The effect of cover crops on soil moisture in ploughless and traditional tillage in the cultivation of carrot

In a view of the predicted drought that has appeared in recent years and water shortage growing season, which is getting worse every year, problem retention soil increasing its humidity becomes exceptional importance. The field experiment was carried out 2009–2012 on grey brown podzolic developed from loess formations covering cretaceous marls with granulometric composition corresponding to medium dusty loam. aim study assess impact various species cover crops method date mixing their biomass moisture ploughless carrot cultivation. experimental design included seven crop (spring rye, common oat, vetch, white mustard, lacy phacelia, buckwheat, fodder sunflower) six kinds tillage. effect tillage modified by course weather varied depending year research, sampling layer. spring, highest layer (0–20 cm) not cultivated before winter (NTz) accumulated most water, least after pre-winter ploughing (Oz). 0–40 cm layer, lowest ploughed (Oz), no-till subsoiling (GLz). ridge cultivation performed spring caused dry out. remaining variants no-ploughing tillage, similar conventional Cover exerted significant influence at all test dates, content compared without crops. rye had particularly favourable moisture.