Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T05:10:25.675Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Comparing agroecosystems: Effects of cropping and tillage patterns on soil, water, energy use and productivity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2007

Megan M. Gregory ,
Kathleen L. Shea  and
Eugene B. Bakko
Megan M. Gregory
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, 55057, USA.
Kathleen L. Shea*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, 55057, USA.
Eugene B. Bakko
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, 55057, USA.
*
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We compared soil characteristics, runoff water quantity and nutrient fluxes, energy use and productivity of three farm types in an unusually dry farming season: conventional (continuous corn and deep tillage), rotation (5-year corn–soybean–oats/alfalfa–alfalfa–alfalfa rotation with tillage 2/5 years) and no-till (corn–soybean with no cultivation). Soil organic matter content was highest on the rotation farm, followed by the no-till farm, and lowest on the conventional farm. Nitrate content of the soil did not differ significantly among the three farms, although the conventional farm had a much higher input of fertilizer nitrogen. Soil penetrometer resistance was lower and percent soil moisture was higher in the no-till and rotation systems compared to the conventional farm. Soil macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity were highest on the no-till farm, followed by the rotation farm. No invertebrates were found in the soil of the conventional farm. The conventional farm had the highest runoff volume per cm rain and higher nitrogen (N) loss in runoff when compared to the rotation and no-till farms, as well as a higher phosphorus (P) flux in comparison to the no-till farm. These results indicate that perennial close-seeded crops (such as alfalfa) used in crop rotations, as well as plant residue left on the surface of no-till fields, can enhance soil organic content and decrease runoff. The lower soil penetrometer resistance and higher soil moisture on the rotation and no-till farms show that conservation tillage can increase soil aggregation and water infiltration, both of which prevent erosion. Furthermore, crop rotation, and particularly no-till, promote diverse invertebrate populations, which play an important role in maintaining nutrient cycling and soil structure. Crop rotation and no-till agriculture are less fossil-fuel intensive than conventional agriculture, due to decreased use of fertilizers, pesticides and fuel. In this unusually dry year they provided superior corn and soybean yields, most likely due to higher soil moisture as a result of greater water infiltration and retention associated with cover crops (rotation farm) and crop residue (no-till farm).

Keywords

sustainable agriculturecrop rotationno-till agriculturesoil organic mattersoil compactionsoil invertebratesagricultural runofffossil fuel consumptioncorn–soybean productivity
Type
Research Article
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , June 2005 , pp. 81 - 90
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

