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Agronomy
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Sustainable Tillage and Sowing Technologies
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Sustainable Tillage and Sowing Technologies

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 June 2022) | Viewed by 24761

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Kestutis Romaneckas

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Agriculture Academy, Vytautas Magnus University, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: organic and precision farming; sustainable tillage and sowing machinery and technologies; seedbed formation; soil properties; weed-crop concurrence; inter-cropping; field crop productivity and quality; biomass waste management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmentally and energy-efficient farming technologies are being integrated into agricultural production as the most advanced technologies with the greatest economic, energy, and environmental benefits. The goal of these technologies is to limit the mechanical and chemical effects on soil and crops, ensure the renewal of soil productivity, protect the environment, promote a rational use of material, energy, and labour resources, produce healthy products, and guarantee the economic efficiency of the agricultural production. New environmentally friendly farming technologies are not possible without new tillage and sowing machinery, which are also subject to increased soil and environmental requirements, the most important of which are not to deplete the soil, to stop the decrease of humus and soil degradation, to reduce leaching of nutrients and the most fertile soil particles, to protect the soil from erosion and destruction of its structure, to promote natural biological processes in the soil. However, sustainable conservation tillage and sowing systems often increase the abundance of weeds, pests, and diseases.

This Special Issue will present investigations on sustainable tillage and sowing technologies (minimal, ploughless, strip, zero) and technical solutions for machinery in conditions of conservation and precision farming. Research papers, communications, and review articles are welcome. Attention will also be given to studies on the impact of sustainable tillage and sowing on the peculiarities of crop seedbed formation, soil properties (soil nutrient proportion, leaching and runoff, physical properties, erosion and degradation, health of soil biota, GHG emissions), pests, diseases and weeds infestation, development of productivity and quality of crops. Research data on the economy and energy aspects of different tillage and sowing technologies are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Kęstutis Romaneckas
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable tillage
  • sowing machinery and systems
  • crop seedbed formation
  • soil properties
  • GHG emissions
  • pests, diseases, and weeds
  • crops productivity and quality
  • energy and economy of tillage and sowing

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 178 KiB  
Editorial
Sustainable Tillage and Sowing Technologies
by Kęstutis Romaneckas
Agronomy 2022, 12(10), 2467; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy12102467 - 11 Oct 2022
Viewed by 791
Abstract
Environmentally friendly and energy-efficient farming technologies are integrated into agricultural production as cutting-edge technologies that provide the greatest economic, energy and environmental benefits [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Tillage and Sowing Technologies)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

26 pages, 1442 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Planting Date and Tillage Practice on Growth and Yield of Maize and Soybean in Rotation with Winter Onion
by Jihyeon Lee, Miri Choi, Nayoung Choi, Gamgon Kim, Yunho Lee, Huisu Bae and Chaein Na
Agronomy 2022, 12(9), 2125; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy12092125 - 07 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2261
Abstract
Introducing summer staple crops to diversify conventional summer paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.) and onion (Allium cepa L.) rotation is important for sustainable agriculture. Herein, we evaluate the effects of planting date (early June to late July) and tillage practice (deep [...] Read more.
Introducing summer staple crops to diversify conventional summer paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.) and onion (Allium cepa L.) rotation is important for sustainable agriculture. Herein, we evaluate the effects of planting date (early June to late July) and tillage practice (deep cultivation, DC; conventional tillage, CT) on two maize and soybean cultivars over 4 years (2018–2021) in converted paddy soil in Korea. Due to the growing degree-day differences, the yields of June and July planted crops were 7050 and 5554 total digestible nutrient kg ha−1, respectively, for silage corn, and 7410 and 6473 marketable fresh ear kg ha−1, respectively, for waxy corn. Delaying soybean planting from June to July significantly reduced crops’ yield and interfered with field preparation for the following winter cash crops. The June and July planting yields were 2672 and 2090 kg ha−1, respectively, for large-grain soybean, and 2416 and 1861 kg ha−1, respectively, for small-grain soybean. Deep tillage had no effect on summer crops yield. Additionally, the summer crop growing practice had no residual effect on onion yield. Our study recommends mid to late June planting for growers who wish to introduce maize and soybean in rotation with winter onion in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Tillage and Sowing Technologies)
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13 pages, 662 KiB  
Article
The Nitrogen Fixation and Yielding of Pea in Different Soil Tillage Systems
by Agnieszka Faligowska, Stanisław Kalembasa, Dorota Kalembasa, Katarzyna Panasiewicz, Grażyna Szymańska, Karolina Ratajczak and Grzegorz Skrzypczak
Agronomy 2022, 12(2), 352; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy12020352 - 30 Jan 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3140
Abstract
The field experiment was carried out in 2013 and 2014 as part of a long-term experiment to test the influence of different soil tillage systems (conventional, reduced, direct sowing) on (a) the yield of summer pea (Pisum sativum L.) and (b) the [...] Read more.
