THE EFFECT OF INTERCROPS AND PLOUGHING TERM ON THE STRUCTURE OF YIELD AND SOME QUALITIES OF SALSIFY (Tragopogon porrifolius L.) ROOTS

• Published in: Acta scientiarum Polonorum. Hortorum cultus (Ogrodnictwo) Vol. 12; no. 3
• Main Authors: Mirosław Konopiński, Tadeusz Kęsik, Marzena Błażewicz-Woźniak
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Life Sciences in Lublin - Publishing House 01.01.2013
• Subjects: pre-winter and spring ploughing; ridges; salsify; soil mulching
• ISSN: 1644-0692; 2545-1405

Due to frequent cultivation procedures and the chemicalization of crops the cultivated layer of soil is often subject to detrimental changes in its physical, chemical and biological characteristics. The aggregate structure of the soil disappears, the content of organic substance is lowered and the biological activity diminished. In order to reproduce the organic substance of the soil and improve its characteristics ploughed intercrops are introduced in the horticulture. The biomass of common vetch, tansy phacelia and oats were used for soil cultivation for the crop cultures of salsify. It was then confirmed, that independently from the intercrop plant used, the ploughed biomass had a significantly positive influence on the yield of salsify roots. The positive influence of the organic substance added to the soil on the percentage of marketable yield of roots and the total amount of crops were both confirmed. Among the investigated intercrops the common vetch had the most beneficial influence on the crops of salsify. The most beneficial method of cultivation of salsify crops proved to be its cultivation on ridged soil, which resulted in the largest crop yield and the largest percentage of marketable yield. The roots from this type of culture were also longer and had higher phosphorus content. Due to the beneficial influence on the root crops and its structure, the best time for ploughing of the biomass of the intercrops was the spring term.