Soil health (Sh) refers to the ability of a soil to function and provide ecosystem services. The Comprehensive Assessment of Soil health (CASh) is an approach that measures 15 physical, biological, and chemical soil indicators, which are interpreted through scoring functions. This study reports on the Sh status of 5767 samples from the mid-Atlantic, midwest, and northeast regions of the uSA as evaluated using CASh. descriptive statistics and AnOvAs of subdatasets by region and soil textural group for Sh indicators, in addition to correlation coefficients, principal component (pC) analysis, and best subsets regression (BSr) were performed. from these analyses, new CASh scoring functions were developed. Separate scoring functions by textural group (fine, medium, coarse) were necessary for Wet Aggregate Stability (WAS), Available Water Capacity (AWS), Organic matter (Om), Active Carbon (AC), and protein. differences existed among regions, especially for WAS, Om, protein, and respiration (resp), where the midwest had relatively lower mean values compared to the mid-Atlantic and northeast. Biological properties and WAS showed moderately strong correlations (r = 0.58-0.78) and the highest loadings for the first two pCs. BSr results using the overall soil quality index as the response variable indicated that AC accounts for 45% of the variation, with additional predictability from penetration resistance, resp, and WAS (68%). These four indicators are suggested for simplified Sh tests. We conclude that the CASh approach can be successfully applied to evaluate the health status of soils with differing pedogenetic histories. C onceptually, soil health (SH) represents the emerging understanding of soil quality. Both terms refer to the ability of a soil to function and provide ecosystem services based on its inherent characteristics (e.g., texture, mineralogy) and environmental conditions (Karlen et al., 1997;Andrews et al., 2004;Idowu et al., 2009). A soil's health status, within the context of land use and management goals, however, is consistent with the understanding of soils as a dynamic, complex, and living system (Doran and Zeiss, 2000). Intensive agriculture and poor land management practices have led to widespread soil degradation associated with increasing topsoil erosion, nutrient depletion, pollution, compaction, and loss of organic matter (Matson et al., 1997). A sustainable future with an ever-growing global population depends on healthy, well-functioning soils, which increase water and air quality, sup- Core Ideas• Summary statistics were developed from a robust multiregional soil health (Sh) dataset.• Active carbon, organic matter, and penetration resistance were most useful soil health indicators.• midwestern soils had relatively lower mean values for measured biological properties than northeast or mid-Atlantic soils.
Rising concerns about greenhouse gases, increased fuel prices, and the potential for new high value agricultural products have raised interest in the use of maize stover for bioenergy production. However, residue harvest must be weighed against potential negative impacts on soil quality. This study, conducted in Chazy, NY, evaluated the long‐term effects of 32 yr of maize (Zea mays L.) stover harvest vs. stover return on soil quality in the surface layer (5–66 mm) under plow till (PT) and no‐till (NT) systems on a Raynham silt loam (coarse‐silty, mixed, active, nonacid, mesic Aeric Epiaquept) using physical, chemical, and biological soil properties as soil quality indicators. Twenty‐five soil properties were measured, including standard chemical soil tests, aggregate stability (WSA), bulk density, (ρb) penetration resistance (PR), saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), infiltrability (Infilt), several porosity indicators (aeration pores(PO > 1000), soil water potential = Ψ > −0.36 kPa; air‐filled pores at field capacity (PO > 30), Ψ > −10kPa; available water capacity (AWC), −1500 < Ψ < −10 kPa), total organic matter (OM), parasitic (Nemparasitic) and beneficial nematode (Nem beneficial) populations, decomposition rate (Decomp), potentially mineralizable N (PMN) and easily extractable (EEG) and total glomalin (TG). Only eight indicators were adversely affected by stover harvest, and most of these effects were significant only under NT. Almost all indicators affected by stover removal were affected equally or more adversely by tillage. A total of 15 indicators were adversely affected by tillage. Results of this study suggest that, on a silt loam soil in a temperate climate, long‐term stover harvest had lower adverse impacts on soil quality than long‐term tillage. Stover harvest appears to be sustainable when practiced under NT management.
Timing of manure application affects N leaching. This 3-yr study quantified N losses from liquid manure application on two soils, a Muskellunge clay loam and a Stafford loamy sand, as affected by cropping system and timing of application. Dairy manure was applied at an annual rate of 93 800 L ha(-1) on replicated drained plots under continuous maize (Zea mays L.) in early fall, late fall, early spring, and as a split application in early and late spring. Variable rates of supplemental sidedress N fertilizer were applied as needed. Manure was applied on orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) in split applications in early fall and late spring, and early and late spring, with supplemental N fertilizer topdressed as NH4NO3 in early spring at 75 kg N ha(-1). Drain water was sampled at least weekly when lines were flowing. Three-year FWM (flow-weighted mean) NO3-N concentrations on loamy sand soil averaged 2.5 times higher (12.7 mg L(-1)) than those on clay loam plots (5.2 mg L(-1)), and those for fall applications on maize-cropped land averaged >10 mg L(-1) on the clay loam and >20 mg L(-1) on the loamy sand. Nitrate-N concentrations among application seasons followed the pattern early fall > late fall > early spring = early + late spring. For grass, average NO3-N concentrations from manure application remained well below 10 mg L(-1). Fall manure applications on maize show high NO3-N leaching risks, especially on sandy soils, and manure applications on grass pose minimal leaching concern.
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