The field experiment was carried out in 2013 and 2014 as part of a long-term experiment to test the influence of different soil tillage systems (conventional, reduced, direct sowing) on (a) the yield of summer pea (Pisum sativum L.) and (b) the amount of biologically reduced atmospheric nitrogen (N), which was determined using the 15N dilution method (ID15N). Spring barley was used as a reference plant. Climatic conditions did not have a significant influence on the yield of pea seeds (mean value 4.56 t ha−1), post-harvest residues (3.76 t ha−1) and total biomass (8.33 t ha−1). Soil tillage system was found to have a significant impact on all components of the pea yield in years of experiment, with the highest average seed yield values observed with the conventional system (5.19 t ha−1) and significantly lower values observed with reduced tillage (4.34 t ha−1) and direct sowing (4.17 t ha−1). The content of total N was greatest in the pea biomass that was harvested in the conventional system (202 kg ha−1) and lowest with direct sowing (155 kg ha−1). Nitrogen accumulated in the pea seeds from three sources: atmosphere (mean value 35.2%), fertilizers (6.8%) and soil (57.9%), equating to 48.6, 9.9, and 85.4 kg ha−1, respectively. Soil tillage system was found to have a significant impact on the amount of N that was fixed from the atmosphere by the peas: 17.7% in conventional tillage, 37.9 in reduced system and 50.2% in direct sowing, which equates to a harvested seed yield of 28.9, 52.0 and 64.4 kg ha−1, respectively. In the post-harvest residues, the amount of N fixed from the atmosphere by the pea crop was also modified by the soil tillage system in range: 20.2% in conventional tillage and 32.6% in direct sowing (which equates to 7.4 and 8.5 kg N ha−1, respectively), but the difference was not significant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Tillage and Sowing Technologies)
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12 pages, 3061 KiB  
Article
Combined Application of Compost, Zeolite and a Raised Bed Planting Method Alleviate Salinity Stress and Improve Cereal Crop Productivity in Arid Regions
by Mahmoud A. Aiad, Megahed M. Amer, Tamer H. H. Khalifa, Mahmoud M. A. Shabana, Medhat G. Zoghdan, Eman M. Shaker, Mona S. M. Eid, Khalil A. Ammar, Sami A. Al-Dhumri and Ahmed M. S. Kheir
Agronomy 2021, 11(12), 2495; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11122495 - 08 Dec 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2482
Abstract
Soil salinity and climate change have a negative impact on global food production and security, especially in arid regions with limited water resources. Despite the importance of planting methods, irrigation, and soil amendments in improving crop yield, their combined impact on saline soil [...] Read more.
