Strip-Till One-Pass Technology in Central and Eastern Europe: A MZURI Pro-Til Hybrid Machine Case Study

Abstract

<jats:p>The non-inversion tillage systems, including strip-till (ST), are the key element of conservation agriculture (CA). The aim of the 2012–2018 study has been to demonstrate the application of strip-till one-pass technology (ST-OP) on the farms of Central and Eastern Europe based on the use of Mzuri Pro-Til machines. There has also been an evaluation of the effect of that technology on the soil properties and the effects of crops growing. The scientific observations and field experiments were made, e.g., in Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Eastern states of Germany, Belarus, Serbia, and Romania. ST-OP case study with the use of Mzuri Pro-Til machine can be applied for growing all the basic crops. Tillage with a simultaneous basic fertilization application and seeding made regularly for a few years in given field leads to favorable changes in the soil properties. As compared with the soil under conventional plough tillage (CT), the soil moisture, especially in the periods of rainfall deficit, the content of organic carbon and its fraction, the count of microorganisms and earthworms, as well as the enzymatic activity, are higher. This technology saves over 20–30 L ha−1 of fuel, respectively, compared to reduced tillage (RT) and CT. Plant emergence is uniform, dense canopies and crop yields—not lower and even higher than for tillage and seeding commonly applied in Central and Eastern Europe. ST-OP can be thus an important element of field plant production as part of CA and sustainable development.</jats:p>

Weed Spectrum in Durum Wheat under Different Soil Tillage and Fertilizer Application in Mediterranean Environment

“…Conservation agricultural practices mainly based on minimum disturbance of the soil (minimum tillage or no tillage) and the diversification of plant species improve biodiversity and the natural biological processes and contribute to greater water and nutrient use efficiency, supporting plant production [5]. Moreover, conservation tillage practices promote favorable changes in soil properties, preserve soil moisture, especially during the precipitation deficit, and increase the content of SOM in the 0-20 cm soil layer, as previously observed by Jaskulska and Jaskulski [6]. Therefore, alternative soil tillage to conventional plowing, such as spading and subsoiling, appear to be more suitable, mostly because they allow a decrease in external inputs, in terms of reduced fuel consumption, and result in similar crop yield compared with conventional tillage practices, even if their suitability is carefully evaluated based on the different climate, soil and crop conditions [7].…”

Conservation Agriculture Effects on Soil Water Holding Capacity and Water-Saving Varied with Management Practices and Agroecological Conditions: A Review

“…Such amounts are comparable to those retained on the soil surface under ZT and led to a significant decline in CO 2 emission (98.7-125.9 kg ha −1 ) [150]. Therefore, compared with conventional tillage, the SOC storage was significantly higher under strip-tillage [116,[150][151][152][153].…”

Long-Term No-Tillage and Straw Retention Management Enhances Soil Bacterial Community Diversity and Soil Properties in Southern China

“…Straw retention practices have a major effect on soil water holding capacity and C conservation [21,22]. Moreover, other studies have found that no-tillage and straw retention increases soil microbial biomass, bacterial diversity, and enzymatic activities in soil [19][20][21][22]. The soil chemical properties of the surface layer are generally more favorable under no-tillage than tillage conditions, and the C storage is also improved due to minimal soil disturbance and the slow decomposition of organic C [23][24][25].…”

“…Changes in the soil physicochemical properties due to conservation tillage resulted in changes in the SBC composition [15,16]. Conservation tillage practices i.e., no-tillage, mulch tillage, strip or zonal tillage, ridge till (including no-till on ridges), reduced or minimum tillage, straw retention on the soil surface, and crop rotation minimize soil disturbance and maintain or improve the soil quality, thereby increase crop productivity [17][18][19].The most common conservation tillage practices are no-tillage and straw retention on the soil surface [18]. No-tillage is a tillage method that requires no actual tillage of land.…”

“…No-tillage is a tillage method that requires no actual tillage of land. Further, in no-tillage systems plant residue is left unharmed in fields so it can naturally decay over time, thus stores more C in soil for long time, rather than breaking it down side faster and letting C escape into the atmosphere [19,20]. Straw mulching or retention consists of placing a uniform layer of straw and incorporating it into the soil [20].…”