Perforation of the lower topsoil and the upper subsoil in a beet-cereal crop rotation after 24 years of tillage with and without plowing with and without green manure
When plowing, there is a risk that over time a compacted, poorly perforated plow pan will form directly under the plowing horizon (crumb base) at a depth of 30 to 35 cm. However, shallow tillage is not without its problems either. The weight of heavy machinery, especially if the soil is too moist, can compact the deeper layer of topsoil at a depth of 20 to 30 cm (deep topsoil) over time. Using double-ring infiltrometers, the perforation of the deep topsoil and the crumb base was investigated in a long-term tillage experiment with and without green manure. In the long term, plowing was by no means detrimental to soil perforation. However, regular intercropping with yellow mustard was beneficial in the long term. In regenerative agriculture, particular attention should therefore be paid to the cultivation of catch crops with allorhizal root systems (instead of plowless tillage), as these significantly improve soil perforation
