Ridge tillage and contour natural grass barrier strips reduce tillage erosion

Large amounts of soil are eroded annually from tilled, hilly upland soils in the humid tropics. Awareness has been increasing that much of this erosion may be due to tillage operations rather than water-induced soil movement. This field study estimated soil translocation and tillage erosion for four tillage systems on Oxisols with slope gradients of 16–22% at Claveria, Misamis Oriental, Philippines. Soil movement was estimated using ‘soil movement tracers' (SMT) which consisted of painted 12-mm hexagonal steel nuts. The SMT were buried in three replicate plots of the following tillage treatments: (1) contour moldboard plowing in the open field (MP-open); (2) contour ridge tillage in the open field (RT-open); (3) contour moldboard plowing plus contour natural grass barrier strips (MP-strip); and (4) contour natural grass barrier strips plus ridge tillage (RT-strip). Two hundred SMT were placed at the 5-cm depth at 5-cm spacings on 10 rows and 20 columns in two microplots within each plot. The microplots were oriented with the boundaries running downslope and along the contour of each 8-m-wide × 38-m-long (downslope) tillage plot. After tilling the land for four successive corn (Zea mays L.) crops (20 tillage operations), the SMT were manually excavated and their positions recorded. Recovery of SMT ranged from 82% to 85%. Displacement of SMT was directly related to slope length, percent slope, and tillage method. Mean displacement distance of SMT during the four corn growing seasons was 3.3 m for MP-open, 1.8 m for RT-open, 1.5 m for the RT-strip, and 2.2 m for MP-strip. Based on tillage operations associated with two corn crops per year, mean annual soil flux was estimated to be 241, 131, 158 and 112 kg m⁻¹ for MP-open, RT-open MP-strip, and RT-strip, respectively. Compared to the mean annual soil loss for MP-open of 63 Mg ha⁻¹, soil loss was reduced by 30%, 45%, and 53% for the MP-strip, RT-open, and RT-strip systems, respectively. Both ridge tillage and natural grass barrier strips reduced soil displacement, soil translocation flux, and tillage erosion rates.     

转变耕作方式对长期旋免耕农田土壤有机碳库的影响

土壤深松是解决长期旋免耕农田耕层浅薄化、亚表层（>15～30 cm）容重增加等问题的有效方法之一,而将长期旋免耕农田进行深松必然导致农业生态系统中土壤有机碳（soil organic carbon,SOC）及碳固定速率的变化。因此,为对比将长期旋免耕转变为深松前后农田土壤有机碳库变化,该研究利用连续12a 的旋耕和免耕长期定位试验以及在此基础上连续6 a旋耕-深松和免耕-深松定位试验,对比了转变耕作方式对农田土壤0～30 cm有机碳含量、周年累积速率及其固碳量的影响。研究结果表明,经过连续12 a的旋耕和免耕处理（2002－2014）,2014年免耕处理土壤0～30 cm有机碳储量比试验初期（2002年）提高38%,旋耕处理降低了30%,而对照常规处理无显著差异。免耕处理土壤0～30 cm有机碳储量比旋耕处理高约2.6倍（2014年）。长期免耕显著提高了土壤0～30 cm的有机碳含量,2002~2014年其土壤0～30 cm固碳量为16.69 t/hm2,但长期旋耕导致土壤0～30 cm SOC含量显著降低,表现为土壤有机碳的净损耗,年损耗速率为?0.75 t/hm2。而长期旋耕后进行深松（旋耕-深松处理）6年其土壤0～30 cm的有机碳含量较原旋耕处理提高32%～67%,且显著提高了土壤固碳量及周年累积速率;免耕-深松土壤0～30 cm的有机碳周年累积速率较免耕处理下降了42%。长期旋耕造成有机碳水平下降的条件下,将旋耕处理转变为深松处理在短期内更有利于促进土壤有机碳的积累,而将长期免耕处理转变为深松措施,降低了土壤有机碳的累积速率和固碳量。     

双轴旋耕碎土试验台设计与分层耕作试验

针对现有耕作试验台难以满足双轴耕作部件测试的需求、室内测试重塑土难以反映作业现场真实环境的问题,设计了一种集前轴正转抛土、后轴反转碎土功能于一体的双轴旋耕碎土田间移动式试验台,可实现前后刀轴相对位置及转速比的实时调整。阐述了整机工作原理,分析了前后刀轴相对位置的调节范围、碎土刀轴位置调节机构结构参数、旋耕刀轴调速装置的运动参数,计算并选型了碎土刀轴调速系统、功耗测试系统中液压及电气元件。为提高分层耕作质量同时降低作业能耗,以前期研究的双轴起垄机的双轴旋耕碎土关键部件为研究对象,开展了分层旋碎的田间试验,并采用中心组合试验设计方法,以两轴水平间距、垂直间距、碎土刀轴转速为影响因素,以双刀辊作业平均功耗、表层5 cm土层的碎土率为评价指标进行响应曲面分析。利用Design-Expert软件进行数据分析,建立各因素和平均功耗、碎土率之间的回归模型,分析各因素对平均功耗、碎土率的显著性,同时对影响因素进行了综合优化。试验结果表明:各因素对平均功耗影响由大到小依次为水平间距、碎土刀轴转速、垂直间距;各因素对碎土率影响由大到小依次为水平间距、垂直间距、碎土刀轴转速;最优工作参数组合为水平间距为570mm、垂直间距为96mm、碎土刀轴转速为340r/min,对应的平均功耗为17.92 kW、碎土率为91.65%,且各评价指标与其理论优化值的相对误差均小于5%。试验表明,所设计的双轴旋转耕作部件性能测试试验台设计合理,能够满足多因素多水平的测试需求,为双轴旋转型耕作部件的优化设计提供了新的测试手段。     

Effects of fertilizer placement on solute leaching under ridge tillage and no tillage

Elevated nitrate concentrations in ground water can be a problem in agricultural areas, especially where soils are sandy. Tillage operations, such as ridge tillage (RT) and no tillage (NT) can reduce runoff and erosion but leaching of soluble nutrients could adversely impact groundwater. In a 2-year study, Br was used to trace the effects of fertilizer placement on solute movement under corn (Zea mays L.) in RT and NT systems on a Monmouth fine sandy loam (Typic Hapludult) in Maryland. Treatments included 120 kg ha⁻¹ of Br⁻ or NO₃⁻-N applied in a narrow band near the ridge top (RT-RA) or in the furrow (RT-FA) with ridge tillage, or in the inter-row with NT. Two-dimensional arrays of tensiometers and suction lysimeters were used to follow the movement of water and solutes during and after the corn-growing season. Tillage and fertilizer placement did not significantly affect N uptake when averaged across years. A pronounced argillic horizon beginning at 60 cm depth caused lateral movement of Br. It appears that Br leaching in RT-RA increased slightly due to the crop canopy funneling rain towards the ridge top. Therefore, when fertilizer is applied near the row, rain occurring after full corn canopy may cause greater solute leaching in RT-RA compared to other treatments. Rain during the beginning of the growing season or after harvest caused less leaching in RT-RA. Corn yield could be maximized and N leaching minimized by applying fertilizer to the upper portion of the ridge in RT.     

Influences of tillage operations on soil translocation over sloping land by hoeing tillage

Very few studies have investigated the factors affecting soil displacement and tillage erosion by hoeing tillage. This study adopted a magnetic tracer method to investigate the influences of hoe form and tillage depth on soil translocation over steep hillslopes in Southwest China using a new type of magnetic tracer, i.e., ilmenite powder. Ilmenite powder enhanced the magnetic sensitivity of soil at the end position of tracer distribution, and improved the accuracy and efficiency of tillage translocation measurements. Tillage translocation by wide and perforated hoes was found to be significantly correlated with slope gradient (P < 0.01), however, no significant correlation was found for narrow and bidentate hoe tillage (P > 0.05). Compared with wide hoes, the tillage erosion rates resulting from the use of narrow, perforated and bidentate hoes were reduced by 12.4%, 11.0%, and 16.3%, respectively, indicating that changes in hoe forms resulted in a marked decrease in downslope soil translocation and tillage erosion. Tillage erosion rate decreased by 64% when the tillage depth was reduced from 0.26 to 0.14 m. These results suggest that innovations in hoe form and reductions in tillage depth are important means to manage tillage erosion due to hoeing.     

秸秆覆盖免耕法

本文阐述了传统耕作法,少耕法和免耕法的基本概念,分析了秸秆覆盖免耕法的原理。夏玉米免耕覆盖种植机械化技术就是应用秸秆覆盖法的原理试验成功的一项科研成果,这项技术由三项作业,六项技术组成,具有节能,省工,增产,增加土壤有机质,改善土壤结构等效益,是对传统耕作法改革的一项新型耕作技术。研制成功的免耕播种机是实现这项技术的关键机具,本文介绍了其工作部件及工作原理。最后指出这项新技术在我国小麦、玉米两熟地区推广应用的意义。     

Rainfall for tillage management decisions

Effective management for agricultural development depends strongly on the regions' infrastructure and local community's culture and means. Western world agriculture management, cannot simply be copied to the African semitropic conditions.

Developing effective management systems for any specific local conditions, demands a quantitative in-depth understanding of the particular soil and climate restrictions in which crust formation, surface seal and very high rain intensities are the dominant factors.

A computer-based approach to this problem has been proposed. The approach adopted in Israel will be described in this paper, along with an illustration of applications on various scales of time and space.

Study of a Cameroon rain storm reveals a promising method which is based on the small basin concept, absorbing all the rainfall in situ. The system is the Areal Basin, locally called, digutte. The main idea here is to divide the area into big basins, each of them practically a small field. They are to be cultivated by the farmer, whatever means are available to him, that is, manual labor or animal traction.     

