Moving to No-till: Are We Progressing in the Right Direction? - Dr. Sjoerd Duiker, Extension Agronomist, Penn State University, from the 2020 Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference, held March 3-4, 2020, Ada, OH, USA.
Dr. Leonardo Deiss - Stratification, the Role of Roots, and Yield Trends afte...John Blue
Stratification, the Role of Roots, and Yield Trends after 60 years of No-till - Dr. Leonardo Deiss, OSU, from the 2020 Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference, held March 3-4, 2020, Ada, OH, USA.
Dr. Chantigny - Dr. Martin Chantigny, Research Scientist, AAFC - Environment...CorieA
Cropping perennial forages provides several environmental benefits:
1. It improves carbon storage in soils by maximizing plant cover and root biomass throughout the year.
2. It allows for better recycling of livestock manure by retaining more manure-derived carbon and nutrients in the soil over time.
3. Grasses efficiently capture applied nitrogen through uptake and storage in roots, reducing nitrogen losses.
4. Legumes can fix nitrogen from the air, reducing the need for nitrogen fertilizer input.
However, perennial forages may also concentrate phosphorus near the soil surface over time, increasing risks of phosphorus losses to waterways. Their year-round soil coverage also limits the ability to incorporate liquid
This study compared the effects of three cotton production systems - conventional tillage, no-till, and reduced tillage with a winter wheat cover crop - on soil strength and compaction in Arkansas over three years. Soil strength was measured using a probe that assessed cone index values in the soil profile. Results showed that in the first year, conventional tillage had the lowest soil compaction, while in the second year tillage treatment did not affect compaction. In the third year, no-till tended to decrease compaction the most, especially in cotton rows. Overall, conservation tillage systems can initially increase compaction but often lead to softer soil over time. No-till was also found to be the most cost-
Conservation agriculture is based on maximizing yield and to achieve a balance of agricultural, economic and environmental benefits.
Conservation agriculture useful for meeting future food demands and also contributing to sustainable agriculture.
Conservation agriculture helps to minimizing the negative environmental effect and equally important to increased income to help the livelihood of those employed in agril. Production.
Introduction of conservation technologies (CT) was an important break through for sustaining productivity
Land management impact on soil organic carbon stocks – what do we really know?ExternalEvents
This presentation was presented during the 1 Parallel session on Theme 2, Maintaining and/or increasing SOC stocks for climate change mitigation and adaptation and Land Degradation Neutrality, of the Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon that took place in Rome 21-23 March 2017. The presentation was made by Mr. Axel Don, from Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture -Germany, in FAO Hq, Rome
This document summarizes a study on enhancing soil sustainability and health through an integrated crop and grazing system. The study compared a continuous spring wheat system to a crop rotation system including spring wheat, cover crops grazed by cattle, and other crops like corn grazed by cattle. The rotation system had higher soil nitrogen levels, higher wheat yields, improved soil physical properties like water infiltration and aggregate stability, and decreasing nitrogen fertilizer requirements over time. Ongoing studies are further analyzing changes in soil nitrogen mineralization, nutrient levels, decomposition rates, and microbial health from the integrated crop and grazing system.
Effect of crop residue management on soil qualityRAJESWARI DAS
Crop residue management is very important for environmental safety as well as agricultural sustainability. Hence this presentation is dealing with various crop residue management options especially in rice based cropping system and its effect on soil quality.
Stubble retention in cropping in South East Australia: benefits and challenge...Joanna Hicks
Professor Len Wade discusses the benefits and challenges of stubble retention in cropping systems in South-East Australia. He finds that stubble retention can improve soil moisture storage and potentially increase soil organic carbon in the long-term. However, yield benefits of stubble retention compared to stubble burning are mixed and depend on growing season rainfall. In wet years, stubble retention may decrease yields due to issues like disease, slugs, and soil compaction. Strategic tillage or burning may still be necessary to manage these challenges.
Dr. Leonardo Deiss - Stratification, the Role of Roots, and Yield Trends afte...John Blue
Stratification, the Role of Roots, and Yield Trends after 60 years of No-till - Dr. Leonardo Deiss, OSU, from the 2020 Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference, held March 3-4, 2020, Ada, OH, USA.
Dr. Chantigny - Dr. Martin Chantigny, Research Scientist, AAFC - Environment...CorieA
Cropping perennial forages provides several environmental benefits:
1. It improves carbon storage in soils by maximizing plant cover and root biomass throughout the year.
2. It allows for better recycling of livestock manure by retaining more manure-derived carbon and nutrients in the soil over time.
3. Grasses efficiently capture applied nitrogen through uptake and storage in roots, reducing nitrogen losses.
4. Legumes can fix nitrogen from the air, reducing the need for nitrogen fertilizer input.
However, perennial forages may also concentrate phosphorus near the soil surface over time, increasing risks of phosphorus losses to waterways. Their year-round soil coverage also limits the ability to incorporate liquid
This study compared the effects of three cotton production systems - conventional tillage, no-till, and reduced tillage with a winter wheat cover crop - on soil strength and compaction in Arkansas over three years. Soil strength was measured using a probe that assessed cone index values in the soil profile. Results showed that in the first year, conventional tillage had the lowest soil compaction, while in the second year tillage treatment did not affect compaction. In the third year, no-till tended to decrease compaction the most, especially in cotton rows. Overall, conservation tillage systems can initially increase compaction but often lead to softer soil over time. No-till was also found to be the most cost-
Conservation agriculture is based on maximizing yield and to achieve a balance of agricultural, economic and environmental benefits.
Conservation agriculture useful for meeting future food demands and also contributing to sustainable agriculture.
Conservation agriculture helps to minimizing the negative environmental effect and equally important to increased income to help the livelihood of those employed in agril. Production.
Introduction of conservation technologies (CT) was an important break through for sustaining productivity
Land management impact on soil organic carbon stocks – what do we really know?ExternalEvents
This presentation was presented during the 1 Parallel session on Theme 2, Maintaining and/or increasing SOC stocks for climate change mitigation and adaptation and Land Degradation Neutrality, of the Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon that took place in Rome 21-23 March 2017. The presentation was made by Mr. Axel Don, from Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture -Germany, in FAO Hq, Rome
This document summarizes a study on enhancing soil sustainability and health through an integrated crop and grazing system. The study compared a continuous spring wheat system to a crop rotation system including spring wheat, cover crops grazed by cattle, and other crops like corn grazed by cattle. The rotation system had higher soil nitrogen levels, higher wheat yields, improved soil physical properties like water infiltration and aggregate stability, and decreasing nitrogen fertilizer requirements over time. Ongoing studies are further analyzing changes in soil nitrogen mineralization, nutrient levels, decomposition rates, and microbial health from the integrated crop and grazing system.
Effect of crop residue management on soil qualityRAJESWARI DAS
Crop residue management is very important for environmental safety as well as agricultural sustainability. Hence this presentation is dealing with various crop residue management options especially in rice based cropping system and its effect on soil quality.
Stubble retention in cropping in South East Australia: benefits and challenge...Joanna Hicks
Professor Len Wade discusses the benefits and challenges of stubble retention in cropping systems in South-East Australia. He finds that stubble retention can improve soil moisture storage and potentially increase soil organic carbon in the long-term. However, yield benefits of stubble retention compared to stubble burning are mixed and depend on growing season rainfall. In wet years, stubble retention may decrease yields due to issues like disease, slugs, and soil compaction. Strategic tillage or burning may still be necessary to manage these challenges.
This study investigated the effects of 24 years of no-till (NT) and moldboard plow (MP) tillage systems, with three levels of phosphorus (P) fertilization (0, 17.5, and 35 kg P/ha every two years), on soybean root traits in a corn-soybean rotation. The study found that tillage and P fertilization had no significant effects on root biomass, length, surface area or diameter. However, NT soybean roots were more concentrated in the upper 10 cm of soil and had a higher total root length density than MP. The difference in vertical root distribution between NT and MP decreased with increasing P fertilization.
This study examined the effects of different reclamation and land management treatments on vegetation and soils following pipeline construction in southern Arizona. The treatments included seeding, grazing, and trampling. Results showed that:
1) Seeded areas had greater native plant cover and species richness than unseeded or undisturbed control areas. Excluding grazing also increased native plant cover and species richness.
2) Unseeded areas had greater undesirable plant cover than undisturbed controls. Grazing and trampling did not affect undesirable plant cover.
3) Seeded and unseeded areas had similar biomass that was greater than undisturbed controls. Grazing and trampling did not impact biomass.
Experiment of ‘No-tillage’ farming system on volcanic soils of tropical islan...ExternalEvents
1) The document evaluates conservation techniques for controlling runoff and reducing soil erosion on volcanic soils in southern Guam that suffer from severe erosion.
2) A study was conducted using 12 field plots to test conventional tillage, conventional tillage rotated with sunn hemp cover crop, reduced tillage, and no-tillage treatments.
3) Results showed that reduced tillage and no-tillage were effective at controlling runoff and increasing infiltration rates, but no-tillage yields were initially lower than other treatments until soils had time to stabilize. Rotating conventional tillage with a sunn hemp cover crop increased yields while also reducing runoff.
This document summarizes the potential for mixed and all-grass farming in Europe to reverse soil degradation and sequester carbon. Key points include:
- Soil quality and carbon sequestration can be improved through practices like no-till farming, cover crops, and grassland/arable rotations which build soil organic matter.
- However, some studies have found that carbon increases in topsoil layers are often offset by losses deeper down. And changes in soil density can complicate estimates.
- Long-term experiments in the UK show that converting cropland to grassland or maintaining grasslands can increase soil carbon levels over time compared to continuous arable systems.
- Ruminant livestock
This document summarizes a study that assessed changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen after converting grassland in southern Brazil to agricultural land using conventional tillage (CT) or no-till (NT) systems over 5 years. The key findings were:
1) Soils under CT lost 9% of total organic carbon and 21% of total nitrogen in the top 60 cm of soil, compared to levels under original grassland.
2) No-till soils accumulated organic carbon near the surface and mitigated total organic carbon and nitrogen losses by 82% and 34% respectively, compared to grassland levels.
3) No-till increased particulate carbon and nitrogen fractions and compensated for losses in mineral associated fractions
1) The study found that sowing wheat on November 20th and applying 120 kg of nitrogen, 60 kg of phosphorus, and 60 kg of potassium per hectare led to the highest growth, yield, and nutrient uptake. Grain yield decreased with later sowing dates.
2) Plant height, tillers, dry matter, and grain/ear were highest under the earliest sowing date of November 20th compared to December 6th and 23rd.
3) Highest grain yield of 3.66 tonnes/hectare was from the November 20th sowing, while the December 23rd sowing yielded 3.17 tonnes/hectare, the lowest amount.
