Tillage effects on topsoil structural quality assessed using X-ray CT, soil cores and visual soil evaluation

Garbout, Amin; Munkholm, Lars J.; Hansen, Søren

doi:10.1016/j.still.2012.11.003

Cited by 83 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…These values are consistent with those reported by Garbout et al (2013). For CP and complete stover harvest, a Sq of >3 in both layers suggests that the soil physical environment is being degraded due to soil compaction.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

“…The VESS has been used for the assessment of soil structural quality in different soils and management systems (Liesch et al, 2011;Askari et al, 2013Askari et al, , 2015Ball et al, 2013;Giarola et al, 2013;Guimarães et al, 2013;Mueller et al, 2013;Munkholm et al, 2013;Askari and Holden, 2014;Cui et al, 2014;Pulido Moncada et al, 2014;Silva et al, 2014;Cui and Holden, 2015). Several studies identified close correlations between VESS Sq values and quantitative soil physical properties, such as soil bulk density, total porosity, air permeability, penetration resistance, aggregate tensile strength, mean weight diameter, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and least limiting water range (Mueller et al, 2009;Guimarães et al, 2011;Liesch et al, 2011;Garbout et al, 2013;Guimarães et al, 2013;Abdollahi and Munkholm, 2014). Guimarães et al (2013) showed that VESS (a simple indicator) and the least limiting water range (a complex indicator) often converge to identify highly restrictive soil physical conditions to plant growth when Sq is >3.5, suggesting that VESS encompasses complex physical functions (e.g., water availability, aeration, and rootability) related to the structural and physical quality of soils.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Visual Soil Structure Effects of Tillage and Corn Stover Harvest in Iowa

Tormena

Karlen

Logsdon

et al. 2016

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

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Core Ideas VESS detected soil structural quality changes under corn stover harvest and tillage systems. A high level of corn stover harvest had an adverse effect on the soil structural quality. Under high stover harvest, structural quality in chisel plow was worse than in no‐tillage. VESS should be further evaluated as an integrative soil quality/health indicator. High levels of corn (Zea mays L.) stover harvest for ethanol production have raised concerns regarding negative consequences on soil structure and physical quality. Visual soil structure assessment methods have the potential to help address these concerns through simple, straightforward on‐farm evaluations. Our objective was to determine if the visual evaluation of soil structure (VESS) approach could detect soil structural quality differences associated with different levels of corn stover harvest and tillage practices. We evaluated no harvest and moderate and high stover harvest levels within no‐tillage (NT) and chisel plow (CP) plots following 7 yr of continuous corn. Undisturbed 10‐ by 20‐ by 25‐cm soil samples were taken using a spade in April 2015. The thickness and structural quality (Sq) scores for the 0‐ to 5‐ (top) and 5‐ to 20‐cm (bottom) soil layers were determined, and an overall Sq was computed. The Sq values showed a significant interaction between corn stover harvest and tillage practice. Soil structural quality showed no significant differences between NT and CP systems for either the no‐ or moderate‐harvest treatments, but with a high stover harvest rate, CP structural quality was worse than NT. With NT, both moderate and high rates of stover harvest significantly increased Sq compared to no harvest; in CP, there was no significant difference between the no‐ and moderate‐harvest treatments. Only a high level of stover harvest had an adverse effect on the Sq rating. The VESS approach was sensitive for detecting the effects of corn stover harvest and tillage systems on soil structural quality and should be further evaluated as an integrative, on‐farm soil quality/health indicator.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

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confidence: 99%

Visual Soil Structure Effects of Tillage and Corn Stover Harvest in Iowa

Tormena

Karlen

Logsdon

et al. 2016

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In recent years, several methods of visual field examination have been developed to provide a direct description of soil structure, helping farmers to take rapid decisions in order to improve the soil structural quality, and thus ensuring the soil's capacity of sustainable production. The importance of visual field examination of soil quality has been widely recognized as it plays a particularly important role in providing rapid semi-quantitative data on physical soil quality (Shepherd, 2000;Mueller et al, 2009;Garbout et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual examinations and soil physical and hydraulic properties for assessing soil structural quality of soils with contrasting textures and land uses

Moncada

Penning

Timm

et al. 2014

Soil and Tillage Research

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“…Consequently, several studies have documented these anthropogenic effects on soil physical properties using x-ray CT systems (Olsen and Børresen, 1997;Gantzer and Anderson, 2002;Munkholm et al, 2003;Papadopoulos et al, 2009;Garbout et al, 2013). Gantzer and Anderson (2002) indicated that important features of soil structure are the number and size of macropores, which include tillage-induced structures, wormholes, and root channels.…”

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confidence: 99%

Evaluating Soil Tillage Practices Using X-Ray Computed Tomography and Conventional Laboratory Methods

2016

Trans. ASABE

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Using x-ray computed tomography (CT) for non-destructive 3-D imaging and analysis of soil physical properties has been investigated for over 30 years. However, applying this system in soil science has remained a specialized research area using primarily low-resolution medical-grade x-ray CT units that were not designed for soil analysis applications. The main research objectives were to characterize and compare physical properties of soil core samples from long-term chisel plow (CP) and no-till (NT) agricultural field management sites using a high-resolution industrial-grade x-ray CT unit and two conventional soil laboratory method (SLM) soil macroporosity analysis procedures. Field research activities during 1999 included collecting four soil columns for each CP and NT soil management practice at the Iowa State University Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm at Nashua, Iowa. Findings from this study indicate that percent macroporosity and soil bulk density values were significantly higher and lower, respectively, for annual CP rowcrop (corn and soybean) versus annual NT rowcrop systems. Since the soil structure of perennial NT vegetation (native grasses and trees) is similar to CP, rowcrop practices could explain inconsistent soil hydraulic conductivity values from NT cropping systems. These results underscore the potential of x-ray CT as an effective soil porosity analysis tool and suggest the development of an online database of x-ray CT 3-D soil core images based on soil type and tillage system. This readily available information could aid scientists in soil structural analysis applications, potentially avoiding the limitations of x-ray CT unit cost and system availability issues. KeywordsComputed tomography, Conservation tillage practices, Soil analysis and quantification, Soil laboratory methods, Soil physical properties, X-ray CT scanner

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Tillage effects on topsoil structural quality assessed using X-ray CT, soil cores and visual soil evaluation

Cited by 83 publications

References 25 publications

Visual Soil Structure Effects of Tillage and Corn Stover Harvest in Iowa

Visual Soil Structure Effects of Tillage and Corn Stover Harvest in Iowa

Visual examinations and soil physical and hydraulic properties for assessing soil structural quality of soils with contrasting textures and land uses

Evaluating Soil Tillage Practices Using X-Ray Computed Tomography and Conventional Laboratory Methods

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