Comparing soil physical properties from continuous conventional tillage with long-term reduced tillage affected by one-time inversion (2017)
Kuhwald M., Blaschek M., Brunotte J., Duttmann R.
Soil Use and Management, 33 (4), 611-619
Abstract
In addition to various positive aspects, long-term reduced tillage may cause disadvantages such as increased weed pressure and soil compaction. Thus, single inversion tillage is customarily used for overcoming these drawbacks; however, the effects on the enhanced soil functions are unknown. The main objective of this study was therefore to assess whether improved soil physical properties following long-term reduced tillage remain after one-time inversion tillage by mouldboard plough. The study was undertaken on a silt loam field in Lower Saxony, Germany. Since 1996, this field has been subdivided into three treatments; one was managed conventionally using a mouldboard plough (CT), while on the others a chisel plough (RT1) and a disc harrow (RT2) were employed. In October 2014, the entire field was mouldboard ploughed. The following year, four field campaigns were conducted to compare the soil physical properties of the continuously conventional tilled plot with those affected by one-time inversion tillage (RT1 and RT2). Dry bulk density (DBD), saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) and infiltration rate [K(h)] were analysed in untrafficked and trafficked areas in each plot. There were clear differences between CT and RT. At all sampling dates, both RT plots had higher Ks and K(h) compared with CT. These differences also occurred to some extent on the trafficked areas. This suggests that improved soil hydraulic properties remained after one-time inversion tillage of a long-term reduced tilled field. Thus, one-time inversion tillage may offer a suitable measure for overcoming some of the main disadvantages associated with long-term reduced tillage, while preserving the positive effects on soil physical properties.
