Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T16:59:00.876Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of intensity of agronomic practices on a soil ecosystem

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2009

R.R. Weil ,
K.A. Lowell  and
H.M. Shade
R.R. Weil
Affiliation:
Graduate Research Assistants, Agronomy Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.
K.A. Lowell
Affiliation:
Graduate Research Assistants, Agronomy Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.
H.M. Shade
Affiliation:
Graduate Research Assistants, Agronomy Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.
Get access

Extract

The combination of several measures (organic matter accumulated, soil porosity, field soil respiration, CO2 evolved during incubation, and mineral N released) shows clearly that soil biological activity was enhanced in the systems that minimized tillage. Surprisingly, the abundance of earthworms, which are considered very sensitive to damage by tillage, did not always follow the same pattern. We do not know the reason for the response of earthworms, but in part it may have been an artifact of the interaction of the collection technique with soil properties such as infiltration rate and temperature. The most dramatic improvement in porosity, organic matter accumulation and N mineralization ability came from five years' continuous growth of grass sod, underscoring the potential role of grass in sustainable cropping systems and the value of grass for soil conservation and improvement.

Keywords

soil organic mattersoil biologyearthwormssoil respirationcropping systemsN mineralizationorganic fanningsustainable agriculturetillage
Type
Articles
Information
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , March 1993 , pp. 5 - 14
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Anderson, D. W., and Coleman, D.C.. 1985. The dynamics of organic matter in grassland soils. J. Soil and Water Conservation 40:211–216.Google Scholar
2.Angers, D. A. 1992. Changes in soil aggregation and organic carbon under corn and alfalfa. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 56:1244–1249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Bandel, V. A., and Rivard, C.E.. 1978. Soil testing methods of the University of Maryland Soil Test Laboratory. Agronomy Mimeo 37. Univ. of Maryland, College Park.Google Scholar
4.Cataldo, D. A., Haroon, M., Schrader, L.E., and Youngs, V.L.. 1975. Rapid colorimetric determination of nitrate in plant tissue by nitration of salicylic acid. Communications in Soil Sci. and Plant Analysis 6:71–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Daugbjerg, P., Hinge, J., Jensen, J.P., and Sigurdardottir, H.. 1988. Earthworms as bioindicators of cultivated soils? Ecological Bulletins 39:45–47.Google Scholar
6.Davidson, E. A., Galloway, L.E., and Strand, M.K.. 1987. Assessing available C: Comparison of techniques across selected forest soils. Communications in Soil Sci. and Plant Analysis 18:45–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Doran, J. W., Fraser, D.G., Culik, M.N., and Liebhardt, W.C.. 1987. Influence of alternative and conventional agricultural management on soil microbial processes and nitrogen availability. Amer. J. Alternative Agric. 2(3):99–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Edwards, C. A. 1980. Interactions between agricultural practice and earthworms. In D.L. Dindal (ed). Soil Biology as Related to Land Use Practices; Proceedings of the VII International Soil Zoology Colloquium of the International Society of Soil Science. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. pp. 3–12Google Scholar
9.Follett, R. F., and Schimel, D.S.. 1989. Effect of tillage practices on microbial biomass dynamics. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 53:1091–1096.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Fraser, D. G., Doran, J.W., Sahs, W.W., and Lesoing, G.W.. 1988. Soil microbial populations and activities under conventional and organic management. J. Environmental Quality 17(4):585–590.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Gee, G. W., and Dodson, M.E.. 1981. Soil water content by microwave drying: A routine procedure. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 45:1234–1237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Macfadyen, A. 1970. Soil metabolism in relation to ecosystem energy flow and to primary and secondary production. In J. Phillipson (ed). Methods of Study in Soil Ecology. Proceedings of the Paris symposium organized by UNESCO and the International Biological Programmme. Imprimeries Populaires de Genéve, Switzerland, pp. 167–172.Google Scholar
13.Martyniuk, S., and Wagner, G.H.. 1978. Quantitative and qualitative examination of soil microflora associated with different management systems. Soil Sci. 125(6):343–350.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Nelson, D. W., and Sommers, L.E.. 1982. Total carbon, organic carbon, and organic matter. In Page, A.L. (ed). Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. 2nd ed. Agronomy Monograph 9. Amer. Soc. Agronomy and Soil Sci. Soc. Amer., Madison, Wisconsin, pp. 539–597.Google Scholar
15.Satchell, J. E. 1970. Measuring population and energy flow in earth-worms. In J. Phillipson (ed). Methods of Soil Ecology. Proceedings of the Paris symposium organized by UNESCO and the International Biological Programmme. Imprimeries Populaires de Genéve, Switzerland, pp. 261–267.Google Scholar
16.Schwert, D. P. 1990. Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae. In Dindal, D.L. (ed). Soil Biology Guide. Wiley-Interscience, New York, N.Y. pp. 341–356.Google Scholar
17.Sikora, L. J., and McCoy, J.L.. 1990. Attempts to determine available C in soils. Biology and Fertility of Soils 9:19–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18.Singh, J. S., and Gupta, S.R.. 1977. Plant decomposition and soil respiration in terrestrial ecosystems. The Botanical Review 43:449–528.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.Weil, R. R., Benedetto, P.W., Sikora, L.J., and Bandel, V.A.. 1988. Influence of tillage practices on phosphorus distribution and forms in three Ultisols. Agronomy J. 80:503–509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Weil, R., and Kroontje, W.. 1979. Organic matter decomposition in a soil heavily amended with poultry manure. J. Environmental Quality 8(4):584–588.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21.Werner, M. R., and Dindal, D.L.. 1990. Effects of conversion to organic agricultural practices on soil biota. Amer. J. Alternative Agric. 5(1):24–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22.Wood, C. W., Westfall, D.G., Peterson, G.A., and Burke, I.C.. 1990. Impacts of cropping intensity on C and nitrogen mineralization under no-till dryland agroecosystems. Agronomy J. 82:1115–1120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar