Mineral Composition of Soil and the Wheat Grain in Intensive and Conservation Cropping Systems

Abstract

Tillage methods and intensity can be used as means of improving macronutrient and trace element concentration in soil and crops. A two-year field experiment was conducted to examine the impact of two cropping systems—intensive (ICS) and conservation (CCS), on the macro- and microelements in the soil and their accumulation in the grain of two cultivars of winter wheat. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications of each tillage treatment. The results showed that the content of available N (0.7 kg ha−1) and organic matter (0.04%) slightly increased in CCS compared to ICS. The concentrations of Ca, K, and S macroelements and microelements such as Ba, Cr, Hg, and Sr in the soil were significantly higher in CCS than in ICS. Higher concentrations of macroelements K and P, microelements such as Fe, Zn, and As, and the greater value of the bioaccumulation factor for elements essential to humans such as P, Cu, Fe, and Zn, were also found in CCS compared to ICS. On the other hand, wheat cultivars grown in ICS were more efficient at accumulating macroelements and some trace elements than ones grown in CCS. While it is not without challenges, the conservation cropping system could represent an important part of the long-term strategy to sustainably improve soil fertility and the nutritional quality of the wheat grain.