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

1Randall, G. 2003. Present-day Agriculture in Southern Minnesota: is it sustainable? University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center, Minneapolis, MN.Google Scholar
2Taliaferro, C. 2002. Family Farms. In Comstock, G. (ed.). Life Science Ethics. IA State Press, Ames, IA.Google Scholar
3Altieri, M. 1987. Agroecology: The Scientific Basis of Alternative Agriculture. Westview Press, Boulder, CO.Google Scholar
4Coleman, D.C., Cole, C.V. and Elliot, E.T. 1984. Decomposition, organic matter turnover, and nutrient dynamics in agroecosystems Agricultural Ecosystems. In Lowrance, R., Stinner, B.R. and House, G.J. (eds). Wiley-Interscience Publications, John Wiley and Sons, New York. P. 83–104.Google Scholar
5Drinkwater, L.E., Wagoner, P. and Sarrantonio, M. 1998. Legume-based cropping systems have reduced carbon and nitrogen losses. Nature 396: 262–265.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Francis, C.A. and Clegg, M.D. 1990. Crop rotations in sustainable production systems Sustainable Production Systems. In Edwards, C., Lal, R., Madden, P., Miller, R. and House, G. (eds). Sustainable Agriculture Systems. St. Lucie Press, Delray Beach FL. 107–122.Google Scholar
7Poincelot, R.P. 1986. Sustaining resources: soil. In Poincelot, R.P. (ed.). Toward a More Sustainable Agriculture. AVI Publishing Company, Westport CT. 116–160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Woodmansee, R.G. 1984. Comparative nutrient cycles of natural and agricultural ecosystems. In Lowrance, R., Stinner, B.R., House, G.J. (eds). Agricultural Ecosystems. Wiley-Interscience Publications, John Wiley and Sons, New York. P. 145–156.Google Scholar
9Holland, E.A. and Coleman, D.C. 1987. Litter placement effects on microbial and organic matter dynamics in an agricultural ecosystem. Ecology 68:(2): 425–433.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Altieri, M. 1999. The ecological role of biodiversity in agroecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment 74: 19–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Edwards, C.A., Grove, T.L., Harwood, R.R., and Pierce Colfer, C.J. 1993. The role of agroecology and integrated farming systems in agricultural sustainability. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment 46: 99–121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12Lal, R. 1991. Soil conservation and biodiversity. In Hawksworth, D.L. (ed.). The Biodiversity of Microorganisms and Invertebrates: its Role in Sustainable Agriculture. CAB International, Wallingford, UK. P. 89–104.Google Scholar
13Lee, K.E. 1991. The diversity of soil organisms.In Hawksworth, D.L. (ed.). The Biodiversity of Microorganisms and Invertebrates: its Role in Sustainable Agriculture. CAB International, Wallingford, UK. P. 73–87.Google Scholar
14Pimentel, D., Harvey, C., Pesosudarmo, P., Sinclair, K., Kurz, D., McNair, M., Crist, S., Shpritz, L., Fitton, L., and Blair, R. 1995. Environmental and economic costs of soil erosion and conservation benefits. Science 267: 1117–1123.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15Faeth, P. 1993. Agricultural Policy and Sustainability: Case studies from India, Chile, the Philippines, and the United States. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
16Anonymous. 1975. Soil Survey of Rice County, Minnesota. Soil Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
17Midwest Regional Climate Center. 2004. Historical climate data: precipitation summary for station 212721 Faribault, MN. http://mcc.sws.uiuc.edu/Precip/MN/212721_psum.html (verified July 2004).Google Scholar
18Minnesota Climatology Working Group. 2004. Annual reports of monthly precipitation totals: Rice County, 2003. http://climate.umn.edu/HIDENannual (verified July 2004).Google Scholar
19Hach Company. 1988. Soil Testing with Common Regional Extractants. Hach Company, Ames, IA.Google Scholar
20Paoletti, M.G. 1999. Using bioindicators based on biodiversity to assess landscape sustainability. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment 74: 1–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21Bouche, M.B. 1977. Strategies lombriciennes. In Lohm, U. and Persson, T. (eds). Soil organisms as components of ecosystems. Ecological Bulletin (Stockholm) 25:122–132.Google Scholar
22Lee, K.E. 1995. Earthworms and sustainable land use. In Hendrix, P. (ed.). Earthworm Ecology and Biogeography. Lewis Publishers, Ann Arbor, MI. P. 215–234.Google Scholar
23Brower, J.E., Zar, J.H., von Ende, C.N. 1998. Field and Laboratory Methods for General Ecology. McGraw Hill, Boston, MA.Google Scholar
24Sechtig, A. 2001. QuikChem Method 12-107-04-1-B: Determination of Nitrate in 2M KCl Soil Extracts by Flow Injection Analysis. Lachat Instruments, Milwaukee, WI.Google Scholar
25Liao, N. 2000. QuikChem Method 10-115-01-1-M: Determination of Orthophosphate by Flow Injection Analysis Colorimetry. Lachat Instruments, Milwaukee, WI.Google Scholar
26Pimentel, D. 1980. Handbook of Energy Utilization in Agriculture. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.Google Scholar
27Hall, C.W. 1984. The role of energy in world agriculture and food availability. In Pimentel, D. and Hall, C.W. (eds). Food and Energy Resources. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
28SAS Institute 1999. StatView Reference. SAS Publishing, Cary, NC.Google Scholar
29Caporali, F. and Onnis, A. 1992. Validity of rotation as an effective agroecological principle for a sustainable agriculture. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment 41: 101–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
