Management impact and benefit of cover crops on soil quality: A review

Adetunji, Adewole Tomiwa; Ncube, Bongani; Mulidzi, A.R.; Lewu, Francis B.

doi:10.1016/j.still.2020.104717

Cited by 158 publications

(120 citation statements)

References 137 publications

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“…Nowadays, a sustainable approach to farming practices can refer to conservation of agriculture principles such as minimum soil disturbance and permanent soil cover with cover crops and mulches. The adoption of cover crops within the cropping systems can provide several benefits, i.e., reducing the need for fertilizers by recycling nutrients and fixing the atmospheric N in case of legume cover crops, reducing the incidence of soil-borne disease by providing habitat for beneficial insects, decreasing herbicide use by reducing weed pressure and increasing crop yield by improving soil health [5,6]. While it has been largely recognized that conservation tillage increases soil organic matter, soil structure and stability, which in turn reduce soil erosion, improve water holding capacity and microbial and earthworm activity [7][8][9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Changes under Different Cover Crops, Soil Tillage and Nitrogen Fertilization Management

et al. 2021

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interaction effects of winter cover crops (hairy vetch, subclover and black oat) and a bare soil, cover crop biomass management (incorporated into the soil or left on the soil surface as death mulch), and nitrogen (N) fertilization level (0, 75 and 150 kg ha−1 of N) on fruit yield and fruit quality parameters of processing tomato. Hairy vetch residues increased the yield (+57%), color index (+8%) and sugar/acidity ratio (+7%) of marketable tomato fruits compared to bare soil regardless of cover crop biomass management. Black oat residues determined a poor marketable yield, especially in tilled soil (on average, −26%, compared to bare soil) and they had a tendentially negative effect on some parameters of tomato quality (high firmness and titratable acidity, low color index and pH). Subclover residues, when incorporated into the soil, determined similar marketable fruit yield to bare soil, although they had a more favorable effect on the color parameters of tomato fruits. The increasing of the N fertilization level from 0 kg ha−1 of N to 150 kg ha−1 of N always positively influenced the tomato yield and fruit characteristics. The results suggest that hairy vetch, compared to other cover crops, had a positive influence on tomatoes and it could be part of an environmentally friendly management package for sustainable tomato cultivation in Mediterranean conditions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Changes under Different Cover Crops, Soil Tillage and Nitrogen Fertilization Management

et al. 2021

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“…Another important agricultural management practice influencing K is crop rotation, including green manure cover crops or intercropping systems 61 , 62 . This practice is subsidised in several countries, including Poland, to increase soil organic carbon content 63 , improve soil structure 64 , protect the soil surface from raindrop impact 65 , enhance fixation of atmospheric nitrogen in the case of legumes 66 , and improve agricultural productivity 62 . Over a longer time span, conversion of arable land into grassland that can serve as carbon and water storage may be an efficient option (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial variability of saturated hydraulic conductivity and its links with other soil properties at the regional scale

Usowicz

Lipiec

2021

Sci Rep

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Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K) is a key property for evaluating soil water movement and quality. Most studies on spatial variability of K have been performed soil at a field or smaller scale. Therefore, the aim of this work was to assess (quantify) the spatial distribution of K at the larger regional scale in south-eastern Poland and its relationship with other soil properties, including intrinsic sand, silt, and clay contents, relatively stable organic carbon, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and temporally variable water content (WC), total porosity (FI), and dry bulk density (BD) in the surface layer (0–20 cm). The spatial relationships were assessed using a semivariogram and a cross-semivariogram. The studied region (140 km2) with predominantly permeable sandy soils with low fertility and productivity is located in the south-eastern part of Poland (Podlasie region). The mean sand and organic carbon contents are 74 and 0.86 and their ranges (in %) are 45–95 and 0.002–3.75, respectively. The number of individual samples varied from 216 to 228 (for K, WC, BD, FI) to 691 for the other soil properties. The best fitting models were adjusted to the empirical semivariogram (exponential) and the cross-semivariogram (exponential, Gaussian, or linear) used to draw maps with kriging. The results showed that, among the soil properties studied, K was most variable (coefficient of variation 77.3%) and significantly (p < 0.05) positively correlated with total porosity (r = 0.300) and negatively correlated with soil bulk density (r = – 0.283). The normal or close to the normal distribution was obtained by natural logarithmic and root square transformations. The mean K was 2.597 m day−1 and ranged from 0.01 up to 11.54 m day−1. The spatial autocorrelation (range) of K in the single (direct) semivariograms was 0.081° (8.1 km), while it favourably increased up to 0.149°–0.81° (14.9–81 km) in the cross-semivariograms using the OC contents, textural fractions, and CEC as auxiliary variables. The generated spatial maps allowed outlining two sub-areas with predominantly high K above 3.0 m day−1 in the northern sandier (sand content > 74%) and less silty (silt content < 22%) part and, with lower K in the southern part of the study region. Generally, the spatial distribution of the K values in the study region depended on the share of individual intrinsic textural fractions. On the other hand, the ranges of the spatial relationship between K and the intrinsic and relatively stable soil properties were much larger (from ~ 15 to 81 km) than between K and the temporally variable soil properties (0.3–0.9 km). This knowledge is supportive for making decisions related to land management aimed at alteration of hydraulic conductivity to improve soil water resources and crop productivity and reduce chemical leaching.

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“…Cover crops are typically included in rotations to improve soil parameters such as aggregation, water infiltration and water-holding capacity, and provide nitrogen if legumes are used. However, general suppressive activity can also result from using cover crops due to their stimulation of microbial biomass, diversity and activity [11,141]. Incorporated grasses (sorghum, millet, oats, rye), brassicas (rapeseed, mustard), legumes (alfalfa) and vines (kudzu) [142,143] as cover crops have been shown to decrease specific plant pathogen populations.…”

Section: Effect Of Agricultural Management Practices On Role Of Soil and Soil Biota In Regulating Detrimental Organisms And Biological Prmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of soil in the regulation of human and plant pathogens: soils' contributions to people

Samaddar

Karp

Schmidt

et al. 2021

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Soil and soil biodiversity play critical roles in Nature's Contributions to People (NCP) # 10, defined as Nature's ability to regulate direct detrimental effects on humans, and on human-important plants and animals, through the control or regulation of particular organisms considered to be harmful. We provide an overview of pathogens in soil, focusing on human and crop pathogens, and discuss general strategies, and examples, of how soils' extraordinarily diverse microbial communities regulate soil-borne pathogens. We review the ecological principles underpinning the regulation of soil pathogens, as well as relationships between pathogen suppression and soil health. Mechanisms and specific examples are presented of how soil and soil biota are involved in regulating pathogens of humans and plants. We evaluate how specific agricultural management practices can either promote or interfere with soil's ability to regulate pathogens. Finally, we conclude with how integrating soil, plant, animal and human health through a ‘One Health’ framework could lead to more integrated, efficient and multifunctional strategies for regulating detrimental organisms and processes. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People’.

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Management impact and benefit of cover crops on soil quality: A review

Cited by 158 publications

References 137 publications

Quality of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Changes under Different Cover Crops, Soil Tillage and Nitrogen Fertilization Management

Quality of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Changes under Different Cover Crops, Soil Tillage and Nitrogen Fertilization Management

Spatial variability of saturated hydraulic conductivity and its links with other soil properties at the regional scale

Role of soil in the regulation of human and plant pathogens: soils' contributions to people

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