Effect of mineral fertilization and tillage system on the yield of cereals in three-field crop rotation under non-irrigation conditions

Iliyana Gerasimova

Abstract: Crop rotation is an important factor in losses of the crop production caused by weeds, diseases, pests, for increasing yields, etc. and in recent years in intensive agriculture applied not very often. The aim of this study is to identify the impact of two mineral fertilization norms, non-fertilizer variant and two soil tillage systems (conventional and minimum) on the yield of cereals organized in three-field crop rotation (wheat/triticale – maize triticale/wheat) under non-irrigation conditions. As a result of the study it was determined that the studied fertilizer norms in all three crops, regardless of the soil tillage system, are essential for increasing yields determining more than 85% of the data variation. In the different crop rotation fields, the yields of wheat and triticale with mineral fertilization for the two tillage systems are more than three times higher than the non- fertilization one with a very well-proven statistical difference. Increasing the nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer norm by about 20% at T2 norm compared to T1 (from 120 to 140 kg / ha for nitrogen and from 80 to 100 kg / ha for phosphorus) does not lead to significantly higher yields in both crops. Irrespective of the fertilization rate, no significant influence of the applied soil tillage systems (disking or plowing) on wheat and triticale yield was observed. In the case of maize, the increase of yield, as a result of the mineral fertilization, is more than twice compered to non- fertilized one. The reported differences in yields between two methods of soil tillage (regardless of the rate of fertilization) are insignificant with inconsistent characteristics.

Keywords: corn; crop rotation; mineral fertilization; soil tillage; triticale; wheat

Date published: 2022-06-21