/lub organiczne oraz zredukowanie intensywności uprawy roli.The basic condition for a stable and satisfactory yields is to maintain the proper balance of soil organic matter. SOM forms the physical, chemical, biological and phytosanitary soil properties, make the tillage easier to do, reduces the process of erosion as well as stabilizes crop yielding. The content of soil organic matter depends on environmental and anthropogenic factors such crop rotation, natural and organic fertilization and intensity of tillage. The balance of organic matter in our soil often declines because of common implementation of cereal monoculture and specialist crop rotation into agricultural practice and due to reduction of natural fertilization as a result of decrease in livestock population and the method of their breeding. The monitoring of humus content in soils is the basic element of the program to improve the environmental soil properties. The chemical analysis of the humus content in soil is one of expensive method and it is rarely used by farmers. Instead of that one may use the simple and no outlay method by Eich and Kundler or Heyland. If in the farm the balance of soil organic matter is negative one should change the method of management. The manure or other organic fertilizers should be applied. In the farms with no livestock cover crops and by-products of previous crops should be used (straw, sugar beet leaves, composts). The reduction in frequency of tillage as well as its depth will also favorably affect the soil humus content. The aim of the study was to compare the balance of soil organic matter in four varying cultivation systems diversed as tillage, the method of by-product management and fertilization with stubble catch crop are concerned. In paper the methods by Eich and Kundler and Heyland were used. They let to assess in simple and fast way if soil organic matter in particular crop rotation is declined or reproduced. In spite of the different criteria of assessment of soil organic matter, both methods turned out to be useful for the optimization of management. In short cereal crop rotation with no manure one should cultivate cover crops and leave by-products in the field to rebuild the organic matter in soil. If it will be not apply in crop rotation, the soil will degrade in short time as indicated the negative balance of crop rotation in which the by-products of previous crops were removed from the field and the tillage was traditional