The document discusses soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics in agricultural systems. It provides examples showing that only a small portion (around 10-17%) of crop residues and roots are retained as SOM in the long term. Factors like soil texture, historical vegetation, climate, landscape position, and management practices influence SOM levels by affecting the balance between organic matter inputs and losses through decomposition. Fine-textured soils in low-lying areas generally have higher SOM compared to coarse-textured or well-drained soils. Protecting organic materials from decomposition by physical protection within soil aggregates or association with mineral particles increases long-term retention as SOM.
This document summarizes research on the adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) techniques like minimum tillage and mulching by smallholder cotton farmers in eastern Zambia. The researchers surveyed 326 farmers about their land preparation methods for cotton and maize plots. They found that only 5% of plots using the basin method and 13% of ripped plots included legume rotations, and most crop residues were grazed. Statistical modeling showed that adoption of ripping was associated with wealth, oxen ownership, and experience, while basins were used by labor-abundant households. The researchers concluded that basins meet niche needs but large-scale adoption is unlikely, while ripping has more potential if equipment rentals increase and training accompanies expanded
Globally, grazing lands cover over 3.5 billion hectares and represent a significant carbon sink. Grazing lands store 10-30% of the world's soil carbon. Increases or losses of just 1% of soil organic carbon in grazing land soils can be equivalent to total US agriculture emissions. Management practices like fertilization and sowing improved grasses can increase soil carbon levels. However, the impacts of grazing management on soil carbon are variable, with some studies finding increases under light grazing while others find decreases under heavy grazing. The direction and magnitude of soil carbon responses depend on the specific management practices, duration, intensity, and initial soil carbon levels.
The document discusses research on the impacts of elevated CO2 levels on wheat production in Australia. Key findings include:
- Wheat grown under elevated CO2 (550 ppm) at two sites in Australia showed yield increases of 22-61% depending on location and year. More stimulation was seen at the drier location.
- Elevated CO2 decreased grain protein levels by 4-13% but increased nitrogen uptake in straw and grains by 24-63%. This has implications for wheat quality and nitrogen management.
- Crop modeling found that despite experimental yield increases under elevated CO2, future changes in rainfall and temperature are predicted to result in yield losses of 10-20% in some regions and gains of 10
Conservation agriculture involves retaining crop residues on the soil surface, minimizing soil disturbance, and using crop rotations. It reduces degradation of soil and water resources over time compared to conventional agriculture. Key characteristics include surface residue retention and minimal soil movement. Additional components like crop rotations and cover crops are needed to overcome problems from retaining residues. Conservation agriculture is a complex system that completely changes agricultural practices. It aims to emphasize soil and water conservation compared to conservation tillage. Tillage can control weeds and pests but also harms soils and the environment. Conservation agriculture provides benefits to both small and large farmers like reduced costs, increased yields, and less erosion.
This study evaluated the effects of nitrogen fertilizer rates and crop rotation on no-till and strip-till corn yields. Sorghum-sudangrass was used in the crop rotation. The main findings were:
1) Nitrogen fertilizer increased no-till and strip-till corn yields.
2) Incorporating sorghum-sudangrass in the crop rotation tended to increase strip-till corn yields and biomass compared to continuous corn.
3) For no-till plots, yields were increased by lower nitrogen rates when sorghum-sudangrass was in the rotation compared to continuous corn.
4) Further research is needed to understand the physiological mechanisms
Gerard GOVERS, Roel MERCKX, Kristof VAN OOST, Bas VAN WESEMAEL "Soil organic ...Global Risk Forum GRFDavos
1. Soil organic carbon management for global benefits involves balancing strategies like sparing land for carbon storage versus sharing land for food production, with careful consideration of socioeconomic factors.
2. Even modest increases in soil organic carbon inputs and reductions in losses could lead to storing 500 million tonnes of carbon annually through improved land management practices.
3. Scientific progress is still needed, particularly regarding concepts like soil carbon saturation levels and how climate change will impact soil organic carbon stocks.
This document analyzes recent landscape changes in an agricultural area in central Jutland, Denmark from 1990-1995 and relates them to characteristics of farms and farmers. It finds that farmers were highly involved in landscape changes like creating hedgerows, small woodlands, and converting arable land to grassland. Removal of elements was less common. Changes indicate an overall extensification of land use, representing a shift from intensive "productivism" to a more environmentally friendly "multifunctional" agricultural approach. Landscape changes showed some relationship to factors like farmer age and duration of land ownership.
This study assessed the impacts of manure versus inorganic nitrogen fertilization on soil health, crop productivity, and crop quality in a continuous maize agroecosystem over six years. Key findings include:
1) Soil health indicators were higher with both manure and nitrogen fertilizer treatments, though no difference was found between treatments in a soil health index.
2) Crop productivity, measured as maize yields, was highest in treatments with higher soil health indicators but did not differ between manure and nitrogen fertilizer.
3) Crop quality, measured as grain nutrient concentrations, was notably higher with fertilization treatments, with the manure treatment showing improved phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium levels important for
This document discusses principles of soil health and how soil functions. It explains that soil should manage energy flow from the sun, store and release water, and cycle nutrients. Soil health relies on a diverse community of organisms and having living roots in the ground as much as possible. Agricultural practices like tillage and overgrazing can disrupt these functions by destroying soil habitat and organisms. The document recommends managing for less soil disturbance, more plant diversity, keeping living roots, and keeping the soil covered to improve soil health.
The document discusses the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), an agricultural method that can significantly increase rice yields without requiring additional inputs. SRI achieves this by changing the way plants, soil, water and nutrients are managed through practices like wider spacing of young seedlings, soil aeration, and use of organic matter. Research has found SRI can increase yields by 50-100% while reducing water use by 25-50% and not requiring chemicals. SRI utilizes the natural biological processes in soil and plants to induce a more productive phenotype from any rice variety.
