The long term experiment with amendments and mineral & organic fertilisation

Design period:

Design Type

Split-plot

Description

-The establishment of the experiments was initiated in the autumn of 1961, by Dr Ioan Boeriu, an advocate of agricultural research in North-Western Transylvania and the manager of the Fertilisers and Amendments Laboratory. From September 1, 1974 until the end of 2022, the management of the trial was taken over by Dr. Paul Kurtinecz. Initially, on two parcels of both the Haplic Luvisol and Albic Luvisol there were created three levels of amendment with 0, 2.5 and 5 t limestone/ha, and 0, 5 and 10 t limestone/ha, respectively. -The stationary experiments with liming and fertilisers were established according to the method of subdivided plots, in a bifactorial manner. Initially, three levels of the amendment factor were created by applying 0; 2.5 and 5 t of limestone/ha in the case of Haplic Luvisol, and double doses in the case of Albic Luvisol. Consequently, in 1966, by subdividing the length of the replicate into three strips of eight m. each, there were created nine levels of amendment which offer a very wide range of practically testing such ameliorative measurements. -In these experiments, the „Fertilisation„ factor presents 8 levels and is of „Mangelversuch„ type, offering the possibility of successively testing the effectiveness of nutritional elements, a concept valid for the period in which the experiences were initiated and in a region where information was completely lacking regarding the effect of fertilisation. Regrettably, worldwide, there are relatively few stationary experiments with liming of acidic soils, and for the existent ones the „limestone„ factor does not present several gradual levels. -Fertilisation was carried out with ammonium nitrate, concentrated superphosphate, potassium salt 40%, semi-fermented farmyard manure. Liming used Bucium limestone and precipitated calcium carbonate from „Azomures„ . The crop rotation practiced in these experiments involved mostly cereals. At the end of the 70’s, the beginning of the 80’s, at the country level, the issue of liming acidic soils and fertilisation was considered sufficiently elucidated and this led to the abolition of stationary experiments with amendments and fertilisers located in several other research stations (Horodnic, Suceava; Husasaul de Tinca, Bihor; Albota, Arges, etc.). Considering the large prevalence of acidic soils in the northwest, at A.R.S. Livada it was deemed necessary to maintain these experiments, mainly for the continuous follow-up of limestone secondary effects. -The long term experiment uses progressive doses of mineral & organic fertilisers varying as well different doses of amendments.

Design description

The bifactorial experiment (of the 9A x 8B type) is divided into 4 replicates. Each replicate consists of 3 blocks, with 24 different plots. Overall, the experiment consists of 288 plots of 6 m x 7 m size.

Number of plots

3

Number of subplots

24

Number of replicates

4

Number of harvests per year

1

Crop

Crop	Years grown
Mainly cereal crops

Crop Rotation

Unnamed

• 1
  -

Factors

Factor name

Factor levels

Mineral & Organic fertiliser addition

The factor consist of different levels of mineral & organic fertilisers addition

Control (unlimed & unfertilised)  (0 kilogram per hectare)

Chemical form: -

Nitrogen fertilisers exposure  (100 kg/ha)

Chemical form: ammonium nitrate

Phosphate fertiliser exposure  (70 kilogram per hectare)

Chemical form: triple superphosphate

Potassium fertiliser exposure  (60 kilogram per hectare)

Chemical form: potassium chloride

Farmyard manure exposure  (20 tonnes per hectare)

Chemical form: -

Liming exposure

The factor consist of different levels of amendment addition

control exposure (unlimed)  (0 kg/ha)

Chemical form: limestone

Amendment rate 1  (83,3 kilogram per hectare)

Chemical form: limestone

Amendment rate 2  (166,7 kilogram per hectare)

Chemical form: limestone

Amendment rate 3  (166,7 kilogram per hectare)

Chemical form: limestone

Amendment rate 4  (208,3 kilogram per hectare)

Chemical form: limestone

Amendment rate 5  (250 kilogram per hectare)

Chemical form: limestone

Amendment rate 6  (333 kilogram per hectare)

Chemical form: limestone

Amendment rate 7  (417 kilogram per hectare)

Chemical form: limestone

Amendment rate 8  (667 kilogram per hectare)

Chemical form: limestone

Measurements

Variable	Material	Units	Frequency	Scale	Comment
Soil pH	Soil				The pH value (KCl) oscilated in experiences between 4.7 and 8.3
Crop yield	Not specified		annually
Soil and plant micro & macro elements	Not specified
Soil respiration, photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence	Not specified