Effects of fertilization with urban and agricultural organic wastes in a field trial – Prokaryotic diversity investigated by pyrosequencing

The impact of different fertilizer treatments on prokaryotic diversity in a Danish urban waste field trial was investigated using tag-encoded amplicon pyrosequencing. The field trial was established in 2003 to investigate the application of urban organic waste as fertilizer in agriculture and to identify the effects on soil quality. The fertilizers (e.g. composted organic household waste, sewage sludge and human urine) contain a large amount of nutrients but possibly also undesirable toxic compounds that may influence the bacterial flora in the soil. A 561 bp fragment of the 16S rRNA gene flanking the V4, V5 and V6 regions, was amplified from each soil sample, tagged and sequenced using pyrosequencing. The major classified bacterial phyla and proteobacterial classes for all treatments were Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria and Betaproteobacteria, while the Crenarchaeota was the most frequent phylum of Archaea. No major changes in the community composition due to different fertilizer treatments were found, demonstrating a high robustness of the soil microbiota. However, some differences were observed e.g. Cyanobacteria were most frequent in the unfertilized soil, in comparison to the soils treated with nitrogen containing fertilizers and Firmicutes had higher occurrence in the soil with the composted household waste compared to all other treatments. Additionally, we used quantitative PCR (qPCR) to quantify specific bacterial groups, and used these numbers to convert the relative abundances of all bacteria obtained by pyrosequencing, to the actual numbers present in one gram of soil. All treatments resulted in a total number of bacteria between 1.99 × 10⁹ and 4.11 × 10⁹ gram⁻¹ soil.     

免耕对不同麦玉轮作农田土壤碳组分及理化性质的影响

为探讨耕作及轮作方式对农田土壤理化性质和碳组分的影响,设置免耕、传统耕作2种耕作方式,以及小麦-玉米轮作、小麦/玉米间作、小麦-冬油菜-玉米轮作3种种植模式,共形成6个处理,研究结果表明:与传统耕作相比,免耕增加了0~5 cm、5~20 cm土层全氮、全磷、速效磷和含水量,而降低了的土壤pH和土壤容重。免耕小麦/玉米间作(NT.W1/NT.WM.1)处理的土壤容重、含水量、全氮、全磷含量高于NT.WRM3和NT.WM5处理,在不同土层间,土壤全氮、全磷和速效磷含量随着土层深度的增加而降低。土壤碳组分含量总体表现为免耕处理高于传统耕作处理,免耕处理0~5 cm土层土壤有机碳、颗粒有机碳、可溶性有机碳、微生物量碳含量较相应传统耕作分别增加了1.31%~36.57%、2.07%~35.22%、2.38%~4.78%、2.08%~11.68%,在5~20 cm土层,免耕处理土壤有机碳和微生物量碳含量高于传统耕作。在不同免耕处理下,土壤有机碳,颗粒有机碳和微生物量碳含量在0~5 cm、5~20 cm土层总体表现为NT.WM5高于其他免耕处理,相关性分析表明,有机碳、微生物量碳和速效磷呈极显著正相关,容重和有机碳呈极显著负相关。综上所述,免耕小麦/玉米间作利于改善土壤理化性质,小麦-玉米轮作有利于提高土壤有机碳,颗粒有机碳和微生物量碳含量。     

Effect of conservation tillage on crop yield and soil organic carbon in Northeast China: A meta-analysis

