The impact of reduced tillage on some chemical properties of a clay loamy soil

Abstract

The quality, productivity and sustainability of soil as well as other terrestrial ecosystem renewable components is determined by the ability to accumulate organic matter. The aim of work is to evaluate the long-term effect of reduced tillage and its combinations with practices for soil improvement on soil organic carbon and macronutrients in different soil layers. The research was carried out in 2016-2017 at the Joniskelis Experimental Station of LRCAF on a clay loam. The following tillage systems were investigated: deep ploughing (DP) shallow ploughing (SP), ploughless tillage (PT), ploughless tillage with lime sludge (PT+LS), ploughless tillage with green manure (PT+GM) and mulch without autumn tillage (NT+WM). The content of SOC, total N, P and K were measured in the soil samples, collected from 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm layers. Compared to DP, the applied reduced tillage systems have led to an increase SOC and Ntot content in the 0-10 cm layer, but these decreased in deeper layers. Total and plant available P, plant available K also increased in the 0-10 cm layer due to additional improvement measures. The stratification of SOC and macronutrients was the least under DP.