Long-term tillage and crop rotation effects on soil quality, organic carbon, and total nitrogen

EerdLaura, L Van; Congreves, Katelyn A.; HayesAdam,; VerhallenAnne,; HookerDavid, C

doi:10.4141/cjss2013-093

Cited by 145 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…Management practices imposed on the soil, including crop rotation, fertility management and tillage, will impact current and future productivity (Johnston et al 1995;Halvorson et al 2002;Campbell et al 2005;Van Eerd et al 2014). Since soil quality parameters change very slowly over time in response to management practices, long-term cropping system studies are required to document cumulative changes critical for maintaining productivity (Janzen 1987a).…”

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Long-term cropping system impact on quality and productivity of a Dark Brown Chernozem in southern Alberta

2015

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Smith, E. G., Janzen, H. H. and Larney, F. J. 2015. Long-term cropping system impact on quality and productivity of a Dark Brown Chernozem in southern Alberta. Can. J. Soil Sci. 95: 177–186. Long-term cropping system studies offer insights into soil management effects on agricultural sustainability. In 1995, a 6-yr bioassay study was superimposed on a long-term crop rotation study established in 1951 at Lethbridge, Alberta, to determine the impact of past cropping systems on soil quality, crop productivity, grain quality, and the relationship of yield productivity to soil quality. All plots from 13 long-term crop rotations were seeded to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a strip plot design [control, nitrogen (N) fertilizer]. Prior to seeding, soils were sampled to determine soil chemical properties. Total wheat production for the last 4 yr of the study was used as the measure of productivity. The 1995 soil analysis indicated crop rotations with less frequent fallow and with N input had higher soil quality, as indicated by soil organic carbon (SOC) and light fraction carbon (LF-C) and N (LF-N). SOC had a positive relationship to total wheat yield, but was largely masked by the application of N in this bioassay study. Frequent fallow in the previous crop rotation lowered productivity. The concentration of LF-C had a negative relationship, whereas LF-N had a positive relationship to total wheat yield, with and without N fertilization in this bioassay study. Grain N concentration was higher with applied N and when the long-term rotation included the addition of N by fertilizer, livestock manure, annual legume green manure or legume hay. This study determined that long-term imposition of management practices have lasting effects on soil quality and crop productivity.

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Long-term cropping system impact on quality and productivity of a Dark Brown Chernozem in southern Alberta

2015

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“…For instance, retaining more than 30% of crop residue cover on the surface is considered a conservation tillage practice (Shelton et al 1990;Huggins and Reganold 2008;Lal 2015) and is an important objective of the Great Lakes Agricultural Sustainability Initiative funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (OMAFRA 2015b). Other studies have found that conservation tillage and crop residue cover are important for reducing time and fuel consumption, improving water and soil quality (Clarke et al 1990;Patni et al 1998;Yang et al 2005), increasing the amount of organic matter (Kochsiek et al 2013;Congreves et al 2014;Van Eerd et al 2014), reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Smith et al 2008), and reducing soil erosion (Ketcheson and Stonehouse 1983). The latter authors found that soil erosion can be reduced by 75% by maintaining a corn (Zea mays L.) crop residue cover of 15%.…”

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Determining the number of measurements required to estimate crop residue cover by different methods