Soil salinity and climate change have a negative impact on global food production and security, especially in arid regions with limited water resources. Despite the importance of planting methods, irrigation, and soil amendments in improving crop yield, their combined impact on saline soil properties and cereal crop yield is unknown. Therefore, the current study investigated the combined effect of soil amendments (i.e., compost, C and zeolite, Z) and planting methods such as raised bed (M1) and conventional (M2), and different fractions of leaching requirements from irrigation water, such as 5% (L1) and 10% (L2), on the soil physio-chemical properties and wheat and maize productivity in an arid region. The combined application of C + Z, L2, and M1 decreased soil salinity (EC) and sodicity (ESP) after wheat production by 37.4 and 28.0%, respectively, and significantly decreased by these factors by 41.0 and 43.0% after a maize growing season. Accordingly, wheat and maize yield increased by 16.0% and 35.0%, respectively under such a combination of treatments, when compared to crops grown on unamended soil, irrigated with lower leaching fraction and planted using conventional methods. This demonstrates the significance of using a combination of organic and inorganic amendments, appropriate leaching requirements and the raised bed planting method as an environmentally friendly approach to reclaiming saline soils and improving cereal crop production, which is required for global food security. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Tillage and Sowing Technologies)
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15 pages, 1698 KiB  
Article
Influence of Sowing Time on Yield and Yield Components of Spring Rapeseed in Lithuania
by Lina Marija Butkevičienė, Zita Kriaučiūnienė, Rita Pupalienė, Rimantas Velička, Silvija Kosteckienė, Robertas Kosteckas and Evaldas Klimas
Agronomy 2021, 11(11), 2170; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11112170 - 28 Oct 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3045
Abstract
Sowing time, as an element, is important to improving the adaptation of cultivars to environmental conditions and to achieving high seed yields. The field experiment was conducted from 2018–2019 at the Experimental Station of Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy. The experimental design included [...] Read more.
Sowing time, as an element, is important to improving the adaptation of cultivars to environmental conditions and to achieving high seed yields. The field experiment was conducted from 2018–2019 at the Experimental Station of Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy. The experimental design included treatments with different sowing dates: eight sowing dates in 2018 and 10 sowing dates in 2019. The first sowing of spring rapeseed was carried out when the soil reached its physical maturity, i.e., it did not stick to agricultural implements and it crumbled well. The other sowing dates were every seven subsequent days. From 2018–2019, the rapeseed emerged as best in early May (3 and 4 May), and later sowing reduced the emergence of rapeseed. In 2018, most pods were formed on one plant when the rapeseed was sown (on 1 June), compared to other sowings, on average 2.8 times more. In 2019, most pods were formed by the latest-sown rapeseed (7 June), from 1.4 to 2.7 times more compared to previously sown crops. In 2018, the sowing time of spring rapeseed did not have a significant effect on the number of seeds in one pod. In 2019, it was found that the rapeseed formed most of the seeds in the pod at a similar time as in 2018: the sowings of 19 April and 7 June. The average number of seeds in the pod was significantly reduced by early sowing (5 April). In 2019, the highest 1000-seed weight was found at the earliest-sown crop (5 April), which was on average 18.0% higher compared to the later sowings. The 1000-seed weight of the last-sown rapeseed (7 June) was the lowest. In 2018, the yields of early-sown (20 April) spring rapeseed were the highest. Later sowing significantly reduced the yields by 20.7 to 48.2%. In 2019, the highest seed yield was obtained after sowing spring rapeseed in late April (26 April); it was significant, on average, 1.9 times higher than the yields of spring rapeseed sown from 3 May to 7 June. Meteorological conditions had a stronger effect on the field emergence and yield components of spring rapeseed than the sowing date. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Tillage and Sowing Technologies)
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13 pages, 3487 KiB  
Article
Innovative Land Arrangement in Combination with Irrigation Methods Improves the Crop and Water Productivity of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Grown with Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) under Raised and Sunken Bed Systems
by Pijush Das, Biswajit Pramanick, Subhendu Bikash Goswami, Sagar Maitra, Sobhy M. Ibrahim, Alison M. Laing and Akbar Hossain
Agronomy 2021, 11(10), 2087; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11102087 - 19 Oct 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2387
Abstract
The underground water and water storage reservoirs are rapidly depleting due to nominal recharging by the rainfalls making water a scarce resource for irrigation resulting in poor crop growth and production. Irrigation water application should focus on the proficient use of each drop [...] Read more.
