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vol. 7, nr. 4 (2006)
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Effect of pre-winter soil tillage and cover crop mulches on water retention, compaction and differential porosity of soil after winter time
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Tadeusz Kęsik, Mirosław Konopiński, Marzena Błażewicz-Woźniak
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Department of Soil Cultivation and Fertilization of Horticultural Plants, Agricultural University, ul. Leszczyńskiego 58, 20-068 Lublin |
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vol. 7 (2006), nr. 4,
pp. 915-926
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abstract:
Field experiments were carried out on grey-brown podzolic soil in the years 2004-2005. Three methods of pre-winter soil tillage: 1) ploughing without mulching, 2) mulching before winter, and 3) mulching, without pre-winter soil tillage, were investigated. After settlement of soil during the winter and before the beginning of spring pre-sowing soil cultivation, the soil moisture, field water capacity (pF 2.2), water resources: available water (pF 2.2-4.2), easily accessible water (pF 2.2-3), water resources at the stable wilting point (pF 4.2), bulk density of soil, total porosity, macropores volume (Ø >30μm), mesopores (Ø 30-0,2μm), micropores (Ø <0,2μm) in soil layers 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm were determined. In spring, the soil moisture was the highest in the objects with plant mulches, without pre-winter soil tillage. A favourable effect of pre-winter ploughing on water management in comparison with disk harrow was noticed. The effect of soil cultivation method on changes of field water capacity and available water for plants was not significant. Pre-winter ploughing in comparison with disk harrow cultivation and mulching without soil tillage had a favourable influence on water resources of easily accessible water for plants. Decrease of soil compaction in the cultivated layer under plant mulches was observed.
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keywords:
pre-winter soil tillage, plant mulches, water retention, soil compaction, differential porosity
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original in:
Polish
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