Efficiency of basic tillage systems in the cultivation of barley

Abstract

The effectiveness of long-term use of various basic tillage systems of dark grey forest soil in the conditions of the Northern Trans-Urals was established. Their impact on the efficiency of barley cultivation depending on the grain (spring wheat) or legume forecrop (vetch for grain) was determined. The research was carried out in a stationary experiment covering moldboard, nonmoldboard, combined, differentiated, stubble-mulch and surface systems of basic soil tillage. The experiments took place during the third–sixth rotations (1996–2018) of two grain-fallow crop rotations spread in time and space. The first crop rotation was: bare fallow – winter rye – spring wheat – spring vetch – spring barley, the second crop rotation: bare fallow – winter rye – spring wheat – spring wheat – spring barley. When cultivating barley following the legume forecrop (spring vetch), it was economically feasible to use basic tillage systems with the elements of minimization. It included non-moldboard and combined tillage with subsurface loosening by a plow with SibIME tines to a depth of 20-22 cm differentiated with stubble-mulch at 12-14 cm and disk harrowing at 10- 12 cm. These methods provided conditions for the formation of productivity close to the moldboard system and practically the same yield of barley, net income and energy efficiency coefficient. Without fertilizers, the yield was 2.97-3.03 t/ha, with the use of N40P40P40 it was 3.47-3.65 t/ha. When planting barley following wheat sown twice, the most effective was moldboard tillage system with a net income of 14.67 thousand rubles/ha without fertilizers and 22.75 thousand rubles/ha with fertilizers and energy coefficient of 2.65 and 2.75. The use of resource-saving tillage methods with repeated wheat led to a decrease in the yield of barley grain by 0.09–0.40 t/ha, and a decrease in the net income of barley cultivation compared to the legume forecrop by 31.0–44.1%.