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Effects of Reduced Tillage on Crop Yield, Plant Available Nutrients and Soil Organic Matter in a 12-Year Long-Term Trial under Organic Management

Author

Listed:
  • Sabine Zikeli

    (Institute of Crop Science, Coordination for Organic Farming and Consumer Protection (340d), University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart 70593, Germany)

  • Sabine Gruber

    (Institute of Crop Science, Agronomy (340a), University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart 70593, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Claus-Felix Teufel

    (Claus-Felix Teufel, Landratsamt Konstanz, Amt für Landwirtschaft Stockach, Winterspürer-Str. 25, Stockach 78333, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Karin Hartung

    (Institute of Crop Science, Bioinformatics (340c), University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart 70593, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Wilhelm Claupein

    (Institute of Crop Science, Agronomy (340a), University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart 70593, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

A field experiment was performed in Southwest Germany to examine the effects of long-term reduced tillage (2000–2012). Tillage treatments were deep moldboard plow: DP, 25 cm; double-layer plow; DLP, 15 + 10 cm, shallow moldboard plow: SP, 15 cm and chisel plow: CP, 15 cm, each of them with or without preceding stubble tillage. The mean yields of a typical eight-year crop rotation were 22% lower with CP compared to DP, and 3% lower with SP and DLP. Stubble tillage increased yields by 11% across all treatments. Soil nutrients were high with all tillage strategies and amounted for 34–57 mg kg −1 P and 48–113 mg kg −1 K (0–60 cm soil depth). Humus budgets showed a high carbon input via crops but this was not reflected in the actual C org content of the soil. C org decreased as soil depth increased from 13.7 g kg −1 (0–20 cm) to 4.3 g kg −1 (40–60 cm) across all treatments. After 12 years of experiment, SP and CP resulted in significantly higher C org content in 0–20 cm soil depth, compared to DP and DLP. Stubble tillage had no significant effect on C org . Stubble tillage combined with reduced primary tillage can sustain yield levels without compromising beneficial effects from reduced tillage on C org and available nutrient content.

Suggested Citation

  • Sabine Zikeli & Sabine Gruber & Claus-Felix Teufel & Karin Hartung & Wilhelm Claupein, 2013. "Effects of Reduced Tillage on Crop Yield, Plant Available Nutrients and Soil Organic Matter in a 12-Year Long-Term Trial under Organic Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(9), pages 1-19, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:5:y:2013:i:9:p:3876-3894:d:28752
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael W. I. Schmidt & Margaret S. Torn & Samuel Abiven & Thorsten Dittmar & Georg Guggenberger & Ivan A. Janssens & Markus Kleber & Ingrid Kögel-Knabner & Johannes Lehmann & David A. C. Manning & Pa, 2011. "Persistence of soil organic matter as an ecosystem property," Nature, Nature, vol. 478(7367), pages 49-56, October.
    2. Lal, R., 2011. "Sequestering carbon in soils of agro-ecosystems," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(Supplemen), pages 33-39, January.
    3. Lal, R., 2011. "Sequestering carbon in soils of agro-ecosystems," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(S1), pages 33-39.
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    1. Andrzej Woźniak & Leszek Rachoń, 2020. "Effect of Tillage Systems on the Yield and Quality of Winter Wheat Grain and Soil Properties," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-12, September.
    2. Usman Zulfiqar & Saddam Hussain & Muhammad Ishfaq & Nauman Ali & Muhammad Ahmad & Fahid Ihsan & Mohamed S. Sheteiwy & Abdur Rauf & Christophe Hano & Mohamed A. El-Esawi, 2021. "Manganese Supply Improves Bread Wheat Productivity, Economic Returns and Grain Biofortification under Conventional and No Tillage Systems," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-16, February.
    3. Sabine Zikeli & Sabine Gruber, 2017. "Reduced Tillage and No-Till in Organic Farming Systems, Germany—Status Quo, Potentials and Challenges," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-17, April.
    4. Pranagal, Jacek & Woźniak, Andrzej, 2021. "30 years of wheat monoculture and reduced tillage and physical condition of Rendzic Phaeozem," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    5. Jonas F. Weber & Christoph Kunz & Gerassimos G. Peteinatos & Sabine Zikeli & Roland Gerhards, 2017. "Weed Control Using Conventional Tillage, Reduced Tillage, No-Tillage, and Cover Crops in Organic Soybean," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-13, May.

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