Long-Term Effects of Agricultural Practices on Microbial Community

Abstract

In Brazil. efforts to increase soil organic matter and to reduce soil nutrient losses through erosion have been made including the adoption of the no-tillage system and cover/rotationlintercropping practices with legumes. The better results obtained within these systems could be attributed to erosion control, improved plant residue management, higher rates of biological N, fixation, increased contribution of mycorrhizal fungi, nutrient cycling and decreased organic matter mineralisation, as well as lower nutrient leaching and runoff losses. Benefits of the long-term effects of legume crops and no-tillage system on microbial community have been reported, including beneficial effects on mycorrhizal fungi colonization, on common bean rhizobia and soybean bradyrhizobia diversity, nodulation and N, fixation rates. The inoculation of grain legume crops every crop season has resulted in increases in nodulation; N, fixation rates and grain yield of important legume crops, such as soybean (Glycine max) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris).

Reduced tillage in temperate organic farming: Effects on soil nutrients, nutrient content and yield of barley, rye and associated weeds

“…While in conventional agriculture the use of the moldboard plow is under discussion, mostly for economic reasons, in organic farming (OF) the main argument against the use of deep soil turning is the detrimental effect on soil ecology 9 . Reduced tillage is a viable option for European conventional agriculture due to the provision of efficient alternatives to control crop nutrition and weeds 10 – 12 .…”