Northeast China, the important grain-producing region in China, is under threat from soil degradation because of long-term conventional tillage (CT). The adoption of conservation tillage is anticipated to restore soil fertility, maintain crop yields and enhance sustainability. However, the integrated effects of conservation tillage practice on crop yields and soil organic carbon (SOC) remain unclear. In this meta-analysis of peer-reviewed studies conducted in the Northeast China region, we assess crop yields and SOC values under no-till, ridge tillage and subsoiling tillage practices. The results indicate that in areas with mean annual temperatures (MAT) below 3°C, crop yields were significantly (p < .05) higher under ridge tillage (0.8%) and subsoiling tillage (13.1%) compared with CT, whereas yields reduced under no-till (−3.7%). Ridge tillage generally had a similar effect on crop yield as no-till, without the negative impact in colder regions. We also report that no-till practice increased SOC concentrations by 24.1%, 43.9% and 17.4% in areas of higher temperature (MAT > 6°C), low mean annual precipitation (MAP) (<500 mm) and continuous cropping conditions, respectively. Ridge tillage and subsoiling tillage also had positive effects on SOC concentrations (to a lesser degree than no-till), indicating that conservation tillage can enhance SOC in Northeast China. Overall, the implementation of different conservation tillage measures in Northeast China was found to enhance crop yields and sequester carbon. We recommend that ridge tillage is used in colder areas and that subsoiling tillage is used in rotation with other tillage measures to maintain crop yields.     

Long-term tillage and rotation effects on soil microbial biomass,carbon and nitrogen

Summary Three mollisols, typical of the Palouse winter wheat region of eastern Washington and northern Idaho, were analyzed for microbial biomass, total C and total N after 10 years of combined tillage and rotation treatments. Treatments included till, no-till and three different cereal-legume rotations. All crop phases in each rotation were sampled in the same year. Microbial biomass was monitored from April to October, using a respiratory-response method. Microbial biomass, total C and total N were highest under no-till surface soils (0–5 cm), with minimal differences for tillage or depth below 5 cm. Microbial biomass differences among rotations were not large, owing to the relative homogeneity of the treatments. A rotation with two legume crops had the highest total C and N. Microbial biomass was significantly higher in no-till surface soils where the current crop had been preceded by a high-residue crop. The opposite was true for the tilled plots. There was little change in microbial biomass over the seasons until October, when fresh crop residues and rains had a strong stimulatory effect. The seasonal pattern of biomass in no-till surface soils reflected the dry summer/winter rainfall climate of the region. The results of this study show that numerous factors affect soil microbial biomass and that cropping history and seasonal changes must be taken into account when microbial biomass data are compared.Scientific paper no. 7634     

Soil carbon and nitrogen accumulation with long-term no-till versus moldboard plowing overestimated with tilled-zone sampling depths

Numerous investigators of tillage system impacts on soil organic carbon (OC) or total nitrogen (N) have limited their soil sampling to depths either at or just below the deepest tillage treatment in their experiments. This has resulted in an over-emphasis on OC and N changes in the near-surface zones and limited knowledge of crop and tillage system impacts below the maximum depth of soil disturbance by tillage implements. The objective of this study was to assess impacts of long-term (28 years) tillage and crop rotation on OC and N content and depth distribution together with bulk density and pH on a dark-colored Chalmers silty clay loam in Indiana. Soil samples were taken to 1 m depth in six depth increments from moldboard plow and no-till treatments in continuous corn and soybean–corn rotation. Rotation systems had little impact on the measured soil properties; OC content under continuous corn was not superior to the soybean–corn rotation in either no-till or moldboard plow systems. The increase in OC (on a mass per unit area basis) with no-till relative to moldboard plow averaged 23 t ha⁻¹ to a constant 30 cm sampling depth, but only 10 t ha⁻¹ to a constant 1.0 m sampling depth. Similarly, the increase in N with no-till was 1.9 t ha⁻¹ to a constant 30 cm sampling depth, but only 1.4 t ha⁻¹ to a constant 1.0 m sampling depth. Tillage treatments also had significant effects on soil bulk density and pH. Distribution of OC and N with soil depth differed dramatically under the different tillage systems. While no-till clearly resulted in more OC and N accumulation in the surface 15 cm than moldboard plow, the relative no-till advantage declined sharply with depth. Indeed, moldboard plowing resulted in substantially more OC and N, relative to no-till, in the 30–50 cm depth interval despite moldboard plowing consistently to less than a 25 cm depth. Our results suggest that conclusions about OC or N gains under long-term no-till are highly dependent on sampling depth and, therefore, tillage comparisons should be based on samples taken well beyond the deepest tillage depth.     

