Acceptance of direct surcharges for Polish agriculture after joining the European Union has increased the interest of farmers in cultivation of abandoned lands, whose area is assessed at about 1.8 million hectares. The research aimed at determining proper tillage techniques with regard to the criteria of equalized agriculture. The size of cellulolytic bacteria, respiration of soil and yielding of crops are presented when using in the first year direct sowing, ameliorative
terracing ploughing, traditional ploughing and ploughing with a plough and skim coulter, and in the second year solely traditional ploughing and direct sowing. Ameliorative ploughing used on a fallow was found to have exerted a restrictive influence on the development of cellulolytic bacteria, respiration of soil and yielding of crops in both the first and second years of cultivation. Direct sowing applied in the second year of cultivation did not bring about any changes in the size of
cellulolytic bacteria or respiration of soil as compared with plough tillage. The use of plough with a skim coulter in cultivation of a fallow, as compared with plain ploughing and direct sowing, was found to have restricted the development of cellulolytic bacteria, while in the first year the respiration of soil was the highest. Plough tillage appeared to exert a more favourable influence on soil respiration in the second year. The yields obtained in the experiments point out that direct sowing can be applied for bringing abandoned land into cultivation, profitable effects being attained with growing oats in the first year.