Potential soil organic matter benefits from mixed farming: evidence from long...Sustainable Food Trust
David Powlson's presentation from the Sustainable Food Trust's meeting: What role for grazing livestock in a world of climate change and diet-related disease?
Long term conservation tillage practices such as no-till, strip-till, and reduced tillage can improve soil health, increase carbon sequestration, enhance water infiltration and storage, improve nutrient cycling efficiency, and increase crop yields compared to conventional tillage in maize-based cropping systems. Several studies ranging from 6 to 12 years in duration showed that conservation tillage practices increased soil organic matter content, available nutrients, aggregate stability, water storage, and crop water productivity. Conservation tillage also improved soil biological properties by supporting a more diverse soil organism population. Meta-analyses of these long-term studies demonstrated higher and more stable yields under conservation tillage, with average maize grain yields 12-15% higher compared
This study investigated the effects of 24 years of no-till (NT) and moldboard plow (MP) tillage systems, with three levels of phosphorus (P) fertilization (0, 17.5, and 35 kg P/ha every two years), on soybean root traits in a corn-soybean rotation. The study found that tillage and P fertilization had no significant effects on root biomass, length, surface area or diameter. However, NT soybean roots were more concentrated in the upper 10 cm of soil and had a higher total root length density than MP. The difference in vertical root distribution between NT and MP decreased with increasing P fertilization.
This study examined the effects of different reclamation and land management treatments on vegetation and soils following pipeline construction in southern Arizona. The treatments included seeding, grazing, and trampling. Results showed that:
1) Seeded areas had greater native plant cover and species richness than unseeded or undisturbed control areas. Excluding grazing also increased native plant cover and species richness.
2) Unseeded areas had greater undesirable plant cover than undisturbed controls. Grazing and trampling did not affect undesirable plant cover.
3) Seeded and unseeded areas had similar biomass that was greater than undisturbed controls. Grazing and trampling did not impact biomass.
Experiment of ‘No-tillage’ farming system on volcanic soils of tropical islan...ExternalEvents
1) The document evaluates conservation techniques for controlling runoff and reducing soil erosion on volcanic soils in southern Guam that suffer from severe erosion.
2) A study was conducted using 12 field plots to test conventional tillage, conventional tillage rotated with sunn hemp cover crop, reduced tillage, and no-tillage treatments.
3) Results showed that reduced tillage and no-tillage were effective at controlling runoff and increasing infiltration rates, but no-tillage yields were initially lower than other treatments until soils had time to stabilize. Rotating conventional tillage with a sunn hemp cover crop increased yields while also reducing runoff.
This document summarizes the potential for mixed and all-grass farming in Europe to reverse soil degradation and sequester carbon. Key points include:
- Soil quality and carbon sequestration can be improved through practices like no-till farming, cover crops, and grassland/arable rotations which build soil organic matter.
- However, some studies have found that carbon increases in topsoil layers are often offset by losses deeper down. And changes in soil density can complicate estimates.
- Long-term experiments in the UK show that converting cropland to grassland or maintaining grasslands can increase soil carbon levels over time compared to continuous arable systems.
- Ruminant livestock
This document summarizes a study that assessed changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen after converting grassland in southern Brazil to agricultural land using conventional tillage (CT) or no-till (NT) systems over 5 years. The key findings were:
1) Soils under CT lost 9% of total organic carbon and 21% of total nitrogen in the top 60 cm of soil, compared to levels under original grassland.
2) No-till soils accumulated organic carbon near the surface and mitigated total organic carbon and nitrogen losses by 82% and 34% respectively, compared to grassland levels.
3) No-till increased particulate carbon and nitrogen fractions and compensated for losses in mineral associated fractions
1) The study found that sowing wheat on November 20th and applying 120 kg of nitrogen, 60 kg of phosphorus, and 60 kg of potassium per hectare led to the highest growth, yield, and nutrient uptake. Grain yield decreased with later sowing dates.
2) Plant height, tillers, dry matter, and grain/ear were highest under the earliest sowing date of November 20th compared to December 6th and 23rd.
3) Highest grain yield of 3.66 tonnes/hectare was from the November 20th sowing, while the December 23rd sowing yielded 3.17 tonnes/hectare, the lowest amount.
The document discusses soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics in agricultural systems. It provides examples showing that only a small portion (around 10-17%) of crop residues and roots are retained as SOM in the long term. Factors like soil texture, historical vegetation, climate, landscape position, and management practices influence SOM levels by affecting the balance between organic matter inputs and losses through decomposition. Fine-textured soils in low-lying areas generally have higher SOM compared to coarse-textured or well-drained soils. Protecting organic materials from decomposition by physical protection within soil aggregates or association with mineral particles increases long-term retention as SOM.
This document summarizes research on the adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) techniques like minimum tillage and mulching by smallholder cotton farmers in eastern Zambia. The researchers surveyed 326 farmers about their land preparation methods for cotton and maize plots. They found that only 5% of plots using the basin method and 13% of ripped plots included legume rotations, and most crop residues were grazed. Statistical modeling showed that adoption of ripping was associated with wealth, oxen ownership, and experience, while basins were used by labor-abundant households. The researchers concluded that basins meet niche needs but large-scale adoption is unlikely, while ripping has more potential if equipment rentals increase and training accompanies expanded
Globally, grazing lands cover over 3.5 billion hectares and represent a significant carbon sink. Grazing lands store 10-30% of the world's soil carbon. Increases or losses of just 1% of soil organic carbon in grazing land soils can be equivalent to total US agriculture emissions. Management practices like fertilization and sowing improved grasses can increase soil carbon levels. However, the impacts of grazing management on soil carbon are variable, with some studies finding increases under light grazing while others find decreases under heavy grazing. The direction and magnitude of soil carbon responses depend on the specific management practices, duration, intensity, and initial soil carbon levels.
