No-tillage farming, soil fertility and maize root growth
Sustainable land management involves preservation of soil properties associated with soil quality and fertility. Conservation or no-tillage farming by retaining crop residues after harvesting can considerably contribute to soil fertility and crop productivity. The objective of this study is to evaluate and compare effects of two agricultural practices, conventional using mouldboard ploughing (CP) and no-tillage (NT), on soil fertility and on root growth of maize. The study is conducted on two adjoined fields on Chernozem in Eastern Austria.