Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
9 Conservation Agriculture
on Chernozems in the
Republic of Moldova
Boris Boincean and Rattan Lal
CONTENTS
9.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 203
9.2 Methods and Conditions ...............................................................................206
9.3 Results and Discussion ................................................................................. 207
9.3.1 Crop Rotation and Continuous Cultivation ...................................... 208
9.3.2 High-Yielding Varieties and Hybrids................................................209
9.3.3 Soil Tillage ........................................................................................ 211
9.3.4 Fertilization ...................................................................................... 212
9.3.5 Irrigation ........................................................................................... 214
9.3.6 Integration of Crop Rotation, Tillage, and Fertilization into a
Farming System ................................................................................ 214
9.4 Conclusions ................................................................................................... 219
Acknowledgments .................................................................................................. 220
References .............................................................................................................. 220
9.1 INTRODUCTION
The presently used Moldovan farming systems are not sustainable. The unsustain-
ability of the present farming systems are indicated by the following: (i) the leveling
off or declining yields of most crops, both on average for the Republic of Moldova
and in the long-term field experiments conducted by Selectia Research Institute of
Field Crops (RIFC) in Balti (northern part of Moldova), and (ii) the experimentally
monitored decreases in the stocks of soil organic matter (SOM) as result of uncom-
pensated annual losses (e.g., mineralization, leaching, and erosion).
For example, the average increase in the yield of winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum )
for the Republic of Moldova for the period 1972-1981 was 1.75 Mg/ha or 94.6%
relative to 1962-1971. However, the increase in yield for the same period in the
long-term field experiments with different crop rotations was 1.86 Mg/ha or 56.7%.
Since then, the yields of winter wheat have stabilized or even decreased. In general,
the yields in the long-term field experiment have been higher than national average
by 42.8%-77.3% for the first 30 years (1962-1991) and by 106.1%-119.1% for the
203
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search