DEEP, SHALLOW AND NO-TILLAGE EFFECTS ON SOIL COMPACTION PARAMETERS

As one of the key physical-mechanical properties of soil, soil compaction is used to assess resistance of the soil to penetration of a solid body. Soil compaction also determines the actual service life of the tillage machine working parts, quality of technological processes, energy consumption and other parameters. It also affects seed incorporation and germination, crop growth and the yield. Technological processes of soil loosening or compaction depend on the intensity of application of tillage machines, working depth and soil properties. This paper aims at determining the effects of deep, shallow and no-tillage technologies on soil compaction parameters of different soil layers. Experimental studies on five different tillage technologies (deep ploughing, shallow ploughing, deep cultivation, shallow cultivation and no-tillage) have been conducted on medium heavy soils at the Experimental Station of Aleksandras Stulginskis University. The studies have shown that in case of prolonged application of the same tillage technologies, no-tillage soils demonstrate the highest degree of soil compaction in the upper layer. Autumn soil tillage by shallow cultivation has the least effect on soil compaction of the upper layer, while the greatest effect on the soil compaction has been demonstrated by deep ploughing. Deeper soil layers have shown increase in soil compaction in case of years-long soil cultivation at the same depth using the same tillage technology.