Yields of major grain crops depending on tillage system in semi-arid agroecological zone

Abstract

Pavlo Lykhovyd*, Viktor Chaban, Oleksandr Averchev, Dmytro Maksymov, Oleksandr Rudik, Iryna Biliaieva, Mariia Nikitenko, Halyna Yevtushenko and Vasyl Kokoiko

No-till is a new trend in modern agriculture. As far as most farmers and researchers believe that no-till farming provides benefits both for sustainability of agroecosystems, climate change mitigation and economics of crop production, mass transfer to zero tillage is observed worldwide. However, it is quite debatable that no-till is always beneficial for the yields of crops. The main goal of this study is to establish the direction and strength of short and long-term no-till influence on the yields of major grain crops, cultivated in the south of Ukraine, namely, winter wheat, winter barley, and soybeans, within the irrigated short grain crop rotation. The study was carried out on dark-chestnut and chernozem soils within the semi-arid cold climate zone. Short- and long-term no-till effects on the yields of the mentioned crops were evaluated through direct harvesting and standardization of grain yields to basic conditions. It was established that conventional differentiated tillage provided higher yields of winter barley and soybean with the peak values 6.06 and 3.77 t/ha, respectively. No-till is effective mainly in the long run, and only under the use of green manure intercropping. The best yields of winter wheat were harvested under continuous no-till on the background of phacelia intercropping -7.02 t/ha. Regression analysis revealed that fertilization system is of greater influence and importance for yield formation of studied crops (R=0.77-0.86), while tillage plays less role or even becomes insignificant in some cases (R=0.31-0.32). Introduction of no-till in short grain crop rotations provides long-term benefits for winter wheat, while other crops demonstrate negative reaction. Green manure intercropping is of great importance to increase crop production efficiency at both conventional and no-till systems of agriculture.