SOIL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE SYSTEM WITH PERMANENT TRAFFIC LANES AFTER TWO YEARS OF ITS BEGINNING

Abstract

In a field experiment on a plot of 10 ha in sugar beet production area physical soil properties and the soil's ability to absorb water from rainfall were evaluated thereafter two years since the system of controlled crossings had been applied. Soil conditions: calcaric Leptosols soil type, loamy soil, slope of 2.0 to 4.2 degrees. Therefore the benefits of controlled crossings system to protect the soil from excessive compaction have been confirmed. Concentration of wheel tracks into permanent lines improved conditions for the movement of machinery on the field. Bearing capacity of soil increased in the areas of wheel tracks – penetration resistance of the surface soil layer in summer was 2.7 to 4.4 times higher in the parts of wheel tracks than in areas outside of tracks. In the parts of the area with random traffic penetration resistance was measured 1.9 times higher than in the parts without wheel tracks. Concentration of wheel tracks also contributed to improve the quality of soil tillage – the area without wheel tracks accounted for 68% of the land area when the working width of 6 m module was used. When measuring surface water runoff by rain simulator the water runoff occurred at 10.0 minutes, respectively at 11.6 minutes in the parts with wheel tracks, while in areas without wheel tracks the surface water runoff occurred after 29.6 minutes and the rate of water runoff was significantly lower in the parts without traffic than in the wheel tracks. Concentration of wheel tracks into permanent traffic lines may be one of the ways to increase the soil ability to absorb water during intense rainfall.

Keywords: controlled traffic farming, soil physical properties, surface water runoff.

Article DOI: http://doi.org/10.15544/RD.2015.006