The document discusses research on the impacts of elevated CO2 levels on wheat production in Australia. Key findings include:
- Wheat grown under elevated CO2 (550 ppm) at two sites in Australia showed yield increases of 22-61% depending on location and year. More stimulation was seen at the drier location.
- Elevated CO2 decreased grain protein levels by 4-13% but increased nitrogen uptake in straw and grains by 24-63%. This has implications for wheat quality and nitrogen management.
- Crop modeling found that despite experimental yield increases under elevated CO2, future changes in rainfall and temperature are predicted to result in yield losses of 10-20% in some regions and gains of 10
Conservation agriculture involves retaining crop residues on the soil surface, minimizing soil disturbance, and using crop rotations. It reduces degradation of soil and water resources over time compared to conventional agriculture. Key characteristics include surface residue retention and minimal soil movement. Additional components like crop rotations and cover crops are needed to overcome problems from retaining residues. Conservation agriculture is a complex system that completely changes agricultural practices. It aims to emphasize soil and water conservation compared to conservation tillage. Tillage can control weeds and pests but also harms soils and the environment. Conservation agriculture provides benefits to both small and large farmers like reduced costs, increased yields, and less erosion.
This study evaluated the effects of nitrogen fertilizer rates and crop rotation on no-till and strip-till corn yields. Sorghum-sudangrass was used in the crop rotation. The main findings were:
1) Nitrogen fertilizer increased no-till and strip-till corn yields.
2) Incorporating sorghum-sudangrass in the crop rotation tended to increase strip-till corn yields and biomass compared to continuous corn.
3) For no-till plots, yields were increased by lower nitrogen rates when sorghum-sudangrass was in the rotation compared to continuous corn.
4) Further research is needed to understand the physiological mechanisms
Gerard GOVERS, Roel MERCKX, Kristof VAN OOST, Bas VAN WESEMAEL "Soil organic ...Global Risk Forum GRFDavos
1. Soil organic carbon management for global benefits involves balancing strategies like sparing land for carbon storage versus sharing land for food production, with careful consideration of socioeconomic factors.
2. Even modest increases in soil organic carbon inputs and reductions in losses could lead to storing 500 million tonnes of carbon annually through improved land management practices.
3. Scientific progress is still needed, particularly regarding concepts like soil carbon saturation levels and how climate change will impact soil organic carbon stocks.
This document analyzes recent landscape changes in an agricultural area in central Jutland, Denmark from 1990-1995 and relates them to characteristics of farms and farmers. It finds that farmers were highly involved in landscape changes like creating hedgerows, small woodlands, and converting arable land to grassland. Removal of elements was less common. Changes indicate an overall extensification of land use, representing a shift from intensive "productivism" to a more environmentally friendly "multifunctional" agricultural approach. Landscape changes showed some relationship to factors like farmer age and duration of land ownership.
This study assessed the impacts of manure versus inorganic nitrogen fertilization on soil health, crop productivity, and crop quality in a continuous maize agroecosystem over six years. Key findings include:
1) Soil health indicators were higher with both manure and nitrogen fertilizer treatments, though no difference was found between treatments in a soil health index.
2) Crop productivity, measured as maize yields, was highest in treatments with higher soil health indicators but did not differ between manure and nitrogen fertilizer.
3) Crop quality, measured as grain nutrient concentrations, was notably higher with fertilization treatments, with the manure treatment showing improved phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium levels important for
This document discusses principles of soil health and how soil functions. It explains that soil should manage energy flow from the sun, store and release water, and cycle nutrients. Soil health relies on a diverse community of organisms and having living roots in the ground as much as possible. Agricultural practices like tillage and overgrazing can disrupt these functions by destroying soil habitat and organisms. The document recommends managing for less soil disturbance, more plant diversity, keeping living roots, and keeping the soil covered to improve soil health.
The document discusses the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), an agricultural method that can significantly increase rice yields without requiring additional inputs. SRI achieves this by changing the way plants, soil, water and nutrients are managed through practices like wider spacing of young seedlings, soil aeration, and use of organic matter. Research has found SRI can increase yields by 50-100% while reducing water use by 25-50% and not requiring chemicals. SRI utilizes the natural biological processes in soil and plants to induce a more productive phenotype from any rice variety.
Potential soil organic matter benefits from mixed farming: evidence from long...Sustainable Food Trust
David Powlson's presentation from the Sustainable Food Trust's meeting: What role for grazing livestock in a world of climate change and diet-related disease?
Long term conservation tillage practices such as no-till, strip-till, and reduced tillage can improve soil health, increase carbon sequestration, enhance water infiltration and storage, improve nutrient cycling efficiency, and increase crop yields compared to conventional tillage in maize-based cropping systems. Several studies ranging from 6 to 12 years in duration showed that conservation tillage practices increased soil organic matter content, available nutrients, aggregate stability, water storage, and crop water productivity. Conservation tillage also improved soil biological properties by supporting a more diverse soil organism population. Meta-analyses of these long-term studies demonstrated higher and more stable yields under conservation tillage, with average maize grain yields 12-15% higher compared
The document discusses the benefits of growing cover crops for building soil health. Some key benefits mentioned include improved soil structure and organic matter content, reduced erosion, increased moisture retention and nutrient cycling. Cover crops can improve soil biology by adding carbon and root biomass. Their root systems and residues help with compaction reduction and weed and pest suppression. Proper cover crop selection and management is important to maximize these soil health benefits. The document provides information on choosing cover crops that fit within crop rotations and managing them effectively.
