his paperwork presents the influence of tillage methods upon fuel consumption, one of the basic requirements of a profitable agriculture. Soil works represent the intervention – usually mechanical – performed upon soil with various tools in order to achieve a proper environment for plant development.  We used two tillage systems: the classical system and the unconventional one.  Experiments were performed under the pedoclimatic conditions specific to the Banat`s Field at the Banat`s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Timişoara – the Didactic Station, during 2007-2008. Taking into account the necessity to eliminate the conventional system`s disadvantages, the elaboration of some alternative soil working technologies to assure the preservation and maintenance of its productive capacity, and also the decrease of energy intake, represents now a necessity in order to develop and strenghten a durable agriculture. Mechanized soil tillage though classical methods becomes more and more doubtful due to a without sensibly diminishing yields and with important production cost cuts. The new technologies of mechanising soil works in the conservative system comprise several processing methods: minimum tillage, mulch tillage, ridge tillage, and no-tillage or direct drill. Researches were performed on a plot located in Body I, consisted of an area of 268 ha limited in the North by the brook Beregsău, in the South by the inner land from Timişoara, and in the East and West by the national roads DN 69 Timişoara – Arad, respectively Timişoara – Sânnicolau Mare. The soil profile has the following succession: Ap – Ap – Amk – A/Cyk – CykG – CyGo – CcaGo - CcaG 0 – CcaGr. Climatic condition between 2007-2008 were characterized by annual average temperatures between 11 o C and 12.7 o C, and while rainfall ranged between 395 mm and 592.5 mm. Determinations performed show that fuel consumption decreases with 3.02-3.9 l/t in minimum tillage and direct drill variants, compared to 10.41-12.82 l/t consumed in the classical technology. Compared to classical systems, fuel consumption decreases with 31.3-36.1 l/ha in minimum tillage variants and with 30.4 l/ha in the case of direct drill technology. The unconventional tillage system influences maize production. It is more profitable to obtain yields lower with 90-95% in the unconventional system compared to the classical ones due to the dramatic reduction of fuel intake. Grain maize yields have values between 8450 kg/ha in the minimum tillage variants and 8400 kg/ha in the case of direct drill. Compared to the classical system, yields are lower (94,13-97,12 %). Fuel intake per total technology has the biggest values in both crops under the classical system. In maize crop, fuel savings are between 31.3-36.1 l/ha in the minimum tillage variants and 30.4 l/ha in the case of direct drill.

classical tillage; minimal tillage; fuel consumption

Presentation: oral