The underground water and water storage reservoirs are rapidly depleting due to nominal recharging by the rainfalls making water a scarce resource for irrigation resulting in poor crop growth and production. Irrigation water application should focus on the proficient use of each drop of water. Water productivity (WP) in agriculture can be improved through crop diversification, proper land and water management techniques. Considering this, a field investigation was carried out during 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 to study the crop response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) + okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) system to land configurations and irrigation regimes. Three raised-sunken beds (RSB) having width (m) ratios of 1:3, 2:3, 3:3 and two irrigation schedules viz. continuous standing water (CSW) of 5 ± 2 cm depth and alternate wetting and drying (AWD) at 3 ± 1 days interval for rice in sunken bed were tested. Rice yield was more (4.36 and 4.89 Mg ha−1) under CSW irrigation than AWD irrespective of raised bed width. The highest okra yield was noted by 14.09 and 15.43 Mg ha−1 with AWD in 1:3 RSB systems, whereas the lowest yield was recorded in CSW 1:3 RSB systems. Rice equivalent yield (REY) was found as the maximum in AWD than CSW irrespective of raised and sunken bed configurations. The AWD in 3:3 RSB systems exhibited the highest WP of 1.02 and 1.01 kg m−3 during the first and second year of study, respectively. Wider RSB system of land configuration ratio of 3:3 saved about 40–45% of irrigation water. Such information will help in the planning of an innovative intercropping system of summer rice + okra in the field by changing the land configuration to the raised bed and sunken bed with the AWD irrigation system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Tillage and Sowing Technologies)
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17 pages, 963 KiB  
Article
Crop Establishment Methods and Integrated Nutrient Management Improve: Part II. Nutrient Uptake and Use Efficiency and Soil Health in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Field in the Lower Indo-Gangetic Plain, India
by Ashim Midya, Binoy Kumar Saren, Joy Kumar Dey, Sagar Maitra, Subhashisa Praharaj, Dinkar Jagannath Gaikwad, Ahmed Gaber, Majid Alhomrani and Akbar Hossain
Agronomy 2021, 11(9), 1894; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11091894 - 21 Sep 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2691
Abstract
Rice, the predominant food crop in India, is being grown traditionally with improper plant nutrient management mostly under the flooded situation. Recent advancement in research on crop science focuses on water-saving rice technologies for maximization in crop and water productivity under the backdrop [...] Read more.
Rice, the predominant food crop in India, is being grown traditionally with improper plant nutrient management mostly under the flooded situation. Recent advancement in research on crop science focuses on water-saving rice technologies for maximization in crop and water productivity under the backdrop of a shrinking water resource base for ensuring environmental and agricultural sustainability. Under this situation, an experiment was conducted in two consecutive years in a split-plot design keeping rice cultivation methodologies, viz., aerobic culture, System of Rice Intensification (SRI), and conventional flooded culture in main plots and integrated plant nutrient management (INM) treatments in sub-plots. The experiment was aimed at understanding the effects of different rice production systems and INM on nutrient content, uptake, and use efficiency. The change in soil quality parameters was also studied to understand the impact of crop establishment methods (CEM) and INM options. Significant reduction (p ≤ 0.05) in nutrient uptake and use efficiency was observed under aerobic culture compared to SRI and flooded method, although aerobic culture showed the highest physiological nitrogen use efficiency. Post-harvest available Fe status was significantly lower in aerobic rice (mean 10.39 ppm) compared to other crop establishment technologies; however, Zn status was higher in aerobic rice over the flooded situation. Although available potassium was not affected due to rice cultivation methods, available nitrogen and phosphorus status were influenced remarkably. Soil microbial quality was improved in aerobic rice in comparison to flooded rice. SRI proved to be the most efficient rice establishment method for enhancement in nutrient uptake, use efficiency, and enrichment of soil chemical and microbiological quality. Irrespective of crop culture, integrated plant nutrition in rice improved the nutrient uptake, use efficiency, and soil quality parameters. The study revealed that, under the alluvial soils of the Indo-Gangetic Plains of Eastern India, SRI can be considered as a water-saving rice production method. The method can also improve nutrient uptake, efficiency, and soil quality parameters if proper INM is adopted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Tillage and Sowing Technologies)
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19 pages, 1498 KiB  
Article
Crop Establishment Methods and Integrated Nutrient Management Improve: Part I. Crop Performance, Water Productivity and Profitability of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the Lower Indo-Gangetic Plain, India
by Ashim Midya, Binoy Kumar Saren, Joy Kumar Dey, Sagar Maitra, Subhashisa Praharaj, Dinkar Jagannath Gaikwad, Ahmed Gaber, Walaa F. Alsanie and Akbar Hossain
Agronomy 2021, 11(9), 1860; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy11091860 - 16 Sep 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3938
Abstract
In the eastern part of India, rice as the most vital staple food crop supports as well the livelihood security of a vast population. Rice is mostly grown under conventional flooded culture without proper nutrient management. Crop performance, water productivity and economic profitability [...] Read more.