Effect of conservation agriculture on soil moisture content and biomass water...Innspub Net
One of the important principles of Conservation Agriculture is the permanent soil cover with crop residues which enhances soil and water productivity that leads to improved agricultural productivity. The effect of crop residues on soil moisture content, relative growth rate and biomass water productivity were examined in a completely randomized design at the University of Reading, Berkshire district, England. Straw treatment was significant on moisture content and water use efficiency at (p< 0.01) respectively while there is no significant difference on mean relative growth rate and dry final biomass weights. The study concluded that soil moisture content is conserved with increased use of crop residues as soil cover. The study therefore recommended that project based research on Conservation Agriculture should be carried out by governments and NGO’s that will involve farmers; also they should provide support for the knowledge diffusion of Conservation Agriculture to local farmers since it will improve yield and productivity. Extension agents and other agencies that work with farmers should also be properly trained to be able to disseminate this technology to farmers.
This document summarizes the findings of a 16-year field experiment comparing the effects of no-tillage with straw cover (NTSC) and traditional tillage with straw removal (TTSR) on soil properties in a winter wheat cropping system on the Loess Plateau in China. The study found that NTSC increased soil organic matter by 21.7% and total nitrogen by 51% in the top 10 cm of soil, and available phosphorus by 97.3% in the top 5 cm, compared to TTSR. Microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen were also 135.3% and 104.4% higher under NTSC. Winter wheat yields were approximately 15.5% greater with NTSC. The results
Remote Sensing for Assessing Crop Residue Cover and Soil Tillage IntensityCIMMYT
Remote sensing –Beyond images
Mexico 14-15 December 2013
The workshop was organized by CIMMYT Global Conservation Agriculture Program (GCAP) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), CGIAR Research Program on Maize, the Cereal System Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) and the Sustainable Modernization of the Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro)
Vijay Bhosekar_ Published Article_ Organic Agriculturevijay bhosekar
Over 30 years of studies at the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania found that:
1) Organic systems produced equal yields of corn and soybeans compared to conventional systems, while improving soil quality.
2) Organic systems were more profitable than conventional systems due to lower costs and premium prices for organic crops.
3) Organic systems used less energy and emitted fewer greenhouse gases than conventional systems to produce the same amount of crops.
Vijay bhosekar published article organic agriculturevijay bhosekar
Over 30 years of studies at the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania found that:
1) Organic systems produced equal yields of corn and soybeans compared to conventional systems, while improving soil quality.
2) Organic systems were more profitable than conventional systems due to lower costs and premium prices for organic crops.
3) Organic systems used less energy and emitted fewer greenhouse gases than conventional systems to produce the same amount of crops.
The document summarizes research on the benefits of applying manure and compost to soils. Key findings include:
1) Manure and compost increase soil organic matter content, improve soil structure, increase water holding capacity and infiltration rates. Sandy soils tend to benefit more than clayey soils.
2) Long-term manure applications of over 10 years increased soil organic matter content by 0.5-0.9% depending on application rates.
3) Applying manure and compost to saline soils may help offset saline conditions, as evidenced by improved spring wheat establishment compared to unamended soils.
Soil management strategies to enhance carbon sequestration potential of degra...koushalya T.N
Reclamation of degraded lands has huge potential for carbon (C) sequestration to counteract the climate change. It was estimated that about 1,964 Mha of land is degraded worldwide and in India 146.8 Mha of land is degraded ( Bai et al., 2008). The major land-degradation processes in the World and in Asia are water erosion, wind erosion, salinity, alkalinity, nutrient depletion and metal pollution. Enrichment of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks through sequestration of atmospheric CO2 in agricultural soils and degraded lands is important because of its impacts on improving soil quality and agronomic production, and also for adaptation to mitigation of climate change. Various management strategies like conservation agriculture, integrated nutrient management, afforestation, alternate land use, plantations and amendments and use of biochar hold promise for long-term C sequestration. It can be concluded that land degradation is a serious problem in India which need to be tackled because shrinking of land resource base will lead to a substantial decline in food grain production which in turn would hamper the economic growth rate and there would also be unprecedented increase in mortality rate owing to hunger and malnutrition.
This document discusses soil carbon sequestration as a strategy for addressing food security, climate resilience, and low-emission agriculture. It notes that soil carbon levels have declined significantly in many agricultural soils. Improving land management practices, such as no-till farming and use of cover crops, offers large potential to sequester carbon in soil. Soil carbon sequestration can provide benefits like increased crop yields as well as incentives for adoption. The document proposes developing an open-source geospatial database to monitor soil carbon levels under different land uses and management practices worldwide.
1) The study assessed the impact of different cultivation methods on soil fertility and rural livelihoods in Arsi Zone, southeast Ethiopia. 2) Soil samples were collected from fields with different cropping systems, including wheat-wheat, wheat-barley, wheat-bean, and wheat-maize. 3) The results showed that wheat-bean and wheat-pea cropping systems improved soil properties like soil organic matter and total nitrogen, while wheat-barley and wheat-maize systems had adverse effects compared to continuous wheat cropping.
