AGRONOMIJAS VĒSTIS - Latvijas Lauksaimniecības universitāte

AGRONOMIJAS VĒSTIS (Latvian Journal of Agronomy), No.10, LLU, 2008In years with a great amount of precipitation additional expenses for soil tillage created profitfrom additionally obtained production but in very dry years the advantage went to reduced soiltillage.The highest factor on changes for expenses of soil tillage was fuel consumption.References1. Cannel R. (1985) Reduced tillage in north - west Europe - a review. Soil Tillage Res., 129 – 177.2. Finney J. R., Knight B. A. (1973) The effect of soil physical conditions produced by various cultivationsystems on the root development of winter wheat. J. agric.Sci. Comb., 435 – 442.3. Ellis F., Hause K. (1980) Effects of cultivation on the distribution of nutrients in the soil and the uptakeof nitrogen and phosphorus by spring barley and winter wheat on three soil types. Soil Tillage Res., 115 –130.4. Lutch M., Vaidyanathan L. (1983) N – use by winter wheat established in cultivated and direct drilledsoils. J. agric.Sci. Comb., 461 – 471.5. Romaneckas K. (1999) The influence of minimal presowing soil tillage methods on agrophisical soilproperties, sugar beet seeds germination and mass of seedlings. In: Agroecological optimisation technologies.Proceedings of international scientific conference, - Jelgava, 150 – 154.6. Satkus A. (2000) The effect of soil tillage on spring barley seedbed preparation on clay loam soil.Summary of doctoral thesis. Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture, 2000, 24 – 28.7. Simanskaite D. (2000) Effectiveness of the use of chisel cultivator KČ – 5.1 in a crop rotation on lightloamy soil. In: The results of long term Field Experiments in Baltic States, Jelgava, 147 – 153.APPLICABILITY OF VARIOUS AMENDMENTS TO IMPROVE CLAYEY SOILPROPERTIES UNDER REDUCED TILLAGE MANAGEMENT IN NORTHERNLITHUANIAVelykis A., Satkus A.Joniskelis Experimental Station of the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture, Joniskelis, Pasvalys District,Lithuania, LT-39301, phone: +370 451 38280, e-mail: joniskelio_lzi@post.omnitel.netAbstractExperiments to improve the physical properties of clayey soil were carried out at theJoniskelis Experimental Station of the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture over the period 1997-2003 on a glacial lacustrine clay loam on silty clay soil. Amendments for soil improvement:farmyard manure – 60 t ha -1 , green manure – 27 t ha -1 and lime-mud – 10 t ha -1 incorporated by amoldboard and segment plought at 0.25 and 0.40 m depths, respectively, also different primary soiltillage methods (moldboard ploughing at 0.25 m and ploughless loosening at 0.25 and 0.15 mdepths) were investigated. The incorporation of amendments resulted in the decrease of soil bulkdensity, the improvement of soil aeration and water conductivity. With the incorporation ofamendments by a segment plough at 0.40 m depth, subsoil physical properties improved. Limemudwas more effective for subsoil improvement. However, segment ploughing resulted in aworsening of topsoil properties due to the mixing of the subsoil layer with topsoil. Reducedploughless tillage increased the decrease of soil porosity, worsening the soil structure and seedbedquality. Incorporation of amendments, especially farmyard manure, helps to avoid or lessens thenegative effect of reduced tillage on the clayey soil‘s physical condition and and helps to controlthe decrease of spring crop yield.Key wordsClay loam, amendments, reduced tillage, soil physical properties, crop yield.IntroductionThe application of new technological principles in soil tillage, the use of economicallymore efficient but heavier tractors and agricultural machinery raise higher requirements physical73