Study

Effects of tillage on contents of organic carbon, nitrogen, water-stable aggregates and light fraction for four different long-term trials

  • Published source details Andruschkewitsch R., Geisseler D., Koch H.J. & Ludwig B. (2013) Effects of tillage on contents of organic carbon, nitrogen, water-stable aggregates and light fraction for four different long-term trials. Geoderma, 192, 368-377.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Change tillage practices

Action Link
Soil Fertility
  1. Change tillage practices

    A replicated experiment in 2004-2006 on silty soils in Germany (Andruschkewitsch et al. 2013) found that soil organic carbon was higher in no-tillage (11.6 g/kg soil) and mulch tillage (12.3 g/kg soil) than  conventional tillage (10.1 g/kg soil). Results were similar across all sites. Yields of sugar beet Beta vulgaris and winter wheat Triticum aestivum were higher under conventional (72.7 t/ha, 8 t/ha) and mulch tillage (69.7 t/ha, 8 t/ha) than no-tillage (62.8 t/ha, 7.5 t/ha respectively). There were four replicates (sites). Sugar beet was followed by two years of winter wheat as crop rotations. At each site, one field was chosen and divided into three plots (size not specified). Each plot had a different tillage treatment: conventional tillage (25-30 cm deep), mulch tillage (10-15 cm), no-tillage. In 2010, 15 soil samples were taken from each treatment. Soil organic carbon and nitrogen were measured. Yields were measured annually from 2004 to 2010.

     

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