Effects of reduced tillage intensity on soil Nmin dynamics following Oilseed rape cultivation

Abstract

Three tillage systems (mouldboard plough, rototillage, zero tillage and direct seeding) were investigated to find out, if the phenomenon of raising soil N_min in autumn/winter after the cultivation of oilseed rape is affected by a different tillage intensity. The two-year field experiments on two loamy soils in Germany showed, that zero tillage and direct seeding of the post-crop winter wheat can contribute to reduce nitrogen losses by delaying mineralisation processes towards next spring, but the effect was uncertain.