Finding the optimum tillage and cover crop system for optimizing microbial soil health and nutrient cycling

作者：Martin Schneider, Sabine Huber, Niklas Bruhn, Markus Gorfer, Sophie Zechmeister‐Boltenstern, Gernot Bodner, Katharina Keiblinger · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.5194/egusphere-egu24-18424 · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics、Agricultural Productivity and Crop Improvement、Crop Yield and Soil Fertility

Soil ecosystem services and soil health criteria, such as nutrient cycling, carbon (C) sequestration and water regulation, needs to be maintained and improved to meet our environmental, social and economic demands for the future within the frameworks of global change, population growth and economic independency.This study investigated variations of soil physical, nutritional and microbial properties due to differing cover cropping systems within the first year. The experiment was located on an ongoing long-term tillage field trial in Hollabrunn, Austria. For 18 years, soils were cultivated either conventional (plough), reduced (grubber), minimized (disk-harrow) or by direct-seeding. Beside the fallow treatment, two mixtures of cover crops were selected. The 23 kg ha-1 standard mixture contained 65 % buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), 22 % scorpion-weed (Phacelia tanacetifolia) and 13 % mustard (Brassica juncea). The 35 kg ha-1 advanced mixture contained 14 different species with 19 % Fabaceae and 15 % Brassicaceae. Soils were sampled after sowing of the cover crop in september and in the following june after sowing soybean.Intensive tillage systems increase mineralization, aeration, redox potential and rooting within the upper most ploughing (Ap) horizon, while decreasing water holding capacity and soil aggregation. However, the higher frequency of machinery passes favors soil compaction in the layer below and limits deep rooting. Reduced tillage systems might provide a less d...