STUDIES REGARDING SOIL COMPACTION IN WESTSIK CROP ROTATION EXPERIMENT

The soil compaction results from cohesive forces between soil particles and their resistance to sliding past or over one another. Soil compaction is an important characteristic affecting soil properties, such as cultivation, root growth and water maangement. Characterisation of soil compaction is usually made by measuring the response of a soil to a range of applied forces. Penetrometers are widely used to measure the soil resistance. Penetration is expressed as force per unit cross-sectional area of the cone-base. Penetrometer measurements can be done relatively quickly and easily, and can provide valuable data for estimating resistance to root growth in soil, and may also be used for detecting layers of different soil strength. Studies have shown that cultivated fallow and monocropping destroy soil structure, increase evaporability and soil compacting. In turn, by growing green manure lupine crop, farmers increase water infiltration and retention of nutrients and thereby not only improves the ability of soil to sustain plant in drought conditions but help to reduce both wind and water erosion. Legumes play an important role in the regenerative soil conserving strategy. Root and green manure crops add organic matter to the soil, assists in dissolving insoluble nutrients, brings up nutrients from the subsoil and improves the water holding capacity of the soil. The crop rotation system should improve soil condition by including deep rooted plants and plants with a fibrous root system to improve the stability of soil aggregates. The beneficial effect of lupine green manure crop on the yield of subsequent crops has been known from the ancient times. There is also evidence suggesting that an improved soil structure increase biological activity in the soil and enables plants to utilise soil moisture and nutrients more effectively. The aim of present paper is to assess the environmental benefits from using penetrometer to characterize soil bulk density at various depths and help to develope precision farming technologies in Nyirseg region. Results of the study suggest that soil cultivation and nutrient managed can be based on site-specific soil compaction mapping using digital penetrometer. The second aim of this paper is to study the effects of lupine on the penertation resistance mearured in the subsequent crops.