Modernization of strip-till technology in the cultivation of corn for grains in Ciscaucasia

Abstract

Relevance. The cultivation of tilled crops with the introduction of new technologies requires a scientific justification of their effectiveness, taking into account the emerging soil and climatic factors. The use of the modernized Strip-till technology is based on the surface treatment of stubble with disc tools, against the background of stubble treatment with glyphosate, which preserves productive moisture.
Methods. Research in scientific and production experiment was carried out in the zone of unstable moisture in the southeastern part of the Stavropol Territory on the southern chernozem (humus — 3.0%; PO₅ — 11.3 mg/kg; K₂O — 276 mg/kg; pH — 7.48). The main moldboard cultivation according to the traditional technology was carried out with a plow PN-82-35, according to the Strip-till technology — deep non-moldboard cultivation with a cultivator — a Blu-Jet slot cutter.
Results. Unfavorable climatic conditions of the summer-autumn period of 2018, 2019 and 2020, with a shortage of precipitation in July 2018 by 20.2 mm, in August 2019 by 33.6 mm and in July 2020 by 51.4 mm from the norm, caused reduction in the yield of corn for grain.W ith a higher density of the soil for non-moldboard cultivation in comparison with the moldboard one for the periods of observation, which is 0.02, 0.04 and 0.02 g/cm³ respectively, an increase in capillary porosity by 7, 5 and 3% is noted. Accordingly, a larger supply of productive moisture in terms of sampling at Strip-till is associated with a large volume of capillary pores, with a direct correlation (r = 0.86). The increase in the reserves of productive moisture by Strip-till in the periods of observation, in comparison with dump processing, was 9, 10 and 7 mm, which led to an increase in the yield of corn for grain by 0.24 t/ha and profitability —by 33%.