Agrophysical indicators of ordinary chernozem depending on the methods of its tillage in the Northern Steppe of Ukraine

Abstract

Topicality. The spread of negative processes in the soil associated with the aggravation of the economic situation in modern Ukraine, the rapid rise in prices for equipment, fuels and lubricants, the replacement of energy-intensive traditional tillage systems with non-moldboard and other resource-saving ones, requires further and deeper research on their impact on her agrophysical indicators. Purpose. To study the influence of the primary tillage on the agrophysical indicators of ordinary chernozem in the link of the field grain-fallow-row crop rotation (winter wheat after maize of milk-wax ripeness - peas for grain - winter wheat) in the conditions of the Northern Steppe of Ukraine. Materials and Methods. Methods of primary tillage based on moldboard plowing and non-moldboard loosening against the background of moldboard plowing for corn were studied. In experimental studies, we used field, laboratory and statistical-mathematical methods. The agrophysical parameters of the soil were determined according to generally accepted methods. Results. No significant difference has been found in the influence of the primary tillage methods on the soil density in the 0–30 cm layer under the crops of the crop rotation link in spring and at their harvesting. In 2011 and 2012, there was a significant increase in the number of water-stable aggregates (over 0.25 mm) in the soil under non-moldboard tillage, compared with plowing, under all crops of the crop rotation link in the spring and during harvesting, mainly in the 0–10 and 10–20 cm layers. This was more often observed in the spring – on average for 2010–2012, the difference in this indicator in the soil layer of 0–30 cm for the crops of the crop rotation link was: winter wheat after maize of milk-wax ripeness – 1.9, peas – 4.4 and winter wheat after peas – 3.0 %, and on average for the crop rotation link – 3.1 It is established that moldboardless tillage contributes to a significant reduction in moisture consumption for unproductive evaporation in conditions of frequently repeated drought events. Conclusions. The studied methods of primary tillage of ordinary heavy loam chernozem equally affect the bulk density and do not cause deterioration of this indicator. The non-moldboard tillage improves the water resistance of the arable soil layer under crops in the crop rotation link and reduces moisture consumption for evaporation, compared to plowing. Key words: tillage, density, water resistance, productive moisture, winter wheat, peas