Fifteen years of no till increase soil organic matter, microbial biomass and arthropod diversity in cover crop-based arable cropping systems

Abstract

The physical, chemical and biological properties of soil may be modified by tillage, fertilization and cover crops. However there is little knowledge on long-term effects on soil properties, notably under Mediterranean climate. Moreover, biological indicators such as micro-arthropods can be used for a cost-effective analysis of soil biodiversity. Here, we studied physical and biological properties of a sandy loam soil in central Italy under a 4-year rotation of maize–durum wheat–cover crop–sunflower–durum wheat–cover crop during 15 years. We analysed the effects of two tillage systems, conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT); two N fertilization rates, without N and medium N level; and three soil covers: cash crop residue as control, Brassica juncea and Vicia villosa. Results show that no tillage increased soil organic matter content in the upper 10-cm layer (3.31%) compared to the conventional tillage (2.19%). No tillage also improved structure stability and lowered bulk density in the same soil profile. No-tillage systems showed higher soil microbial biomass (+71%) and respiration (+44%), and a higher abundance and diversity of micro-arthropods.We conclude that no tillage is an effective measure to improve the physical and biological quality of soil in Mediterranean conditions. No-tillage positive effect can be enhanced by the right choice of N fertilization and cover crop cultivation. Bio-indicators such as microarthropods can be very predictive of soil habitability by organisms

Carbon management in dryland agricultural systems. A review

“…In dryland agricultural systems, crop rotations, cover crops, crop residue retention, and conservation agriculture increase water use efficiency, biomass production, and SOC and have a direct impact on biodiversity and different ecosystem services such as weed seed predation (Baraibar et al 2011), abundance and distribution of a broad range of soil organisms (Buckerfield et al 1997;Henneron et al 2015;Sapkota et al 2012), or bird nesting density and success (Van Beek et al 2014). On the other hand, there are some complex interactions that determine crop productivity and C storage in soils, making difficult the observation of real patterns and the development of management recommendations (Corsi et al 2012).…”

No-till and cover crops shift soil microbial abundance and diversity in Laos tropical grasslands

“…Combined with maximal soil cover (mulch) and diversified crop sequences, NT systems have demonstrated in addition to have a positive impact on soil physical and chemical properties (Castro Filho et al 2002;Six et al 2002;Séguy et al 2006;Lal 2008), and on soil microbial biomass and activity (Kladivko 2001;Kaschuk et al 2010;Sapkota et al 2011). However, the adoption of notill systems in small-scale agriculture is still low (Derpsch et al 2010) with therefore little data available regarding their environmental impact on soils, notably in tropical grassland ecosystems, whereas the expansion of agriculture is a key challenge in these areas to increase and sustain food production (Lal 2008).…”

Soil microbial functionality in response to the inclusion of cover crop mixtures in agricultural systems

“…The inclusion of cover crops (CC) is a promising option aimed at sustainable production of agricultural systems. The type and characteristics of these crops (e.g., root depth, release of nutrients in the rhizosphere, adaptation to climatic conditions) are key factors related to improving soil biological, chemical and physical conditions (Constantin et al, 2010;Blanco-Canqui et al, 2011;Sapkota et al, 2012).…”