30Lampuerlanés, J. and Cantero-Martínez, C. 2003. Soil bulk density and penetration resistance under different tillage and crop management systems, and their relationship with barley root growth. Agronomy Journal 95: 526–536.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31Parton, W.J. and Rasmussen, P.E. 1994. Long-term effects of crop management in wheat fallow. II. CENTURY model simulations. Soil Science Society of America Journal 58: 530–536.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32Phillips, R.E., Blevins, R.L., Thomas, G.W., Fyre, W.W., Phillips, S.H. 1980. No-tillage agriculture. Science 208: 1108–1113.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
33Holland, J.M. 2004. The environmental consequences of adopting conservation tillage in Europe: reviewing the evidence. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment 103:(1): 1–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34Karlen, D.L., Stott, D.E. 1994. A framework for evaluating physical and chemical indicators of soil quality. In Doran, J.W., Coleman, D.C., Bezdicek, D.F., Stewart, B.A. (eds). Defining Soil Quality for a Sustainable Environment. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI. 53–72.Google Scholar
35Paoletti, M.G. (1999 a) The role of earthworms for assessment of sustainability and as bioindicators. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment 74: 137–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
36Hendrix, P.F., Parmelee, R.W., Crossley, D.A. Jr, Coleman, D.C., Odum, E.P., Groffman, P.M. 1986. Detritus food webs in conventional and no-tillage agricultural systems. BioScience 26: 374–380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
37Paoletti, M.G., Bressan, M. 1996. Soil indicators as bioindicators of human disturbance. Critical Review of Plant Sciences 15:(1): 21–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
38Stinner, B.R., House, G.L. 1990. Arthropods and other invertebrates in conservation-tillage agriculture. Annual Review of Entomology 35: 299–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
39Spain, A.V., Prove, B.G., Hogden, M.J., Lee, K.E. 1990. Seasonal variation in penetration resistance and shear strength of three rainforest soils from northeastern Queensland. Geoderma 47: 79–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
40Lee, K.E., Parkhurst, C.E. 1992. Soil organisms and sustainable productivity. Australian Journal of Soil Research 30: 855–892.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
41Holloway, J.D., Stork, N.E. 1991. Dimensions of biodiversity: the use of invertebrates as indicators of human impact. In Hawksworth, D.L. (ed.). Biodiversity of Microorganisms and Invertebrates: its Role in Sustainable Agriculture. CAB International, Wallingford, UK. p. 37–62.Google Scholar
42Rogn, K., Bakko, E.B. 1996. Comparing the ecology and economics of sustainable and conventional agriculture. St.Olaf College Summer Research.Google Scholar
43Sharpley, A.N. 1993. Assessing phosphorous bioavailability in agricultural soils and runoff. Fertilizer Research 36: 259–272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
44Blanchard, P.E., Lerch, R.N. 2000. Watershed vulnerability to losses of agricultural chemicals: interactions of chemistry, hydrology, and land-use. Environmental Science and Technology 34: 3315–3322.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
45Hansen, N.C., Daniel, T.C., Sharpley, A.N., Lemuyon, J.L. 2002. The fate and transport of phosphorous in agricultural systems. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 57: 408–417.Google Scholar
46Sharpley, A.N., Smith, S.J., Jones, O.R., Berg, W.A., Coleman, G.A. 1992. The transport of bioavailable phosphorus in agricultural runoff. Journal of Environmental Quality 21: 30–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
47Follett, R.F. Delgado J.A. 2002. Nitrogen fate and transport in agricultural systems. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 57: 6 402–407.Google Scholar
48McDowell, R.W., Sharpley, A.N., Condron, L.M., Haygarth, P.M., Brookes, P.C. 2001. Processes controlling phosphorus release to runoff and implications for agricultural management. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 59: 269–284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
49King, L. 1990. Soil nutrient management in the United States. In Edwards, C., Lal, R., Madden, P., Miller, R., House, G. (eds). Sustainable Agricultural Systems, St. Lucie Press, Delray Beach, FLGoogle Scholar
50Pimentel, D. 1984. Energy flow in the food system. In Pimentel, D., Hall, C.W. (eds). Food and Energy Resources. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
51West, T.O., Marland, G. 2002. A synthesis of carbon sequestration, carbon emissions and net carbon flux in agriculture: comparing tillage practices in the United States. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 91: 217–232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
52Robertson, G.P., Paul, E.A., Harwood, R.R. 2000. Greenhouse gases in intensive agriculture: contributions of individual gases to the radiative forcing of the atmosphere. Science 289: 1922–1925.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
53Stockdill, S.M.J. 1982. Effects of introduced earthworms on the productivity of New Zealand pastures. Pedobiologia 24: 29–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
54Tilman, D. 1999. Global environmental impacts of agricultural expansion: the need for sustainable and efficient practices. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 96: 5995–6000.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed