Impact of Plowing on Some Soil Physical Properties under Hybrid Seed Corn Production

  • Denis TOPA University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Ion Ionescu de la Brad, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu, IaÅŸi, 700490, Romania
  • Daniel GALES University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Ion Ionescu de la Brad, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu, IaÅŸi, 700490, Romania
  • George CHIRIAC University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Ion Ionescu de la Brad, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu, IaÅŸi, 700490, Romania
  • Lucian RÄ‚US University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Ion Ionescu de la Brad, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu, IaÅŸi, 700490, Romania
  • Gerard JITÄ‚REANU University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Ion Ionescu de la Brad, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu, IaÅŸi, 700490, Romania
Keywords: compaction, tillage, corn hybrids

Abstract

Corn hybrids were first commercially grown in the early 1930s and by 1945, appreciatively 90% of the corn in the U.S. represented hybrids meanwhile in Romania the first hybrids has been cultivated since 1957. One of the biggest problems in seed production technology is the large ruts that are left by detasseling machines used in muddy conditions. Successful corn seed production requires a much higher level of management skill and is far more labor and time consuming than corn grain production. This report summarizes just a single separate trial, with the main objective to investigate under field conditions the soil physical properties impact of 30 cm deep ploughing and three years continuous corn seed production technology, in Bivolari area, somewhere in the north-eastern part of Romania, 47o29.191’ N latitude and 27o25.033’ E longitude, on Prut river basin. Once at every three or four years subsoiling (deep ripping) was carried out to a depth of 50 cm. The field was laid out at 144 m elevation, on a clay-loamy textured cambic chernozem, with 3.12 % humus content and 36% clay, under a precision irrigation system from Valley. The majority of data in this study was collected between 2011 and 2012 and makes references to soil physics parameters. The field has been established on a fertile land with well drained soils and favorable conditions of temperature and moisture, to reduce stress and maximize yield potential and grain quality, most proper conditions for seed production
Published
2013-12-19