ZESZYT Nr 2 / 2010 Abstrakty Volume No 2/2010 Abstracts |
 |
| 6.Assessment of maize yields as
affected by seedbed preparation method -Jerzy Księżak Abstract. The aim of this study was to compare the yields of maize grown continuously under two seedbed management systems vs. the conventional rotation-based system and to compare the changes in the soil environment brought about by those tillage methods. Results for the study were derived from maize investigations performed at two experiment sites: at the Agricultural Experiment Station at Grabów, province of Mazovia, Poland, at an experiment station at Baborówko, province of Great Poland. It was a stationary fi eld trial established in 2004 which involved maize cropped continuously and rotated with other crops. The layout of the experiment involved the following treatments: maize cropped continuously – zero tillage (direct seeding), maize cropped continuously – plough-based tillage with complementary cultivation practices, maize in crop rotation (spring barley – winter wheat – maize) – conventional plough-based tillage. The highest grain yields, regardless of site area, were obtained from maize grown under a three-year rotation scheme with organic fertilization. Under such a management the yields were higher by 10% compared to those from a treatment which combined maize monoculture and direct seeding. The grain yields recorded in Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) were higher than those in the mid-eastern region. In terms of cereal units, lower yields were obtained from the rotation scheme – spring barley, winter wheat – maize than from maize grown under monoculture, regardless of tillage method and experiment site. Direct seeding of continuously cropped maize increased grain moisture at harvest by ca. 2%, did not affect number of grains per cob, but decreased weight of 1000 grains. The contents of humus and P2O5 in the 0–30 cm soil layer were higher and that of K2O was lower at the termination of the trial that at its commencement, but the content of MgO remained little changed. The contents of humus and K2O in the topsoil (0–10 cm) under continuously cropped and directly seeded maize were higher seedbed preparation methods and also showed little variation across the soil profile. key words: maize, seedbed preparation, monoculture, zero-tillage |