Economic Viability of Winter-Wheat Tillage Systems

A multidisciplinary field experiment for winter wheat was conducted in Croatia during three seasons. The intention was to examine the effect of tillage systems (TS) on the economic indicators, that is, on the gross margin (GM), rate of profitability (ROP), cost-effectiveness (E) and productivity (P). The TSs were as follows: CT — plowing up to a 30 cm depth, DT — disking up 8-12 cm, LT — loosening up to 35 cm and NT — no-tillage. The experimental design was a randomized block one in four repetitions, whereby the basic TS plot amounted to 540 m2. The economic indicators were calculated using the economic equations and standards. Statistical analysis was performed with the SAS 9.3 and Microsoft Excel 2016 software. The results are pointing that the LT assigned the prime economic results. The ROP was in the following order: CT (32.67%) < DT (37.39%) < LT (40.31%) < NT (42.29%). The same order was established for the E, as follows: CT (1.33) < DT (1.37) < LT (1.40) < NT (1.42). The NT established the best P because of the lowest production costs, but due to a significantly lower yield, the NT has a limited adoption in practice. A viable agricultural production by the implementation of reduced soil tillage systems has its capabilities and potential while invigorating economic sustainability and agricultural production’s financial efficiency.
Multidisciplinarni terenski pokus za ozimu pšenicu izveden je u Hrvatskoj tijekom triju sezona . Namjera ove studije bila je ispitati učinak sustava obrade tla (TS) na ekonomske pokazatelje kao što su bruto-marža (GM), stopa profitabilnosti (ROP), isplativost (E) i produktivnost (P). TS su bili sljedeći: CT — oranje do 30 cm dubine, DT — tanjuranje 8-12 cm dubine, LT — rahljenje do 35 cm dubine i NT — bez obrade tla. Eksperimentalni je dizajn bio randomiziran i blokni, u četiri ponavljanja, pri čemu je osnovna TS parcela iznosila 540 m2. Ekonomski pokazatelji izračunani su korištenjem ekonomskih jednadžba i standarda. Statistička analiza provedena je softverom SAS 9.3 i Microsoft Excelom 2016. Dobiveni rezultati ukazuju da je s aspekta ekonomskih proračuna LT ostvario najbolje ekonomske rezultate. ROP je redom bio sljedeći: CT (32,67%) < DT (37,39%) < LT (40,31%) < NT (42,29%). Isti redoslijed utvrđen je i za E, i to redom: CT (1,33) < DT (1,37) < LT (1,40) < NT (1,42). NT je ostvario najbolji P zbog najnižih troškova proizvodnje, ali zbog znatno nižega prinosa NT ima ograničeno usvajanje u praksi. Održiva poljoprivredna proizvodnja implementacijom reduciranih sustava obrade tla ima svoje mogućnosti i potencijal, i to posebno ekonomski, potencirajući ekoodrživost i financijsku učinkovitost poljoprivredne proizvodnje.