Land and Soil Issues in Africa: Disturbance, succession and the promise of ec...FAO
http://www.fao.org/agriculture/crops/thematic-sitemap/theme/spi/en/
Presentation by Tim Crews (The Land Institute) describing soil-related challenges for crop production and research on the benefits of perennials vs. annuals to enhance soil characteristics. The presentation was delivered in occasion of the “Putting Perennial crops to work in practice” workshop in Bamako, Mali (1-5 September 2015).
This document provides an overview of soil degradation as presented in a slideshow. It defines soil degradation, outlines its global impacts, and describes various causes and types of degradation including erosion, salinization, contamination, and compaction. The document discusses the impacts of degradation on food production and people, including effects on crop yields, income, migration, and conflict. It presents principles of sustainable soil management including maintaining soil life, organic matter, cover crops, and nutrient levels. Specific management techniques are provided such as conservation tillage, organic farming, and integrated nutrient management. Tools to build soil quality include terracing, contour farming, cover crops, and amendments.
Sequestering soil carbon in the low input farming systems of the semi-arid tr...World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
This study tested whether repeated applications of low or high quality leaf litters would lead to higher soil carbon sequestration in a rainfed tropical rice system in northeast Thailand over 9 seasons. The results showed that lower and higher quality litters resulted in similar small increases in soil organic carbon and other indicators, disproving the hypothesis. Intermediate quality residues resulted in significantly higher apparent recovery of sulfur, indicating better synchrony in nutrient release. Overall, small and repeated leaf litter applications significantly increased productivity and sustainability of the low-input paddy system, showing benefits for similar systems.
Sequestering soil carbon in the low input farming systems of the semi-arid tr...ICRISAT
Soil organic carbon (the carbon stored in soil organic matter) is crucial to soil health, fertility and ecosystem services, including food production – making its preservation and restoration essential for sustainable development.Even as our climate changes, with negative impacts on agriculture, farmers will need to produce up to 60 per cent more food by 2050 as the population swells to nine billion. To meet these needs, soils need to be as productive as possible.
Role of conservation agriculture under climate change scenariojinendra birla
This document discusses the role of conservation agriculture in addressing climate change. It begins with background on climate change trends in India, such as increasing temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, and effects on agriculture. Conservation agriculture is introduced as a way to adapt to and mitigate climate change impacts through practices like zero tillage, crop residue management, and moisture conservation. Specific management techniques under conservation agriculture are then reviewed, including their effects on crop yields, water use efficiency, economics and soil organic carbon. The document concludes that conservation agriculture can both help farmers adapt to climate changes while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
This document discusses drainage water management (DWM) practices such as controlled drainage in Ohio. It provides background on climate change impacts, long-term DWM studies, and lessons learned. DWM can reduce drainage outflows by 40% and nitrate loads by similar amounts while maintaining or increasing crop yields, particularly in drier years. However, benefits to phosphorus losses are variable. The document calls for more research on water and nutrient dynamics under DWM and automated management to maximize benefits. It also suggests recycling drainage water and subirrigation will be important for sustaining agriculture under increasing dryness from climate change.
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Dr. Sjoerd Duiker - Moving to No-till: Are We Progressing in the Right Direction?
1. NO-TILLAGE – ARE WE MOVING IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION?
Sjoerd W. Duiker
2. Back to Basics:
Benefit of No-Till for Soil Erosion Control
Simulation Study, Corn NE, 10% slope
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Moldboard Chisel No-till
Residuecover(%)
Soilloss(t/ac)
Soil loss
Residue
3. Back to Basics:
Importance of Soil Cover for Erosion Control
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Soil cover (%)
Soilloss(%)
MidWest Plan Service, 2000. Conservation Tillage Systems and Management.
More than 30% cover
results in greatly
reduced erosion
4.
5.
6. Back to Basics:
High Mulch Cover for Increased Infiltration
More than 70% cover
results in greatly
increased infiltration
Roth et al., 1988. Effect of mulch rates and tillage systems on infiltrability and other physical properties of an Oxisol in Parana, Brazil. Soil Tillage Res 11:81-91
7. Tillage Effects on Infiltration
Importance of Cover
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
Plowed, bare No-till, bare No-till, 40% cover No-till, 80% cover
Infiltration(inches)
MWPS-45, 2000
8. Tillage and Runoff from Watersheds
(inches of runoff/yr)
No-Till Conventional Till
1979 0.1 5.5
1980 0.2 12.5
1981 0.0 5.6
1982 0.4 4.4
Average 0.2 7.0
Percent of
precipitation 0% 16% Coshocton, OH
11. Soil depth
Soil organic matter content
Conventional till
No-till
Organic Matter
Stratification in No-Till
1) improves water use efficiency by
reducing runoff and increasing retention
in soil
2) Improves nutrient cycling by slowing
mineralization and immobilizing
nutrients in organic fractions
3) Resists degradative forces of erosion
and compaction
4) Improves soil biological activity
5) Enhances long-term productivity of
soils.
Franzluebbers, 2002
12. Tillage Effect on Soil Structure
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0-2" 2-6" 6-10"
Sampling depth
Aggregatestability(%)
Long-term NT
Short-term NT
Chisel/disk
Moldboard
13. Back to Basics: More Deep-Burrowing
Earthworms in Long-Term No-Till
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
yr 4 yr 5 yr 6 yr 7 yr 8
#/m2
Deep burrowing earthworms
No-till Chisel plow Moldboard plow
Edwards and Lofty, 1982
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
yr 4 yr 5 yr 6 yr 7 yr 8
Shallow working spp
18. Better Structure Improves Trafficability
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Trafficabledays(#/month)
Well-structured pasture
without plow-pan
Arable land with plowpan
Kooistra and Boersma, 1994
19. Long-Term No-Till Soil Resists Compaction
Long-
term
no-till
2 yrs old
no-till
1 yr old
no-till
Subsoiled
this spring
20. Zulauf, C. and B. Brown. "Tillage Practices, 2017 US Census of Agriculture." farmdoc daily (9):136, Department of
Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, July 25, 2019.
