The impact of the level of humus supply on maize (Zea mays L.) yield on chernozem and brown forest soil in various crop years

Examinations were carried out in order to compare the fertility of production site 1 (chernozem soils) and production site 2 (mostly consisting of brown forest soils) which depends on the level of humus supply, using yield data collected from two different crop years. We were interested in the impact of the soil humus content on maize yield in different crop years. The nitrogen supply ability of the soil is taken into consideration along with the humus categories established in accordance with plasticity. The different impact of each category could also be shown statistically. The examinations were carried out using the country-wide database of the Agrochemical Information and Management System (AIIR) containing around 380 000 entries. On both production sites, but especially on chernozem, there are differences in yield also in terms of different crop years. It is a general tendency that maize yield increases with the increasing humus content of soils. At the same time, it can also be observed that favourable crop years result in yield depression on brown forest soils in the case of especially high humus supply on intensively cultivated agricultural plots (N-P-K>50-50-100 kg ha-1), while the same refers to chernozem soils in unfavourable crop years. The obtained results indicate that high maize yields can be expected even in the case of average humus content in favourable crop years both on chernozem and brown forest soil. However, in the case of unfavourable crop year, higher humus content (good and very good supply level) is expected to result in relatively higher yields. On chernozem soil, the statistically significant yield increasing effect of humus content (resulting in 15% yield surplus) can be observed until average humus supply in favourable crop years. In unfavourable crop years, yield increases with the increase of humus supply until reaching high supply level, resulting in more than 25% yield increase in comparison with very weak supply level. Significant yield increase was observed until average humus supply on brown forest soil – similarly to chernozem – in favourable crop years. On average, yield was 23% higher than those of plots with very weak humus supply. On the contrary, yield increasing effect (12.4% altogether) can only be shown in the case of humus content increase ranging from very low to low supply in unfavourable crop years. There was no significant yield increase with the further increase of humus content.

HERMANN Tamas;  KISMÁNYOKY Tamás;  TOTH Gergely; 

2015-10-06

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JRC91411

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