Evaluation of the efficiency of soil tillage and fertilizer systems in ensuring the productivity of short-term crop rotation

Abstract

Goal. To assess the influence of soil tillage and fertilizer systems on the formation of productivity of crops in short-term crop rotation for substantiation of environmentally balanced technologies of sustainable agriculture and rational use of soil resources. Methods. The research was conducted by the Khmelnytsk State Agricultural Research Station during 2019–2024 on the podzolized middle clay chornozem in the 4-field crop rotation using field, statistical (to study the results), and comparative (to determine the economic efficiency of growing crops) methods. Results. It was determined that the highest yield of white mustard (0.78 t/ha) was provided by the chisel system of basic soil tillage against the background of organic-mineral fertilization. The use of an organo-mineral nutrition system contributed to an increase in the yield of this crop compared to the mineral background by 10–22% for all soil tillage systems. The yield of winter wheat (6.01 t/ha) was the maximum under the moldboard system of basic soil tillage against the background of organic-mineral fertilization, which ensured an increase in its yield relative to the mineral background by 7%. The highest productivity of soybeans (2.23 t/ha) was obtained using the chisel system of basic soil tillage against the background of organic-mineral fertilization: the increase in the yield of soybeans compared to the mineral background was 1%. The maximum yield of spring barley (4.32 t/ha) was recorded for the moldboard system of the main soil tillage against the background of organic-mineral fertilization. The use of organic-mineral fertilization provided a significant increase in the yield of spring barley compared to the mineral background (4–8%) for all systems of basic soil tillage. Conclusions. The combination of a rational system of basic tillage with organic-mineral fertilization was an effective agrotechnological technique that ensured an increase in the productivity of crops of short-term crop rotation and an improvement in economic indicators of production. The integration of adaptive systems of soil tillage and rational fertilization into short-term crop rotations can be considered a key direction of sustainable agriculture, which contributes to increasing productivity, preserving soil fertility, and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in the agricultural sector of Ukraine.