Author/Authors :
Francaviglia، R. نويسنده Research Centre for the Soil-Plant System (CREA-RPS), Roma, Italy , , Carroni، A. M. نويسنده Research Unit for Agro-pastoral Systems in Mediterranean Environment (CREA-AAM), Sanluri, Italy , , Bazzoffi، P. نويسنده , , Troccoli، A. نويسنده Cereal Research Centre (CREA-CER), Foggia, Italy , , Borrelli، L. نويسنده , , Ventrella، D. نويسنده Research Unit for Cropping Systems in Dry Environments (CREA-SCA), Bari, Italy , , Chiarini، F. نويسنده Veneto Agricoltura, Regional Agency for Agriculture, Forestry and Agri-food sector, Legnaro, Italy ,
Abstract :
A three years monitoring was carried out at 9 sites in Italy to evaluate somephysical
indicators of soil quality related to soil structure degradation and compaction: bulk density, packing
density, surface roughness of the seedbed, and crop yields, and testeffectiveness of European crosscompliance
Standard 3.1 ʹPloughing in good soil moisture conditionsʹ. Two plots were set up in each
site: low soil moisture (L), with soil main tillage at lower water content, and high soil moisture (H) with
soil main tillage at higher water content. The volumetric soil water contents at ploughing in the two
treatments were compared with Upper Tillage Limit (?UTL) and Optimum Tillage Limit (?OTL). Grain
yields of crops were lower as average when soil was tilled at high moisture content in comparison with
the low moisture treatments. Thephysical parameters adopted as indicators of soil structure degradation
proved effective in assessing the differences among the treatments, and could be adopted as a
routine scheme in similar researches on the effects of soil tillage on soil degradation.