Long term tillage,cover crop,and fertilization effects on microbial community structure,activity: Implications for soil quality

Conservation agriculture practices, such as reduced tillage, cover crops and fertilization, are often associated with greater microbial biomass and activity that are linked to improvements in soil quality. This study characterized the impact of long term (31 years) tillage (till and no-till), cover crops (Hairy vetch- Vicia villosa and winter wheat- Triticum aestivum, and a no cover control), and N-rates (0, 34, 67 and 101 kg N ha⁻¹) on soil microbial community structure, activity and resultant soil quality calculated using the soil management assessment framework (SMAF) scoring index under continuous cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) production on a Lexington silt loam in West Tennessee.No-till treatments were characterized by a significantly greater (P < 0.05) abundance of Gram positive bacteria, actinomycetes and mycorrhizae fungi fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) biomarkers compared to till. Saprophytic fungal FAME biomarkers were significantly less abundant (P < 0.05) under no-till treatments resulting in a lower fungi to bacteria (F:B) ratio. Key enzymes associated with C, N & P cycling (β-glucosidase, β-glucosaminidase, and phosphodiesterase) had significantly higher rates under no-till relative to till, corresponding to significantly greater (P < 0.05) soil C and N, extractable nutrients (P, K and Ca) and yields. Mycorrhizae fungi biomarkers significantly decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing N-rate and was significantly less (P < 0.05) under the vetch cover crop compared to wheat and no cover. Treatments under vetch also had significantly higher β-glucosaminidase and basal microbial respiration rates compared to wheat and no cover.Consequently, the total organic carbon (TOC) and β-glucosidase SMAF quality scores were significantly greater under no-till compared to till and under the vetch compared to wheat and no cover treatments, resulting in a significantly greater overall soil quality index (SQI).Our results demonstrate that long-term no-till and use of cover crops under a low biomass monoculture crop production system like cotton results in significant shifts in the microbial community structure, activity, and conditions that favor C, N and P cycling compared to those under conventional tillage practices. These practices also led to increased yields and improved soil quality with no-till having 13% greater yields than till and treatments under vetch having 5% increase in soil quality compared to no cover and wheat.     

Soil fertility and bacterial community composition in a semiarid Mediterranean agricultural soil under long-term tillage management

This research attempted to investigate a part of the United Nations sustainable development goal 15, dealing with preventing land degradation and halting the loss of microorganisms’ diversity. Since soil deterioration and biodiversity loss in the Mediterranean area are occurring because of intensive management, we evaluated some biochemical and microbiological parameters and bacterial biodiversity under long-term conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) practices, in Basilicata, a typical Region of Southern Italy, characterized by a semiarid ecosystem. The highest biological fertility index (BFI) (composed of soil organic matter, microbial biomass C, cumulative microbial respiration during 25 days of incubation, basal respiration, metabolic quotient and mineralization quotient) was determined for the 0–20 cm of NT soil (class V, high biological fertility level). The analysis of the taxonomic composition at the phylum level revealed the higher relative abundance of copiotrophic bacteria such as Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes in the NT soil samples as compared to the CT soil. These copiotrophic phyla, more important decomposers of soil organic matter (SOM) than oligotrophic phyla, are responsible of a higher microbial C use efficiency (CUE) in tilled soil, being microbial community composition, C substrates content and CUE closely linked. The higher Chao1 and Shannon indices, under the NT management, also supported the hypothesis that the bacterial diversity and richness increased in the no-till soils. In conclusion, we can assume that the long-term no-tillage can preserve an agricultural soil in a semiarid ecosystem, enhancing soil biological fertility level and bacterial diversity.     

