Soil properties and yields of winter wheat after long-term growing of this crop in two contrasting rotations

Abstract

This study was based on a long-term field experiment established in 1967 in which winter wheat is grown in two rotations consisting of: potato-winter wheat-fodder crops-winter wheat (rotation A) and oat-winter wheat-winter rye-winter wheat (rotation B). In the years 2010–2013 selected soil properties and winter wheat yields as influenced by these rotations were analysed. The soils under winter wheat grown in crop rotations A and B contained similar amounts of total organic carbon (C) (0.76% and 0.80%, respectively) and did not differ significantly with respect to biological characteristics (contents of microbial biomass C and nitrogen (N), dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase activities). Averaged for 3 years, the highest grain yields were obtained for winter wheat grown after potato in rotation A (7.94 t/ha) and the lowest (6.0 t/ha) for wheat following winter rye in rotation B. The highest take-all index and the lowest numbers of ears/m2 were the main factors influencing poor performance of winter wheat following rye.