The Effects of Tillage-Induced Soil Disturbanceon Soil Quality

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to investigate the tillage-induced changes in soils in 2010-2017, and rank tillage management in the present climate situation. The study was carried out on Chernozems, where five ploughless tillage treatments – loosening (L), tine tillage (a deeper T, and a shallower, ST), disk tillage (D) and direct drilling (DD) – were compared with ploughing (P). Soil condition was evaluated in accordance with the crumb ratio, the soil moisture range for workability, the extension of compacted tillage pan, the crust formation and number of earthworms. The higher ratio of crumbs was found at the treatments where cover ratio reached at least 20% after sowing (at T, ST, and DD). Significant differences were found between soil moisture ranges for the workability of different tillage operations (p<0.05). The T treatment proved to be an adaptable solution to the extreme soil moisture contents. Extension of the compacted pan was moderated under ST, T and L. The crust occurrence was lower under ST, T and DD with residue cover. DD, ST and T had a significantly higher number of earthworms compared to other treatments. Soil condition ranking revealed the suitability of the tillage managements for alleviating the farming and the climate hazards.