Long‐Term Tillage and Rotation Effects on Properties of a Central Ohio Soil

Abstract

Sustainable use of soil resources can be assessed from management‐induced changes in soil properties from long‐term experiments. Such data are scanty, especially with regard to changes in soil physical properties. Therefore, soil physical and chemical analyses were performed 28 yr after initiating a crop rotation‐tillage experiment on a well‐drained Wooster silt loam soil (fine‐loamy, mixed, mesic Typic Fragiudalf) at Wooster, OH. All combinations of three rotations (continuous corn [CC; Zea mays L.]; corn and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in a 2‐yr rotation [CS]; and corn, oat [Avena sativa L.], and meadow in a 3‐yr rotation [COM]) and of three tillage treatments (no‐tillage [NT]; chisel plow [CP]; and moldboard plow [MP]) were maintained on the same plots for the entire length of study. All crops were grown every year. Soil properties studied for the 0‐ to 15‐cm layer were: structural stability of aggregates, bulk density, total porosity, penetration resistance, organic C, pH, cation‐exchange capacity (CEC), and exchangeable K, Ca and Mg. Mean bulk densities measured prior to tillage treatments and planting were 1.18, 1.24, and 1.28 Mg m−3 for CC, CS, and COM rotations, respectively. The lowest bulk density was observed for the CC‐NT combination. Total aggregation in CS was 26.9% greater than CC and 111.2% greater than COM. With tillage treatments, aggregation was in the order of NT>CP>MP. Rotation treatments had no effect on aggregate size. In accord with bulk density, the relative magnitude of organic C content was 100, 85, and 63 for CC, CS, and COM rotations, respectively.

Acidificação de um Latossolo sob plantio direto

“…Menores valores de pH na camada de 0-5 e 5-10 cm do solo em PD do que em PC também foram observados por Pottker & Ben (1998) e por Blevins et al (1983). Entretanto, autores, tais como: Muzilli (1983), Sidiras & Pavan (1985) e Lal et al (1994), não verificaram diferença nos valores de pH entre o sistema plantio direto e o preparo convencional, o que pode estar relacionado, possivelmente, com o maior poder tampão da acidez dos solos estudados por esses autores, menor lixiviação de bases decorrente de menor precipitação pluviométrica e menor aplicação de fertilizantes com reação ácida sobre o solo, dentre outros fatores.…”

Crop residue grazing and tillage systems effects on soil physical properties and corn (Zea mays L.) performance

“…On the other hand, is contributes to increase soil water storage because the soil is not tilled and crop residues are left on the surface. Crop residues on soil surface are the major advantage of NT (Lal et al, 1994). However, one of the reported disadvantages of NT is soil compaction caused by traffic intensity of heavy machinery, especially when the operations are carried out on wet soil or with high tire-inflation pressure (Botta et al, 2004).…”

Effect of tillage and residue management on barley and canola growth and water use efficiency

“…Long-term continuously cropped CT and NT systems can alter soil structure (Drees et al 1994), bulk density, aggregate stability, total porosity and organic carbon levels (Lal et al 1994;Singh et al 1994). This will influence the various soil factors that affect water storage capacity .…”

“…Rainfall patterns are erratic and unpredictable and thus crops can suffer from drought and/or excessive wetness, even within the same growing season (Arshad and Dobb 1991). The ability of a soil to store water is affected by its pore structure, aggregate stability and initial soil water content, all of which can be modified by tillage and other management practices (Lal et al 1994;Singh et al 1994). Crop residues associated with NT management may affect crop growth and yield by altering soil conditions that influence the soil water regime during periods of shortage or excess water.…”