The field experiment was conducted on Luvi-Haplic Chernozem with loamy to clay-loamy texture and humus content of 1.8-2% in maize growing region in south-west of Slovakia. The aim of the research was the time and space evaluation of bulk density dynamics in conditions of the no-till system and the mouldboard ploughing. Soil samples for measuring the soil bulk density were always taken in the spring term (March-April), after the crops harvest in the summer term July-August except for the maize and mostly in September and October in the autumn term at the three soil layer 0.0-0.10; 0.10-0.20 and 0.20-0.30 m. A positive correlation between the soil bulk density and amount of rainfalls in the period from spring to summer was determined. In comparison with the mouldboard ploughing, soil in the no-till system was mellower in all layers. Relative differences at measured figures of the average SBDr between the tillage systems with regard to the depth of soil were the highest in the upper layer and were gradually reduced towards the depth. The biggest difference of the soil bulk density was recorded in summer. The differences were reduced from summer to autumn and they approached the figures measured in the spring season. The reduced soil bulk density was mostly influenced by weather, date and depth of sampling as well as the tillage system.

No-till system; low-input system; primary tillage; weather; soil bulk density

Presentation: oral