Djup icke vändande bearbetning i sockerbetsodling
A field experiment was carried out in 2006 to investigate the effects of deep rotary cultivation on sugarbeet growth. The background to the experiment was a 2005 study showing potentially higher yield, higher cleanness and higher sugar content when primary tillage was carried out to 35 cm depth with a rotary cultivator.
On four field sites in Skåne (L:a Isie, Ädelholm, Stävie and Vragerup), five different
treatments were compared: mouldboard ploughing in the autumn to 20 cm; mouldboard
ploughing in the autumn to 20 cm + rotary cultivation in the spring to 35 cm; rotary
cultivation in the autumn to 35 cm; rotary cultivation in the spring to 35 cm; and mouldboard ploughing in the spring to 20 cm.
The rotary cultivator used in the treatments is manufactured by a Dutch company, Imants. The implement cultivates the soil with spade tines fitted on arms that are mounted on a horizontal rotating PTO-driven axle.
Beet plants were inspected and yield determined in the experiment, and three soil parameters were examined: penetration resistance, water infiltration and infiltration of blue dye. Root shape was also examined.
The site at Stävie was not harvested due to poor beet establishment. At the other sites, the highest yield was found when the soil was rotary-cultivated in the autumn. Pooling of the results from the three harvested sites showed that the yield was significantly higher (+4%) and the sugar content was also significantly higher (+0.3 %) when the soil was rotary-cultivated in the autumn compared with conventional mouldboard ploughing in the autumn.
The penetration resistance tended to be lower and the water infiltration rate higher when soil was rotary-cultivated in the autumn. The amount of blue colour covering the soil was also higher.
The conclusion is that deep rotary cultivation has good biological potential. However this
study was unable to determine the reasons behind this potential.