Impact of Zero-tillage on Soil Quality Changes Under Crop Rotations and Fertilizer Treatments in a Black Soil
Assess whether or there has been a significant change in soil quality and/or yield trends in the 6 years since the field soil in this study were converted to no-tillage from conventional tillage.
IPNI-1997-CAN-SK19
01 Mar 1999
1998 Annual Interpretive Summary
Impact of Zero-Tillage on Soil Quality Changes Under Crop Rotations and Fertilizer Treatments in a Black Soil, 1998
The objective of this study was to determine how 6 years of zero-tillage management and cropping practices have affected potential soil fertility and surface soil structure in a 40-year crop rotation study. Results have shown the upper three inches of soil depth have been affected by zero-tillage and fertilizer treatments. Organic carbon and microbial activity have increased due to N and P fertilization. Fertilization has also increased the amount of N that is easily released from decomposing soil organic matter and the amounts of readily available soil P.
Results emphasize the importance of fertilization in zero-till production systems and demonstrate the positive effect fertilization and zero-till management can have on soil quality. SK-19