Tillage effects on maize yield in a Colombian savanna oxisol: Soil organic matter and P fractions

Soil organic matter (SOM) and phosphorus (P) fractions play a key role in sustaining the productivity of acid-savanna oxisols and are greatly influenced by tillage practices. In 1993, a long-term experiment on sustainable crop rotation and ley farming systems was initiated on a Colombian acid-savanna oxisol to test the effects of grain legumes, green manures, intercrops and leys as possible components that could increase the stability of systems involving annual cereal crops. Five agropastoral treatments (maize monoculture—MMO, maize–soybean rotation—MRT, maize–soybean green manure rotation—MGM, native savanna control—NSC and maize-agropastoral rotation—MAP) under two tillage systems (no till-NT and minimum tillage-MT) were investigated. The effects of NT and MT on SOM and P fractions as well as maize grain yield under the five agropastoral treatments were evaluated. Results showed that soil total C, N and P were generally better under no-till as compared to minimum-tilled soils. While P fractions were also generally higher under no-till treatments, SOM fractions did not show any specific trend. Seven years after establishment of the long-term ley farming experiment (5 years of conventional tillage followed by 2 years alternative tillage systems), MT resulted into moderately higher maize grain yields as compared to NT. The MGM rotation treatment had significantly higher values of maize yield under both tillage systems (4.2 Mg) compared to the NSC (2.3 Mg ha⁻¹). Results from this study indicate that the rotational systems (maize–soybean green manure and maize-pastures) improved the soil conditions to implement the no-till or minimum tillage systems on Colombian savanna oxisol.     

连续水旱轮作对水稻冷浸田土壤细菌群落结构的影响

利用高通量测序技术,采用单季稻-冬闲(CK)、油菜-水稻(R-R)、春玉米-水稻(C-R)、紫云英-水稻(M-R)和蚕豆-水稻(B-R)五个处理探究水旱轮作模式对水稻冷浸田土壤细菌群落结构的影响,同时分析了土壤理化因子与细菌群落结构的关系。结果表明:水旱轮作能够显著增加水稻产量18%~44%。与CK相比,绝大多数水旱轮作降低了土壤细菌的丰富度,而细菌多样性与CK处理无显著差异。变形菌门和酸杆菌门为土壤中的优势细菌类群,其中变形菌门的丰度最高。与CK相比,轮作后酸杆菌、放线菌、硝化螺旋菌、慢生根瘤菌和亚硝化螺菌等参与碳氮循环的菌群丰度明显增加。聚类分析表明CK和M-R轮作土壤细菌群落单独聚为一类,而B-R、C-R和R-R轮作土壤聚为另一类。冗余分析表明土壤全磷、有效磷和p H是影响水旱轮作土壤细菌群落结构的主要因子。     

耕作方式对紫色水稻土颗粒态氮的影响

土壤颗粒态氮作为土壤有机氮中的非稳定性部分,对土壤中氮的平衡有着重要的影响,对作物的生长及增产增收也有着重要意义.试验以西南大学农业部重庆紫色土生态环境重点野外科学观测试验站内于1989年设立的长期免耕试验田为研究对象,研究冬水田平作、水旱轮作、垄作免耕和垄作翻耕等耕作方式对土壤颗粒态氮的影响.结果表明,不同耕作方式下土壤全氮及颗粒态氮含量均具有明显的垂直分布特征,由上到下含量逐渐降低.在0-60 cm的土壤深度内,土壤全氮平均含量依次为垄作免耕(1.53g/kg)>冬水田平作(1.50 g/kg)>垄作翻耕(1.31 g/kg)>水旱轮作(1.16 g/kg);颗粒态氮平均含量依次为冬水田平作(0.55 g/kg)>垄作免耕(0.46 g/kg)>垄作翻耕(0.40 g/kg)>水旱轮作(0.35 g/kg).免耕能够增加土壤全氮含量,但无助于颗粒态氮含量的增加.不同耕作方式下的颗粒态土碳氮比大于全土碳氮比,表明颗粒态土壤有机质易被微生物分解,是土壤营养物质的重要来源.     

