Winter wheat has been grown continuously in the Magruder Plots since 1892. The long-term comparison of unfertilized, manure, NPK and limed treatments reveals how 134 years of management changed yields, soil organic matter, pH and microbial communities.
One of the reasons that prompted me to switch to no-till technology was the stable lack of moisture during the growing season. On my farm, which is located in the western part of Crimea, the average long-term rainfall is 250-300 mm, and the minimum is 218 mm. An area with less than 200 mm of precipitation is already considered a …