Implications of minimum tillage systems on sustainability of agricultural production and soil conservation

Author: Teodor Rusu ^*, Petru Gus, Ileana Bogdan, Paula Ioana Moraru, Adrian Ioan Pop, Doina Clapa, Doru Ioan Marin, Ioan Oroian and Lavinia Ioana Pop

Received 22 January 2009, accepted 9 April 2009.

Abstract

The minimum tillage soil systems – paraplow, chisel or rotary grape – are polyvalent alternatives for basic preparation, germination bed preparation and sowing, for fields and crops with moderate loose requirements being optimized technologies for soil natural fertility activation and rationalization, reduction of erosion, increasing the accumulation capacity for water and realization of sowing in the optimal period. By continuously applying for 4 years the minimum tillage system in a crop rotation: corn – soybean – wheat – potato/rape, an improvement in physical, hydro-physical and biological properties of soil was observed, together with the rebuilt of structure and increase of water permeability of soil. The minimum tillage systems ensure an adequate aerial-hydrical regime for the biological activity intensity and for the nutrients solubility equilibrium. The plant material remaining at the soil surface or superficially incorporated has its contribution to intensifying the biological activity, being an important resource of organic matter. The minimum tillage systems rebuild the soil structure, improving the global drainage of soil which allows a rapid infiltration of water in soil. The result is a more productive soil, better protected against wind and water erosion and needing less fuel for preparing the germination bed. The yields obtained by applying the minimum tillage systems show very differentiated results, choosing the working variant being related to the cultivated plant thus, compared to the conventional tillage variant, the yields obtained in the minimum tillage variants represented: 92.1-97.9% in corn, 96.4-101.6% in soybean, 95.1-98.2% in wheat, 82.4-93.4% in potato and 94.8-97.8% in the rape crop.

Key words: minimum tillage, agricultural production, soil conservation.