In the eastern part of India, rice as the most vital staple food crop supports as well the livelihood security of a vast population. Rice is mostly grown under conventional flooded culture without proper nutrient management. Crop performance, water productivity and economic profitability of rice cultivation need to be assessed under water-saving rice production methodologies with proper integrated plant nutrient management strategies using locally available low-cost nutrient sources. A field trial was conducted at the Adaptive Research Farm, Polba (58.57 m msl), Agriculture Department, West Bengal, India, during the rainy/wet seasons of 2014 and 2015 under aerobic culture, the system of rice intensification (SRI) and conventional flooded culture. The experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of integrated plant nutrition and water-saving rice production methodologies on the crop performance and water productivity of rice and analyse the economic profitability of rice under different nutritional management and crop production methods such as aerobic culture, conventional flooded and SRI with an objective of sustainability in rice cultivation in the agroclimatic region. The results revealed that crop productivity significantly (p ≤ 0.05) varied from 4.68 t ha−1 (average yield recorded under aerobic culture) to 6.21 t ha−1 (average yield as achieved under SRI). Cultivation of rice under aerobic and conventional culture resulted in 24.6% and 20.9% yield reduction respectively as compared to SRI. Integrating 75% of the recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through chemicals with 25% RDN from vermicompost resulted in maximum crop productivity irrespective of crop culture. Aerobic rice culture registered maximum water economy in terms of both irrigation water productivity and total productivity. The study concludes that, for maximization of economic profitability, value cost ratio and partial factor productivity of nutrients the SRI method can be adopted along with integrated nutrient management (75% of RDN through chemicals with 25% RDN from vermicompost) in the lower Indo-Gangetic Plain Zone (IGPZ) of West Bengal, India. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Tillage and Sowing Technologies)
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Review

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16 pages, 1357 KiB  
Review
How to Analyze, Detect and Adjust Variable Seedbed Depth in Site-Specific Sowing Systems: A Case Study
by Kestutis Romaneckas, Dainius Steponavičius, Algirdas Jasinskas, Marius Kazlauskas, Vilma Naujokienė, Indrė Bručienė, Austėja Švereikaitė and Egidijus Šarauskis
Agronomy 2022, 12(5), 1092; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy12051092 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2687
Abstract
Sowing or seedbed depth is an important agro-technological parameter that varies with specific on-field soil and microclimatic conditions and depends on crop biology. There is a lack of detailed information regarding how seedbed depth relates to other seedbed parameters and affects the development [...] Read more.
Sowing or seedbed depth is an important agro-technological parameter that varies with specific on-field soil and microclimatic conditions and depends on crop biology. There is a lack of detailed information regarding how seedbed depth relates to other seedbed parameters and affects the development of agricultural crops. Several seeder constructions and methods for seeding condition detection and depth adjustment have been investigated in high-precision, digitally backgrounded, in-site sowing systems; however, there is still a gap in knowledge due to the limited use of these technologies in conditions of high soil and micro-climatic variability. Therefore, the aim of this study was to highlight the impact of sowing depth on crop seedbed parameters, mainly established by the Kritz method, to ascertain the correlation between sowing depth, germination, crop development and productivity, and to overview the methods and equipment used for detection, adjustment and control of sowing depth in precision site-specific sowing systems. Our results showed that, in most cases, when sowing depth extended beyond the optimum, the moisture content in the seedbed decreased significantly. Sowing depth also correlated with the roughness of the seedbed (surface and bottom) and seedbed aggregate size distribution, but the direction of the relation depended on crop type and maximum sowing depths. Sowing depth correlated with crop germination, development and productivity parameters; however, the direction of exposure and intensity also varied with respect to crops, weather conditions, tillage and sowing equipment. Sowing depth uniformity is greatly influenced by the regulation of clamping force, the spatial variability of soil in fields and sowing operation speed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Tillage and Sowing Technologies)
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