21. Zulauf, C. and B. Brown. "Tillage Practices, 2017 US Census of Agriculture." farmdoc daily (9):136, Department of
Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, July 25, 2019.
22. Zulauf, C. and B. Brown. "Tillage Practices, 2017 US Census of Agriculture." farmdoc daily (9):136, Department of
Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, July 25, 2019.
23. Zulauf, C. and B. Brown. "Tillage Practices, 2017 US Census of Agriculture." farmdoc daily (9):136, Department of
Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, July 25, 2019.
24. Zulauf, C. and B. Brown. "Tillage Practices, 2017 US Census of Agriculture." farmdoc daily (9):136, Department of
Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, July 25, 2019.
25. Zulauf, C. and B. Brown. "Tillage Practices, 2017 US Census of Agriculture." farmdoc daily (9):136, Department of
Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, July 25, 2019.
28. Continuous No-Till Rare in NW Ohio
• “ No-till is the system of choice for soybeans. 65% of the soybeans planted are grown
using no-till.
• No-till is seldom practiced on corn, with only 19% of the planted corn acres grown
using the no-till system.
• Nearly 7 of every 10 corn acres are still grown without any form of conservation
tillage, using either moldboard plowing or a system which aggressively stirs the soil.
• If tillage were distributed uniformly [over the entire western Lake Erie Basin], over a
10 year period a field would be no-tilled every other year, (half the time, 5 years),
conventional tilled 4 of remaining 5 years, and mulch tilled one of the remaining 5
years.“
Source: Western Lake Erie Basin Conservation Tillage Study (2006 - 2010) Study, and
29. P Stratification in Long-Term No-Till
Depth(in)
Soil P Concentration (ppm)
363024181260
0 30 60 90 120 150
Zone of
Interaction
with runoff
Tilled
No-till
30. Lower Total P loss in Long-Term No-Till
1980 1985 1990 1995
Conventional
till wheat
Converted
to no-till
Total P
mg/L
6
4
2
0
-
-
31. Greater Soluble P-Concentration in
Long-Term No-Till
Conventional
till wheat
1980 1985 19951990
Algal-availableP,mg/L
0.5
1.0
0
Converted to
no-till wheat
32. No-Till Not Likely Cause of
Increased P-Losses to Lake Erie
• “Davis lists changes such as the methods and timing of fertilizer application, more
broadcast surface application versus row fertilizer, application of fertilizer in
winter months or on frozen ground, increased soil compaction from larger
equipment, and a trend towards applying two years worth of fertilizer on a corn
crop as other contributors to the phosphorous increase.”
“Continuous No-Till Lacking In Lake Erie Drainage Area”, No-Till Farmer, May 8, 2011.
33. Bright residue: High reflectance
Residue: Low thermal
conductivity
High moisture: * Heat capacity of water 2x that of minerals
* Thermal conductivity of wet soil 3-5 times that of dry soil
Cold Soil Syndrome in No-Till
37. Southern
Indiana
Northern
Indiana
Tillage system Temp. (oF) Height
(“)
Temp. (oF) Height
(“)
Plow
Chisel
Ridge
No-till
79.3
75.9
77.5
74.5
82b
76c
81b
87a
71.4
67.6
69.8
65.1
43a
42a
40a
34b
MWPS-45, 2000, p49
Soil temperature and early corn growth
Indiana
8 wks after planting
38. 50
70
90
110
130
150
170
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Year
Yield(bu/A)
No-Till
ZT to 04
ST to 04
CD
NS
NS NS
NSNS
Strip/Zone Till vs No-Till on Well-Drained
Soil in SE PA
Continuous corn well-drained Hagerstown soil
39. Strip-Till vs Long-Term No-Till
Continuous corn, fragipan soil, Central PA
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
160
2012 2013 2014 Average
CornYield(bu/A)
No-Till
Strip-Till
42. Zone till study in New York
Silage yield
(T DM/A)
Aerway 8.34 a
Aerway + 7 inch deep zone-till 8.88 b
Aerway + 14 inch deep strip till 8.79 b
Corn yield (2006-07 average) on Erie and Langford fragipan soils
46. No-Till Conv.Till
Continuous Corn 112 125
Corn-Soybean 129 129
Corn/Soy/Meadow 127 133
20-yr average corn yields (Bu/A) on a poorly drained Hoytville sicl, Ohio
Crop Rotation to Alleviate
No-Till Continuous Corn Problems
47. Instead of focusing on tillage, there is a need
for greater crop diversity and use of cover
crops in no-till systems to improve our soils
and water
Lal, Kimble, Follett, and Cole, 1998. The potential of U.S. cropland to
sequester carbon and mitigate the greenhouse effect.
48. Which Direction?
• How can we make continuous
no-tillage a reality in NW Ohio?
• How can we increase use of
cover crops in NW Ohio?
• Can we increase greater cover
crop diversity?
• Are there crop alternatives to
corn and soybeans?
• Can greater livestock
integration be accomplished?
• Can we bring people back to
the rural areas?