Long-term influence of cereal crop rotation on the properties of light soil and winter rye yield

In the field experiment, the influence of a long-term cereal crop rotation (100% cereals) on the light soil properties and yield of the test plant (winter rye) was investigated. Winter rye cultivation in the cereal crop rotation for more than 25 years caused a relatively unimportant changes of the physical and chemical soil properties. An increase of soil density, decrease of organic carbon and nitrogen content in the soil as well as an increase of fulvic acid content and a decrease of humins in the humus compounds were found. Although there was quite a significant differentiation in the soil conditions, rye yield in the specialised crop rotation, especially in a monoculture, was significantly lower than in the case of a conventional crop rotation.