Alternative management practices such as no‐tillage compared to conventional tillage are expected to recover or increase soil quality and productivity, even though all of these aspects are rarely studied together. Long‐term field experiments (LTEs) enable analysis of alternative management practices over time. This study investigated a total of 251 European LTEs in which alternative management practices such as crop rotation, catch crops, cover crops/green manure, no‐tillage, non‐inversion tillage and organic fertilization were applied. Response ratios of indicators for soil quality, climate change and productivity between alternative and reference management practices were derived from a total of 260 publications. Both positive and negative effects of alternative management practices on the different indicators were shown and, as expected, no alternative management practice could comply with all objectives simultaneously. Productivity was hampered by non‐inversion tillage, FYM amendments and incorporation of crop residues. SOC contents were increased significantly following organic fertilizers and non‐inversion tillage. GHG emissions were increased by slurry application and incorporation of crop residues. Our study showed that alternative management practices beneficial to one group of indicators (e.g. organic fertilizers for biological soil quality indicators) are not necessarily beneficial to other indicators (e.g. increase of crop yields). We conclude that LTEs are valuable for finding ways forward in protecting European soils as well as finding evidence‐based alternative management practices for the future; however, experiments should focus more on biological soil quality indicators as well as GHG emissions to enable better evaluation of trade‐offs and mutual benefits of management practices.

Tagetes patula is well known to be able to diminish Pratylenchus penetrans (Cobb) populations. In a field experiment, the increase of the P. penetrans soil population density after growing T. patula was significantly less than after chemical soil fumigation with metam sodium. The effect of T. patula on P. penetrans population densities lasted longer than the effect of chemical soil fumigation. Strawberries were grown for 3 consecutive years after T. patula without damage by the root lesion nematode. Assuming a linear rate of increase of the P. penetrans population density, we predict that strawberries could be grown for about 7 successive years without economic damage due to the root lesion nematode. Strawberry yield was greater from the crop grown 3 years after T. patula than that after soil fumigation 4 years previously. About 2 t strawberry yield increase is necessary to allow the growth of Tagetes every 5th year, without economic loss. The possibility of growing both strawberries and Tagetes in the same year should be investigated.

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Karssen, G., Bolk, R. J., Van Aelst, A. C., Van den Beld, I., Kox, L. F. F., Korthals, G., Molendijk, L., Zijlstra, C., Van Hoof, R., Cook, R. (2004). Description of Meloidogyne minor n. sp. (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae), a root-knot nematode associated with yellow patch disease in golf courses.? Nematology, 6, (1), 59-72A relatively small root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne minor n. sp., is described and illustrated from tomato from the Netherlands. This new species is characterised by the following features: female with dorsally curved stylet, 14 m long, with transversely ovoid knobs slightly sloping backwards from the shaft; perineal pattern rounded; male stylet 18 m long, large transversely ovoid knobs slightly sloping backwards from the shaft; head region not set off, labial disc elevated, lateral lips prominent; and secondstage juvenile 377 m long, with hemizonid posterior adjacent to excretory pore; tail 54 m long; and a distinct hyaline tail terminus 16 m long. Additionally, distinguishing information on isozymes, DNA, cytogenetics and host plants is presented. Meloidogyne minor n. sp. has so far been found on potato in the Netherlands and has been detected in the British Isles on several golf courses, associated with yellow patches, often together with M. naasi.Peer reviewe

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