Application of Unconventional Tillage Systems to Maize Cultivation and Measures for Rational Use of Agricultural Lands

Felicia Chețan, Teodor Rusu (), Cornel Chețan, Alina Șimon, Ana-Maria Vălean (), Adrian Ovidiu Ceclan, Marius Bărdaș and Adina Tărău
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Felicia Chețan: Agricultural Research and Development Station Turda, Agriculturii Street 27, 401100 Turda, Romania
Teodor Rusu: Department of Technical and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Mănăstur Street 3–5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Cornel Chețan: Agricultural Research and Development Station Turda, Agriculturii Street 27, 401100 Turda, Romania
Alina Șimon: Agricultural Research and Development Station Turda, Agriculturii Street 27, 401100 Turda, Romania
Ana-Maria Vălean: Agricultural Research and Development Station Turda, Agriculturii Street 27, 401100 Turda, Romania
Adrian Ovidiu Ceclan: Agricultural Research and Development Station Turda, Agriculturii Street 27, 401100 Turda, Romania
Marius Bărdaș: Agricultural Research and Development Station Turda, Agriculturii Street 27, 401100 Turda, Romania
Adina Tărău: Agricultural Research and Development Station Turda, Agriculturii Street 27, 401100 Turda, Romania

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: Maize ( Zea mays L.) is one of the main agricultural crops grown worldwide under very diverse climate and soil conditions. For maize cultivation in a conventional tillage system, autumn plowing is a mandatory condition. Minimum soil tillage or no tillage has been applied in recent years, both in research and in production, for reasons relating to soil conservation and fuel economy. This paper presents the results of the research executed under pedoclimatic conditions at the Agricultural Research and Development Station Turda (ARDS Turda, Romania; chernozem soil) regarding the behavior of the maize hybrid Turda 332 cultivated in four tillage systems and two levels of fertilization during the period of 2016–2022. The following soil tillage systems were applied: a conventional tillage system (CT) and unconventional tillage systems in three variants—a minimum tillage system with a chisel (MTC), a minimum tillage system with a disk (MTD), and a no-tillage system (NT). They were applied with two levels of fertilization: basic fertilization (350 kg ha −1 NPK 16:16:16, applied at sowing) and optimized fertilization (350 kg ha −1 NPK 16:16:16 applied at sowing + 150 kg ha −1 calcium ammonium nitrate with additional fertilization in the phenophase of the maize with 6–7 leaves). The results highlight the fact that under the conditions of chernozem soils with a high clay content (41% clay content), maize does not lend itself to cultivation in MTD and NT, requiring deeper mobilization, with the yield data confirming this fact. This is because under the agrotechnical conditions for sowing carried out in MTD and NT, the seeder used (Maschio Gaspardo MT 6R) does not allow for the high-quality sowing of maize, especially under dry soil conditions. Instead, the MTC system could be an alternative to the conventional tillage system, with the yield difference being below 100 kg ha −1 .

Keywords: minimum tillage; no tillage; fertilization; chernozem; maize; yield (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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