Impact of living mulches on the physical properties of Planosol in monocropped maize cultivation

• Published in: International Agrophysics Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 165 - 173
• Main Authors: Romaneckas, Kęstutis, Adamavičienė, Aida, Šarauskis, Egidijus, Kriaučiūnienė, Zita, Marks, Marek, Vaitauskienė, Kristina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lublin Sciendo 01.04.2018; Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Agrophysics
• Subjects: Agricultural ecosystems; Barley; Biodiversity; Clover; Continuous cropping; Corn; Crops; Cultivation; intercropping; Moisture content; Mulches; Mustard; Physical characteristics; Physical properties; Rapeseed; Red clover; Shear strength; soil aggregate stability; Soil moisture; soil moisture content and shear strength; Soil properties; Soil stabilization; Soil strength; Water content; Zea mays L
• ISSN: 2300-8725; 0236-8722; 2300-8725
• DOI: 10.1515/intag-2017-0001

The complex mutual interactions between soil properties and plants in high-biodiversity mono-cropping agro ecosystems have not been widely investigated. For this purpose, during 2009-2011, a stationary field experiment was conducted at the Experimental Station of the Aleksandras Stulginskis University to establish the effect of a multi-component agrocenose (maize, living mulch, weeds) on the physical properties of the soil. Spring oilseed rape, white mustard, spring barley, Italian ryegrass, black medic, Persian clover and red clover were sown as living mulch into maize inter-rows. The stability of >1.0 mm aggregates increased between the beginning and end of the maize vegetative period in almost all of the crops containing living mulch. The greatest competition for moisture content between the inter-crops and maize was observed at the beginning of the vegetative period because of living mulches of long growing seasons using the most moisture. In many cases, the shear strength of the soil was significantly reduced by the living mulch in the middle of summer, when it covered the maize inter-rows. These findings show that the monocropping of maize with living mulch stabilises or improves the physical characteristics of the soil, highlighting its potential for sustainable maize growing.