Short-term effect of tillage and crop rotation on microbial community structure and enzyme activities of a clay loam soil

A field study was carried out to analyze the short-term (2 years) effect of tillage and crop rotation on microbial community structure and enzyme activities of a clay loam soil. The experimental design was a split-plot arrangement of treatments, consisting of two tillage treatments—ridge tillage (RT) and no-tillage (NT)—in combination with two crop rotation treatments—corn (Zea mays L.) monoculture and a 2-year corn-soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles were used to assess soil microbial community structure. No-tillage resulted in significantly higher total PLFAs compared to the RT treatment, which was accompanied by higher activities of protease, β-glucosaminidase, and β-glucosidase. This suggests a close link between soil microbial communities and enzyme activities in response to tillage. The increase of total microbial lipid biomass in the NT soils was due to the increase in both fungal and bacterial PLFAs. Crop rotation had little effect on soil bacterial communities and enzyme activities, but it significantly influenced soil fungal communities, particularly arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Soils under monoculture corn had higher fungal biomass than soils under corn-soybean rotation regardless of tillage treatment.     

Structure and function of bacterial communities in ageing soils: Insights from the Mendocino ecological staircase

The ecological staircase of Mendocino (California, USA) is characterized by a succession of uplifted marine terraces that are derived from the same mineralogical parent material but have different ages, levels of fertility, and types of vegetation, from grassland in the youngest and most fertile terrace to a pygmy forest in the older terraces. Such conditions present a unique opportunity to determine how the structure, abundance, and function of bacterial communities vary with soil fertility along this natural chronosequence. Pyrosequencing analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons revealed that Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the most abundantly represented phyla. Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Verrucomicrobia were significantly enriched in the grasslands, while the less fertile forested terraces showed higher abundance of Acidobacteria Gp2 and Alphaproteobacteria. The pygmy forest soil harboured significantly more Actinobacteria and OP10 than the non-pygmy forest. Between samples from different terraces, the structure of the bacterial community clearly correlated with soil characteristics. Notably, the number of operational taxonomic units was greater in the fertile terrace, as was the density of culturable bacterial populations. Functional characterization of the soil culturable bacteria from the pygmy and non-pygmy forest terraces revealed that the soil bacteria from the non-pygmy terrace were significantly more effective in solubilizing minerals and more abundant than in the pygmy terrace. Our results provide new information on bacterial community structure as a function of soil age, land cover and fertility, which improve our understanding of soil evolution.     

不同茬口和施氮水平对南瓜根际细菌碳分解潜力的影响

为探明根际细菌群落多样性及有机碳分解功能基因对耕作措施的响应特征,以收获小麦和西瓜后种植的南瓜根际土壤为研究对象,以两种施氮水平(纯氮施入量分别为1.0、2.0 g/kg)为处理,结合高通量测序和PICRUSt功能预测解析不同茬口和施氮水平下南瓜根际细菌群落结构和参与有机碳分解代谢细菌的关键功能基因丰度的差异.结果表明...     

Long-term tillage and wheel traffic effects on a poorly drained mollic ochraqualf in northwest Ohio. 2. Infiltrability, surface runoff, sub-surface flow and sediment transport

