The Effect of Reservoir Cultivation on Conventional Maize in Sandy-Loam Soil

Maize grown on sloped areas is susceptible to surface runoff and soil erosion, especially if traditional technology with tillage is employed. As a result, other solutions are being sought that address this risk and are acceptable to farmers. The combination of inter-row cultivation with the formation of small reservoirs appears to be a suitable alternative solution applicable in traditional corn cultivation. In the years 2020, 2021, and 2022, three plots of land in southern Bohemia, Czech Republic, were selected for testing, on which this approach was tested. During the field experiments, three variants were compared each year: inter-row cultivation with reservoirs, inter-row cultivation only, and a control without any mechanical intervention. All variants were subjected to rain simulation, from which the surface runoff was evaluated. The highest retention of runoff was manifested with reservoir cultivation by 2.4-4.2 min, compared to the cultivated variant, and 2-4.2 min compared to the control. This result would correspond to a difference of 5.7-9.8 mm retained precipitation and 4.6 to 7.3 mm, respectively. The hydraulic conductivity of the soil was evaluated after canopy closure. The lowest values were invariably reached in the reservoirs, up to 88% lower than with the cultivated variant and 79% lower than the control. The fresh matter yield of forage maize was shown to be inconclusively higher by up to 10% in 2020 and 2022 in cultivation with reservoirs. However, the dry matter yield was always lower in the variant with reservoirs compared to inter-row cultivation only. Overall, reservoir cultivation appears to be an effective method for the retention of rainwater on agricultural land with a slope up to 6 & DEG; without a significant effect on the yield of maize.

Automated summary

Maize cultivation on sloped areas is at risk of surface runoff and soil erosion when traditional tillage methods are used. An alternative solution of inter-row cultivation with small reservoirs has been tested and found effective in retaining rainwater and improving maize yield. Field experiments in southern Bohemia, Czech Republic, showed that compared to other variants, reservoir cultivation significantly reduced surface runoff and increased fresh matter yield of forage maize.