The influence of soil management on soil health : an on-farm study
The capacity of a soil to provide ecosystem services without negative impacts on the environment is defined as soil health. Healthy soils are a fundamental resource for agricultural production and our ability to feed a growing global population. We must therefore increase our understanding of how...
| Autor principal: | |
|---|---|
| Formato: | H3 |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés sueco |
| Publicado: |
SLU/Dept. of Soil and Environment
2018
|
| Materias: |
| _version_ | 1855572348932980736 |
|---|---|
| author | Williams, Hanna |
| author_browse | Williams, Hanna |
| author_facet | Williams, Hanna |
| author_sort | Williams, Hanna |
| collection | Epsilon Archive for Student Projects |
| description | The capacity of a soil to provide ecosystem services without negative impacts on the environment
is defined as soil health. Healthy soils are a fundamental resource for agricultural
production and our ability to feed a growing global population. We must therefore increase
our understanding of how soil health is affected by soil management. This study investigated
soil health on 20 farms in the south of Sweden, using samples of topsoil from farm fields
and from unmanaged soil adjacent to the sampled field at each site. Soil health was assessed
using the following physical, chemical, and biological indicators: wet aggregate stability,
soil protein content, active carbon, soil respiration, and soil organic matter. We designed a
soil management index based on crop diversity, avoidance of mechanical soil disturbance,
and application of organic amendments, and evaluated its effect on individual soil health
indicators and overall relative soil health. The results of this study showed that soil health
was poorer in agricultural fields than unmanaged soils. Furthermore, a high soil management
index resulted in higher values for individual soil health indicators. However, soil health
indicators differed in how sensitive they were to soil management. We found that wet aggregate
stability and soil protein content had a high sensitivity to soil management. Active
carbon, soil respiration and soil organic matter content were less sensitive to soil management
and more dependent on soil texture. Lastly, the results show that a high soil management
index resulted in an improved overall soil health relative to the potential soil health
represented by the unmanaged soil. Our results show that it is possible to promote soil health
through high crop diversity, avoidance of mechanical soil disturbance, and application of
organic amendments |
| format | H3 |
| id | RepoSLU14070 |
| institution | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| language | Inglés swe |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publishDateSort | 2018 |
| publisher | SLU/Dept. of Soil and Environment |
| publisherStr | SLU/Dept. of Soil and Environment |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | RepoSLU140702019-02-26T14:08:37Z The influence of soil management on soil health : an on-farm study Williams, Hanna crop diversity soil health assessment indicator soil quality ecosystem services The capacity of a soil to provide ecosystem services without negative impacts on the environment is defined as soil health. Healthy soils are a fundamental resource for agricultural production and our ability to feed a growing global population. We must therefore increase our understanding of how soil health is affected by soil management. This study investigated soil health on 20 farms in the south of Sweden, using samples of topsoil from farm fields and from unmanaged soil adjacent to the sampled field at each site. Soil health was assessed using the following physical, chemical, and biological indicators: wet aggregate stability, soil protein content, active carbon, soil respiration, and soil organic matter. We designed a soil management index based on crop diversity, avoidance of mechanical soil disturbance, and application of organic amendments, and evaluated its effect on individual soil health indicators and overall relative soil health. The results of this study showed that soil health was poorer in agricultural fields than unmanaged soils. Furthermore, a high soil management index resulted in higher values for individual soil health indicators. However, soil health indicators differed in how sensitive they were to soil management. We found that wet aggregate stability and soil protein content had a high sensitivity to soil management. Active carbon, soil respiration and soil organic matter content were less sensitive to soil management and more dependent on soil texture. Lastly, the results show that a high soil management index resulted in an improved overall soil health relative to the potential soil health represented by the unmanaged soil. Our results show that it is possible to promote soil health through high crop diversity, avoidance of mechanical soil disturbance, and application of organic amendments Markens kapacitet att leverera ekosystemtjänster utan att negativt påverka miljön definieras som jordhälsa. Friska jordar är en grundläggande resurs för jordbruksproduktion och vår förmåga att mätta en växande global befolkning.Vi måste därför förbättra vår förståelse av hur jordhälsa påverkas av jordbruksmetoder. Denna studie undersökte jordhälsan på 20 skånska gårdar genom att analysera matjordsprover från åkermark och från ostörd jord bredvid åkern. Följande indikatorer användes för att bedöma jordhälsan: aggregatstabilitet, proteinhalt, labilt kol, markrespiration och mullhalt. Vi utformade ett brukningsindex baserat på jordbruksmetoder som omfattade varierad växtföljd, minimering av jordbearbetning samt spridning av organiska gödselmedel. Detta index användes sedan för att utvärdera hur kombinationen av dessa jordbruksmetoder påverkar enskilda indikatorer för jordhälsa såväl som total relativ jordhälsa. Resultaten visar att åkermark hade nedsatt jordhälsa jämfört med ostörd mark utanför åkern. Studien visar dessutom att jordbruksmetoder som främjar jordhälsa, här representerat av ett högt brukningsindex, resulterade i friskare jordar. Hur mycket man kan påverka indikatorer för jordhälsa genom jordbruksmetoder varierade dock. Enligt våra resultat hade jordbruksmetoder relativt stor påverkan på aggregatstabilitet och proteinhalt. Labilt kol, markrespiration och mullhalt var mindre påverkade av jordbruksmetoder utan styrdes till större del av jordarten. Slutligen visade studien att ett högt brukningsindex resulterade i friskare jordar, baserat på jämförelser med ostörd jord. Sammanfattningsvis påvisar denna studie att det är möjligt att skapa friskare jordar genom en varierad växtföljd, minimering av jordbearbetning och spridning av stallgödsel. SLU/Dept. of Soil and Environment 2018 H3 eng swe https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/14070/ |
| spellingShingle | crop diversity soil health assessment indicator soil quality ecosystem services Williams, Hanna The influence of soil management on soil health : an on-farm study |
| title | The influence of soil management on soil health : an on-farm study |
| title_full | The influence of soil management on soil health : an on-farm study |
| title_fullStr | The influence of soil management on soil health : an on-farm study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The influence of soil management on soil health : an on-farm study |
| title_short | The influence of soil management on soil health : an on-farm study |
| title_sort | influence of soil management on soil health : an on-farm study |
| topic | crop diversity soil health assessment indicator soil quality ecosystem services |