Effect of Tillage System and Soil Conditioner Application on Soybean (Glycine Max (L.) Merrill.) and Its Crop Management Economic Indicators

Abstract

Effect of tillage system and soil conditioner application on soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill.) and its crop management economic indicators. Agriculture (Poľnohospodárstvo), vol. 60, 2014, no. 2, pp. 60-69. Ing. Ladislav Kováč, PhD. (*Corresponding author), National Agricultural and Food Centre, Research Institute of Agroecology, 071 01 Michalovce, Špitálska 1273, Slovak Republic. E-mail: kovac@minet.sk Key words: soybean, fertilisation, soil tillage, costs, economic effectiveness 60 Agriculture (Poľnohospodárstvo), 60, 2014 (2): 60−69 DOI: 10.2478DOI: 10. /agri-2014 Experiments with soybean on heavy soils of East Slovak Lowlands were established in the years 2010-2012. The effect of mineral fertilisers and soil conditioner application on soybean's yield using three tillage systems (minimum tillage (MT), conventional tillage (CT) and no tillage (NT)) was studied. Production costs and economic efficiency of crop management practices were evaluated. The influence of production year on soybean crop was significant in the order of 2011, 2010 and 2012. Statistical evaluation confirmed that the effects of CT and MT systems were more significant compared with NT system. No significant differences were found between the variants of the mineral fertiliser and conditioner application. Differences in the total cost of soybean cultivation, as measured between years, were not significant. Fertilisation variants with application of HUMAC agro and NPK generated the highest costs. On the other hand, the lowest costs were achieved at fertilisation variants with application of NPK alone. Comparing tillage variants, the CT system had the highest costs each year. Significant savings were achieved on MT and NT variants. During the experimental period, a profit was reached on all variants. Applying NPK alone, the highest profit was achieved in 2010 and 2012 using MT system and in 2011 with CT tillage. The variant b 2 with PRP sol in the years 2010 and 2011 was the most profitable using NT system and in 2012 using MT. Variant with HUMAC agro was the most profitable in each year using MT. The lowest income threshold for zero profitability was calculated in 2012. Using CT farming techniques at NPK fertilisation variant b 1 in 2012, the income threshold was 1.85 t/ha, at variant b 2 PRP sol it was 2.10 t/ha and at variant b 3 HUMAC agro it was 2.42 t/ha. At MT and NT systems, the income threshold values for zero profitability were lower.Soybean cultivation requires suitable growing conditions. Yield and quality parameters of soybean are affected by many factors, but the appropriate interaction of soil and climatic factors that already exist at the regional level (Anthony et al. 2012), is essential.Soybean, as reported by Šariková and Fecák (2007), is sensitive to incorrect and inconsistent essential tillage. Neglected and poorly made essential tillage makes stand establishment harder and increases the risk of its cultivation. Quality essential tillage is also an arrangement that can substantially eliminate the negative impact of suc...

The Effects of Management (Tillage, Fertilization, Plant Density) on Soybean Yield and Quality in a Three-Year Experiment under Transylvanian Plain Climate Conditions

“…The evolution of soybean production in Transylvania has been directly influenced by annual climate variations in the research area. The same conclusion has been reported by studies on other areas where soybean is cultivated [19].…”

“…Similar to our results of favorable ecological conditions for soybean production, a study Turkey by [45] determined that the highest yield from a conventional system (2036 kg ha −1 ) was comparable to the yield with reduced tillage (2015 kg ha −1 ) with a difference of only 21 kg ha −1 , and a low yield with a no tillage system (1881 kg ha −1 ). Similar results were obtained by a study from 2010 to 2012 with soybeans on heavy soil (the content of clay more than 53%) in East Slovakia [19]. They studied the effect of three tillage systems (conventional, minimum tillage, and no tillage) and reported that the higher yields were achieved with conventional and minimum tillage variants, with no significant difference in the yield between these variants, but the soybean yield in the no tillage variant was significantly lower.…”

“…With respect to the percentage of fiber (Table 8), higher values were recorded with the CS and a sowing density of 55 gg m −2 and two fertilizations (8.09 g kg −1 DM), as well as with the minimum tillage system and the same level of fertilization, but a sowing density of 65 gg m −2 (8.03 g kg −1 DM). The results by [19] indicated that N fertilization would not be an effective means of altering protein and fat concentrations of soybean in Alabama.…”

Potential Impact of Biostimulator NeOsol and Three Different Manure Types on Physical Soil Properties and Crop Status in Heavy Soils Conditions

“…PRP SOL can also replace the inorganic fertilizing of spring barley with phosphorus and potassium without grain yield losses [51]. Another study [52] of a two-year soybean experiment did not show any statistically significant increase in yields when using the SOL activator. Conversely, PRP SOL in combination with urea was found to have a positive effect in terms of increased soybean yield [19].…”

Effect of soil moisture during stratification on dormancy release in seeds of five common weed species

“…Under field conditions, soil moisture content during winter may vary in time and space depending on rainfall amount, microtopography (Bo et al ., ), soil depth (Qiu et al ., ), tillage (Kováč et al ., ) and irrigation management (Kang et al., ). Moreover, climate change also may alter soil moisture conditions, thus affecting seed dormancy release and consequently seedling recruitment and community composition (Walck et al ., ).…”