Soil Properties and CO2 Emissions Under Different Tillage Systems

The present study is on changes in some soil properties as well as CO2 emissions in relation with the application of conventional and soil protection technologies in the cultivation of wheat and maize on sloping terrains on Calcic Chernozem soil type. Bulk density, porosity, hardness, number of saprophytic bacteria, humus content, soil moisture, electrical conductivity, polyphenol oxidase, and peroxidase activity were determined. The dependence of CO2 emissions on the applied technologies and the cultivated crop has been established. The factors that most strongly influenced the CO2 emissions in the conducted experiments are related to the physical condition of the soil and the degree of compaction, hardness and porosity, as well as the processes involved in the accumulation of humus.