Laamrani¹,

Joosse²,

Feisthauer³

2017

Journal of Soil and Water Conservation

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Ahmed Laamrani is a visiting postdoctoral fellow, Pamela Joosse is senior land resource scientist, and Natalie Feisthauer is a land resource scientist in the Science and Technology Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.Determining the number of measurements required to estimate crop residue cover by different methods A. Laamrani, P. Joosse, and N. Feisthauer Abstract: Crop residue left after harvest plays an important role in controlling against soil erosion and in increasing soil organic matter content of agricultural soils. Crop residue management is a practice of great importance in southwestern Ontario, where soil management practices have an effect on Great Lakes water quality. The use of remote sensing data to measure and monitor crop residue can be fast and efficient. However, remote sensing-based studies need calibration and validation using field observations. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal number of ground-truthing field measurements (i.e., digital photographs) required to estimate residue levels. To do so, we compared the residue estimates derived from digital photographs with those derived from the standard line-transect method. Residue was measured from 18 fields located in southern Ontario, and data collected included percentage of crop residue using line-transect and photographic grid methods. Results were analyzed using linear regression, correlation tests, ANOVA, and means tests. Analyses were also conducted to retrospectively determine the minimum number of line transects or digital photos required to estimate crop residue cover at specified levels of power. Results showed that (1) percentage of crop residue estimates derived from using digital photographs were strongly correlated (r = 0.91, p < 0.001, R 2 = 0.83, and n = 90) to those derived from using line transects; (2) counting 50 to 100 points per digital photograph was sufficient to accurately estimate the percentage of residue cover; and (3) there was greater variability in the results for soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) than for corn (Zea mays L.), with the highest variability for medium-level soybean residue. Overall, the digital photograph method to estimate percentage of residue was found to be a suitable alternative to the line-transect method, which is more time consuming and labor intensive. Determining the optimal numbers of measurements to estimate crop residue cover is important to those wishing to use digital photo capture methods to record, archive, and measure residue for remote sensing calibration and validation or for handheld mobile device applications. Key words: digital photograph method-field crops-Great Lakes-line-transect methodsoil cover-validation and calibrationOntario, Canada's most populous and second largest province, has more than half of the highest quality farmland in Canada, with a total number of about 52,000 farms according to the 2011 Census of Agriculture (AAFC 2013). Crop residue (nonphotosynthetic vegetation) management is an important agricult...

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“…The greater SOC under CSW is probably related to the slower decomposition rate of the high C: N ratio corn and wheat residues compared to the soybean residues. Similarly, Van Eerd et al [25], reported that the inclusion of winter wheat in a corn-soybean rotation led to greater SOC in two long-term (>10 years) experiments in Ontario, Canada under both NT and CT. Van Eerd et al [25], attributed the greater SOC with high frequency wheat crop rotations, in part to the greater lignin found in wheat residues, which is recalcitrant and would slow decomposition. The discrepancy in biomass decomposition among crops also leads to the expectation of greater SOC under CCC compared to CS as reported in a large-scale data analysis by West and Post [9]; however, no differences were found between CCC and CS within this study.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 86%

Carbon and Nitrogen Content of Soil Organic Matter and Microbial Biomass under Long-Term Crop Rotation and Tillage in Illinois, USA

et al. 2018

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Abstract:Crop rotation and tillage alter soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics by influencing the soil environment and microbes carrying out C and N cycling. Our goal was to evaluate the effect of long-term crop rotation and tillage on the quantity of C and N stored in SOM and microbial biomass. Two experimental sites were used to evaluate four rotations-continuous corn (Zea mays L.) (CCC), corn-soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) (CS), corn-soybean-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (CSW), and continuous soybean (SSS), each split into chisel tillage (CT) and no-till (NT) subplots. The CSW rotation increased soil organic carbon (SOC) content compared to SSS; SSS also reduced total nitrogen (TN) compared to other rotations. Levels of SOC and TN were 7% and 9% greater under NT than CT, respectively. Rotation did not affect microbial biomass C and N (MBC, MBN) while tillage reduced only MBN at 10-20 cm compared to NT, likely related to dispersion of N fertilizers throughout the soil. Despite the apparent lack of sensitivity of microbial biomass, changes in SOC and TN illustrate the effects of rotation and tillage on SOM dynamics. The inclusion of crops with high C: N residues and no-till use both support higher C and N content in the top 20 cm of the soil.

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Long-term tillage and crop rotation effects on soil quality, organic carbon, and total nitrogen

Cited by 145 publications

References 65 publications

Long-term cropping system impact on quality and productivity of a Dark Brown Chernozem in southern Alberta

Long-term cropping system impact on quality and productivity of a Dark Brown Chernozem in southern Alberta

Determining the number of measurements required to estimate crop residue cover by different methods

Carbon and Nitrogen Content of Soil Organic Matter and Microbial Biomass under Long-Term Crop Rotation and Tillage in Illinois, USA

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