Research was done at the Joniskelis Experimental Station of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry on a clay loam Endocalcari-Endohypogleyic Cambisol (CMg-n-w-can). The objective of this study was to determine the effects of reduced (shallow ploughing and ploughless tillage) tillage as well as its combinations with supplementary agronomic practices, improving soil conditions - incorporation of lime sludge, cover crop (mixture of white mustard and oilseed radish) for green manure and mulch on the emergence, growth and development of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) crop. Data revealed that shallow ploughing caused the worst field pea emergence in 2008. Ploughless tillage in combination with lime sludge incorporation resulted in a significantly higher soil water content in seedbed layer (0-5 cm) directly after field pea sowing in 2009, better field pea germination within the prolonged droughty post-sowing periods (18 and 20 days respectively in 2008 and 2009) and higher grain yield in 2008 as compared to deep ploughing. Due to the ploughless tillage together with incorporation of the cover crop biomass for the green manure late in autumn, significantly higher soil water content was registered in the seedbed directly after sowing in 2010 and at 5-15 cm depth according to the average data of 2008-2010; however the emergence and growth of field pea under droughty conditions were worse, and yield decreased in 2009 and 2010. Application of ploughless tillage with no supplementary practices resulted in significantly higher soil water content in seedbed directly after field pea sowing in 2010; however, in field pea yield decreased in 2009. Cover crop winter mulch without tillage in autumn led to a significantly higher soil water content in the seedbed directly after sowing in 2010, while the soil water content after field pea emergence at 5-15 cm depth in 2008 and at 15-25 cm depth according to the average data of 2008-2010 was lower, seedbed structure was mostly worse, field pea growth and development were poor and crop yield was lower in all years of study as compared to deep ploughing. Rapid capillary water movement, characteristic of clay loam with predominant silty fractions, could lead to a higher drying of soil layers unloosened in the autumn. Field pea yield was influenced by the amount of rainfall during one month after sowing in a droughty year 2008 and by the soil structure in a seedbed in 2009.
