No-tillage farming, soil fertility and maize root growth

Sustainable land management involves preservation of soil properties associated with soil quality and fertility. Conservation or no-tillage farming by retaining crop residues after harvesting can considerably contribute to soil fertility and crop productivity. The objective of this study is to evaluate and compare effects of two agricultural practices, conventional using mouldboard ploughing (CP) and notillage (NT), on soil fertility and on root growth of maize. The study is conducted on two adjoined fields on Chernozem in Eastern Austria. Soil samples are taken to assess essential physical and chemical soil parameters. Qualitative and quantitative observations on maize root system are conducted. Rooting patterns and spatial extension of seminal roots are examined on soil profile walls. Soil cores are taken on different positions and split into subsamples. Roots of each subsample are washed out and morphological parameters are measured. Results show differences in soil parameters primarily in the top soil where aggregate stability, bulk density, air-filled porosity, plant-available water, nitrogen and phosphorus contents were higher in NT than in CP. Maize roots in the ploughed field spread widely, while in the no-tillage one the root growth was deeper. Better shoot growth and higher yields are mainly obtained in NT than in CP.