Tillage-caused alterations in water infiltration, surface runoff, subsurface flow and sediment transport in surface and subsurface flow were studied for a clayey Mollic Ochraqualf for corn-soybean rotation in northwestern Ohio. Measurements were made on field runoff plots, 0.04 ha each, established in 1975. There were 4 tillage treatments: (A) continuous no-till for 12 years; (B) no-till for 10 years followed by plow-till for 2 years; (C) plow-till for 10 years followed by no-till for 2 years; (D) continuous plow-till for 12 years. Twelve years of continuous no-till and plow-till systems resulted in differences in soil water sorptivity and transmissivity coefficients of Philip's infiltration model for the traffic zone (TZ) and the row zone (RZ) sites. Average soil-water sorptivity in plow-till treatments was 9.1 times that in no-till treatments. In no-till, sorptivity in RZ was 4.8 times that in TZ. The infiltration data was better described by the Kostiakov model than by the Philip model. Surface runoff was somewhat more in plow-till than in no-till treatments. Subsurface flow was generally more in plow-till than no-till treatments. In no-till plots, the threshold value of subsurface flow, below which there was no surface flow, was about 22% of the annual precipitation. No such relation was observed for plow-till treatment. In general, sediment load was low, but was more for plow-till than no-till treatments. The mean sediment load in surface runoff ranged from 0.09 to 0.35 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in plow-till plots compared with 0.015–0.117 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in the no-till treatment.     

Soil macroporosity,hydraulic conductivity and air permeability of silty soils under long-term conservation tillage in Indiana

With the increasing use of conservation tillage, many questions about the long-term effects of tillage system on soil physical properties have been raised. Studies were conducted to evaluate saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_SAT), macropore characteristics and air permeability of two silty soils as affected by long-term conservation tillage systems in the state of Indiana. Measurements were taken during the tenth year of a tillage study on a Chalmers silty clay loam (Typic Haplaquoll) and the fifth year of a study on a Clermont silt loam (Typic Ochraqualf). Tillage systems were moldboard plow, chisel, ridge till-plant, and no-till in a rotation of corn (Zea mays L.) and soya beans (Glycine max L.). Saturated hydraulic conductivity was measured on large soil columns (25 × 25 × 40 cm) before spring tillage, and macropore size and continuity were assessed with staining techniques. Intact soil cores (8 cm diam × 10 cm) were collected in early July in the row and non-trafficked interrow at three depths (10–20, 20–30, and 30–40 cm) and were analyzed for air permeability (K_air), air-filled porosity and bulk density. Saturated hydraulic conductivity values were in the order plow > chisel > ridge till > no-till for the Chalmers soil and were significantly greater in the plow treatment than in the other 3 tillage systems on the Clermont soil. Differences in K_SAT between the 2 soils were generally greater than differences among tillage systems, and coefficients of variation were lower for treatments that did not include may fall tillage operations. At the 10-cm depth on the Chalmers soil, the chisel treatment had the greatest number of stained cylindrical channels, whereas for the Clermont soil the ridge till had the greatest number at this depth. Although the no-till treatment had similar or fewer total channels, it had the most continuous channels from the 10-cm depth to the 20- and 30-cm depths on both soils. Tillage system, row position and depth all affected K_air. On the Chalmers soil, plow, chisel and ridge systems had lower K_air between rows than in the row at the 10–20-cm depth, whereas no-till had constant K_air in the row and between the row. On the Clermont soil, ridge till had the highest K_air of all treatments at the 10–20-cm depth, and no-till had the highest K_air of all treatments at the 20–30-cm depth.     

盐沼湿地中植物根围土壤细菌群落结构和多样性的16S rDNA分析

The structure and diversity of the bacterial communities in rhizosphere soils of native Phragmites australis and Scirpus rnariqueter and alien Spartina alterniflora in the Yangtze River Estuary were investigated by constructing 16S ribosomal DNA （rDNA） clone libraries. The bacterial diversity was quantified by placing the clones into operational taxonomic unit （OTU） groups at the level of sequence similarity of 〉 97%. Phylogenetic analysis of the resulting 398 clone sequences indicated a high diversity of bacteria in the rhizosphere soils of these plants. The members of Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Deltaproteobacteria of the phylum Proteobacteria were the most abundant in rhizobacteria. Chao 1 nonpaxametric diversity estimator coupled with the reciprocal of Simpson＇s index （l/D） was applied to sequence data obtained from each library to evaluate total sequence diversity and quantitatively compare the level of dominance. The results showed that Phragmites, Scirpus, and Spartina rhizosphere soils contained 200, 668, and 382 OTUs, respectively. The bacterial communities in the Spartina and Phragraites rhizosphere soils displayed species dominance revealed by 1/D, whereas the bacterial community in Scirpus rhizosphere soil had uniform distributions of species abundance. Overall, analysis of 16S rDNA clone libraries from the rhizosphere soils indicates that the changes in bacterial composition may occur concomitantly with the shift of species composition in plant communities.     

