KLÍMA-21 Füzetek 61. szám - VAHAVA Hálózat

194 „KLÍMA-21” FÜZETEK: KLÍMAVÁLTOZÁS – HATÁSOK – VÁLASZOK
CLIMATE CHANGE – LESSONS FOR SOIL TILLAGE
AND THE CONDITION OF SOIL
By
BIRKÁS, MÁRTA – SZEMŐK, ANDRÁS – MESIĆ, MILAN
Keywords: soil tillage, the condition of soil,
climate-induced stress, climate damage mitigation.
The relationship between soil quality factors and climatic effects were studied in long term
tillage experiments and by field monitoring. The goal of researchers is to provide scientific
proof for the problems encountered in practice and to offer recommendations on making
crop growing more reliable under extreme climate conditions. This will change the region’s
prevailing tillage practices radically, including the abandonment of all methods that are detrimental
to the soil and environment alike. In line with the requirements of landscape and
environment protection, tillage is nowadays aimed at maintaining favourable soil quality and
fertility and at preventing adverse changes such as climate sensitiveness.
One of the most important results of the soil quality research is the identification of tillage
practices that are detrimental to the soil. The most important techniques used in the Pannonian
region which fall into this category include: 1. Deep stubble stripping in the summer,
leaving exposed soil surface without surface forming or coverage. 2. Ploughing in the summer,
leaving soil surface without surface cover. 3. Shallow disking when the soil is compacted
below the disked layer. 4. Winter ploughing of wet soil, which creates or thickens the plough
pan. 5. Leaving soil surface after winter ploughing without surface forming when there is
no (site-specific or other) reason for doing so. 6. Failing to loosen the root zone that has been
compacted by tillage. 7. Reducing the quality of primary winter tillage by using tools that are
not suitable for the soil moisture content. 8. Reducing the looseness of primary tillage at seedbed
preparation (creating thick seedbed base). 9. Making decisions concerning tillage for the
next crop without knowledge of the status of the soil. 10. Using irrigation techniques without
knowledge of the sensitiveness of soil.
Driven by the need to reduce climate stress, regional soil tillage scientists joined forces
to help improve tillage practices on the basis of their scientific achievements. Their recommendations
are as follows: 1. The first step is to reduce the climate risks of summer soil tillage
operations. 2. As tillage-induced soil state issues increase the damage caused by drought
and water-logging, information on soil conditions is needed to draw conclusions concerning
the likely damage. 3. Preventing the development of compact layers which impede water
transport, and eliminating compact layers in the soil through appropriate tillage techniques.
4. Covering the surface with crushed stubble residue to protect soil and moisture and to
decrease heat and rain stress in critical periods. 5. Creating a small surface area at any time
of the season, without compaction stress. 6. Protecting the soil structure, irrespective of the
tillage method. 7. Preserving the organic matter content of the soil is crucial for climate stress
mitigation. 8. Adapting any type of tillage method which improves the condition of soil. 9.
Causing less stress in over wet or dry soils. 10. Maintaining the soil’s capacity to take in and
to store water in irrigated soils. Tillage methods which preserve the water and carbon content
and the structure of soil are crucial in irrigated soils.