ABSTRACT

In recent years, unconventional tillage systems have also experienced a significant expansion in Romanian agriculture. In this context, it was considered appropriate to analyze the impact of the tillage system (conventional-plowed) and conservative tillage (direct seeding), on the degree of soil compaction, water reserve and soybean yield, in a three-year rotation (maize-soybean-wheat). The study was designed and conducted at the Agricultural Research and Development Station (ARDS) Turda and included the following experimental factors: Factor A - tillage system: conventional (plow - SC) and conservative (direct sowing - NT); Factor B - fertilization: unfertilized control and basic fertilization (N₄₀P₄₀); Factor C - varieties: Felix and Iris TD. Soybean yield was influenced by the local climatic conditions, the applied agricultural technology and, last but not least, the genetic potential of the varieties. Results indicated that on chernozemic soils with high clay content, soybeans responded less favorably to no-till systems, suggesting that deeper tillage is required to achieve high yields in these soil types.

Keywords: soil, compaction, water, soybean, yield.