Peculiarities of tillage in the conditions of dry farming in the cultivation of soybeans

¹ Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution, Agrarian Research Center “Donskoy”, Nauchny Gorodok st, 3, 347740 Zernograd, Russia
² Don State Technical University, Gagarina Square, 1, 344010 Rostov-on-Don, Russia

^* Corresponding author: semenixina1982@mail.ru

Abstract

Soy is a multipurpose oilseed crop. It is highly nutritious and improves soil fertility. Rainfed agriculture needs to improve crop cultivation technologies and focuses on various methods of soil cultivation that contribute to the formation of an optimal agrophysical structure that contributes to a consistently high soybean yield. Therefore, it is expedient and relevant to study the influence of various methods of tillage on the density and hardness of the soil in two phases of soybean development (beginning of soybean vegetation and before harvesting) with the identification of its yield. The following methods of tillage have been studied: flat-cutting, layer-by-layer, mouldboard and without tillage (direct sowing). The highest soil density in both phases of soybean development on the agrobackground without tillage was 1.34 g/cm³ and 1.27 g/cm³. The decrease in soil density was revealed by 13.43-16.53% with flat-cut tillage; by 6.71-16.53% with layer-by-layer tillage; by 5.22-5.51% during moldboard tillage. The highest soil hardness in both phases of soybean development, 1.15 MPa and 2.65 MPa, was established on the agrobackground without tillage. A decrease in soil hardness by 1.53-1.92 times was revealed during flat-cut processing; 1.77-2.77 times with layer-by-layer processing; in 1.64-2.07 at dump. The highest soybean yield was obtained on the agrobackground with flat-cut tillage – 1.90 t/ha. A decrease in yield was established by 15.82% with the layer-by-layer method, by 3.44% with the moldboard method of tillage, by 7.11% on the agrobackground without tillage.