生草栽培对南丰蜜橘园土壤微生物群落结构与功能特征的影响

为探究橘园生草对土壤微生物群落结构与功能特征的影响,本研究以南丰蜜橘(Citrus reticulita Blanco cv.Kinokuni)为研究对象,设置行间播种白三叶草(Trifolium repens)、黑麦草(Lolium multiflorum)、自然生草和清耕4个处理,采用荧光定量PCR技术和Illum...     

Converting from no-tillage to pre-seeding tillage: Influence on weeds, spring wheat grain yields and N, and soil quality

On the Canadian prairies there has been a steady increase in no-till seeding coupled with more frequent cropping, facilitated by the greater use of snow management to increase stored soil water. Although no-till seeding can gradually improve soil conservation and soil quality, it may also increase the incidence of grassy weed infestations and thus cause more frequent use of costly herbicides, such as glyphosate. Our objective was to determine if no-till producers experiencing grassy weed problems could introduce pre-seeding tillage for a few years to more economically control perennial weeds, without adversely affecting grain yield and quality, and soil quality. An experiment in which spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was grown for 9 years with no-tillage management on an Orthic Brown Chernozem (Typic Haplobroll) with treatments involving snow management and N rate, placement and timing, was converted to a study of pre-seeding shallow (5–7.5 cm) tillage with a cultivator, versus no-tillage, by replacing the N timing treatment in the tenth year. The experiment was then continued for three more years, during which we assessed the effect of tillage on weed populations, grain yield and N content, and on soil quality. Soil quality was also assessed following one more year during which the entire study site was summerfallowed and subjected to four tillage operations. Weed populations generally were not affected by tillage or snow management treatments, but differed among N rate and placement treatments, though not in a way that could be easily interpreted. Tillage had no effect on yield or grain N content. It increased the erodible fraction of soil (dry sieving), but did not affect wet aggregate stability. Neither microbial biomass C, nor C and N mineralization were affected by the change in tillage method. We conclude that the judicious use of shallow pre-seeding tillage in an otherwise no-till cropping system can be tolerated to manage persistent grassy weed problems without deleteriously influencing soil quality, grain yield or protein.     

Bacterial community response to tillage and nutrient additions in a long-term wheat cropping experiment

The effects of agricultural management practices on bacterial community structure and function are not well defined, yet are of concern for long-term soil resilience. In this study, soil microbial biomass, bacterial community structure (determined by TRFLP), and function, (determined by enzyme assays and Biolog assays), and soil physicochemical properties were investigated in a wheat cropping system subjected to long-term tillage (20 years) and short-term nutrient addition treatments. Samples were taken over a full cropping cycle. Tillage, nutrient addition, and time all significantly affected bacterial community structure (rDNA and rRNA), which showed considerable shifts across the sampling period. Microbial biomass and Biolog profiles changed significantly with time, but were not affected by treatment. With regard to specific enzyme assays, there were significant main effects of treatment and time on glucosidase, phosphatase and phenol oxidase enzyme activity, while for cellobioside and peroxidase, treatment and time had significant interactive effects. For the hydrolases significant effects were observed between nutrient treatments, while for the oxidases they were observed between tillage treatments. Overall, however, we found little evidence of major detrimental long-term effects of tillage on the soil bacterial communities or their important functions in the dryland wheat system studied. The bacterial communities showed both long and short-term trajectories that could be disentangled with appropriate experimental design. Concerns over significant long-term detrimental impacts of tillage on the soil bacterial communities appear unfounded, at least under systems similar to those studied here.