Die Bodenkultur - Journal for Land Management, Food and Environment

P. LIEBHARD:

Influence of primary tillage on texture and organic matter (part 1)

Summary

Criteria of soil fertility of a deep medium-heavy loose-sedimentary brown calcium-free soil in semihumid climate ("Alpenvorland") were investigated. Data were collected from a long-term primary tillage experiment - which was carried out with a constant crop rotation - for plant growth, above-ground biomass and yield. The following results are presented in this contribution: The results confirmed the data given in the literature about the stability of the major mineral soil fractions from 0.002 to 2.0 mm: also their distribution in the root development region despite the tillage systems applied. On the other hand both cultivation methods and cultivation depth influenced humification. The existing humus content of about 1.95 % could be maintained by ploughing in the total crop residues every year (normal local tillage). Non-turning methods resulted in a significant increase of the content of organic matter (up to 2.3 to 2.6 % on plots treated with the field cultivator and up to 2.9 % after cultivation with the rotary tiller). The humus content decreased with increasing ploughing depth. Key-words: Primary tillage, texture, organic matter.