Influence of crops of the cover crop when forming the ridge surface of landings of potatoes to dynamics of parameters of the soil state

Institute of Agroengineering and Environmental Problems of Agricultural Production (IAEP), branch of FSBRI FNATS VIM, St. Petersburg, Russia

Abstract

The main factors limiting the yield and quality of potatoes are the geometric parameters of the ridge, as well as the parameters of the soil state (moisture, hardness and temperature). In this regard, the task of maintaining the optimal values of these parameters during the potato growing season is urgent. For this, it is proposed, after planting potatoes, simultaneously with the formation of ridges, to sow a cover crop (yellow mustard) on them, followed by its destruction. The purpose of this research is to study the effect of sowing cover crops during the formation of the ridge surface of potato plantings on the dynamics of soil state parameters and potato yield. As a result of the studies, it was found that the use of a new technological method ensures a decrease in the effect of erosion processes on the ridge and the preservation of its geometric parameters, which makes it possible to exclude two inter-row cultivation of potatoes, as well as stabilize the daily soil temperature in the ridge by 2-5 ° C and retain moisture by 5 - 10%, which allows to increase the yield of potatoes by 11%.