Spatial Distribution of Soil Macroelements, Their Uptake by Plants, and Green Pea Yield under Strip-Till Technology

Abstract

Using conservation tillage to grow crops that enhance soil quality, such as legumes, seems to be one of the best solutions for sustainable agriculture. The field study was conducted to identify the effect of soil cultivation technology and fertilization, via strip-tilling (reduced) vs. plowing (conventional), on the availability and uptake of NPK and Mg, as well as on the growth of shoots and roots and yield of green peas (Pisum sativum L.). The research was carried out in central Poland (53°05′16.8″ N, 19°06′14.4″ E) over two growing seasons of green peas in 2016 and 2017. Our study has shown that the spatial distribution of macroelements in the soil is influenced by the tillage method. The availability and nutrient uptake by green peas, their growth parameters, and yield were also influenced by the tillage system. However, the effect was observed mainly in the first year of the study, which had less precipitation and higher temperatures. In general, in our study, the strip-till has a positive impact on the nutrient uptake by plants, contributing to longer shoots and roots and higher biomass accumulation, especially in the first part of the growing season. In 2016, with less rainfall, green peas under strip-tilling produced more pods per plant and the yield was higher than under plowing (by 13.8%). In 2017, with higher precipitation, an increase in yield under strip-tilling compared to plowing was also observed (by 9.1%), but this difference was not statistically significant. To sum up, strip-tillage seems to have a positive impact on the spatial distribution of macroelements, growth parameters, and yield of green peas, and can be recommended as a technology for the sustainable production of this crop.