Conservation tillage in the subarctic

Three tillage practices were compared on a subarctic silt-loam soil to evaluate whether conservation tillage could be used effectively to reduce soil losses from wind erosion without delaying crop maturity or reducing yield. Urea and ammonium nitrate were also compared as sources of fertilizer nitrogen. Plots were cropped to rapeseed (Brassica campestris L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in a rapeseed-barley-fallow rotation and in continuous barley. Zero-tillage did not delay maturity nor did it result in reduced yields except where there was excessive competition from perennial grassy weeds. Neither placement appeared to be less than optimum in zero-tilled plots. With proper fertilizer placement and grassy-weed control, conservation tillage appears to be a viable method of reducing the potential for wind erosion in the subarctic.     

Soil microbial community response to controlled-release urea fertilizer under zero tillage and conventional tillage

Soil microorganisms mediate many important biological processes for sustainable agriculture. The effect of a polymer-coated controlled-release urea (CRU, ESN^®) on soil microbial communities was studied at six sites across western Canada from 2004 to 2006. Fertilizer treatments were CRU, urea and an unfertilized control. Timing of fertilizer application (fall vs. spring) was studied in 9 of the 18 site-years (combinations of sites and years). Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), canola (Brassica napus L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) were grown in rotation at five sites, and silage corn (Zea mays L.) was grown in all 3 years at one site, under conventional tillage (CT) or zero tillage (ZT). The fertilizers were side-banded at 50–60 kg N ha⁻¹ for wheat, barley and canola, and broadcast at 150 kg N ha⁻¹ for corn. Microbial biomass C (MBC) and bacterial functional diversity and community-level physiological profiles (CLPPs) were determined at about the flowering stage of each crop. In situ CO₂ evolution (soil respiration) was measured, and microbial metabolic quotient (qCO₂) determined, at one site in 2 years. In the rhizosphere, fertilizer effects on MBC and functional diversity were observed in 1 and 5 of 18 site-years, respectively; and in bulk soil in 4 site-years each. These effects were usually positive relative to the control. CRU increased MBC or functional diversity more than urea in 3 site-years, but the opposite was observed in 1 site-year. Time of fertilizer application affected MBC in 1, and functional diversity in 2, of 9 site-years in the rhizosphere, and no effects were observed in bulk soil. Fall-applied fertilizer increased MBC more than spring-applied fertilizer, but the opposite was observed for functional diversity. Tillage affected MBC and functional diversity in 4 and 5 of 18 site-years, respectively, in the rhizosphere, and in 3 and 4 site-years in bulk soil. Tillage effects were usually in favour of ZT. There were no treatment effects on CO₂ evolution, but an interactive effect of fertilizer and tillage on qCO₂ was observed in 1 year when qCO₂ in the control treatment was greater than that in either fertilizer treatment under CT, but urea increased qCO₂ relative to the control under ZT. Shifts in CLPPs were sometimes observed where the treatment effects described above were not significant. Notwithstanding the limitations of culture-dependent CLPPs, most fertilizer effects on soil microbiological properties were not statistically significant. Therefore, these fertilizers probably did not adversely affect most soil biological processes.     

Reassessment of tillage erosion rates by manual tillage on steep slopes in northern Thailand

Changing land-use practices in northern Thailand have increased tillage intensity. This study re-assesses the rate of tillage erosion by manual hoeing on steep slopes (17–82%) in northern Thailand. Previously collected soil translocation data during an on-farm tillage erosion experiment and additionally collected data during an on-farm tillage erosion survey have been analysed whereby a new calculation method (i.e. trapezoid tillage step) has been used. A comparison with previously collected data indicates that the trapezoid tillage step method and the tracer method are the most reliable methods to assess downslope translocation by manual tillage. Based on newly acquired understanding of the processes involved, soil fluxes by tillage erosion are quantified by linear functions for different slope gradient classes rather than one single diffusion-type equation for the whole slope range. For slope gradients smaller than 3%, soil fluxes are close to zero as farmers do not have a preferred tillage direction. For slope gradients between 3% and 70%, soil is tilled only in the downslope direction and soil fluxes range between 16 and 67 kg m⁻¹ tillage pass⁻¹. On slopes with gradients in excess of 70%, the angle of repose for soil clods is often exceeded resulting in a sliding down of the complete tilled top layer. These data are used to assess the soil flux for complete cropping cycles for the most dominant cropping systems in the highlands of northern Thailand: i.e. upland rice, maize, (soy) beans, cabbage and ginger. The on-site effects of tillage erosion will be very pronounced if parcels are short with respect to their slope length, cultivated for upland rice or cabbage, or when weed pressure is high. Tillage erosion results in a tillage step with low soil fertility and low infiltration capacity. Solutions to reduce tillage erosion intensity depend on the degree that tillage intensity can be reduced. This might happen by an improved weed management or by changing landuse to perrenial cropping. Other strategies are concentrating nutrients on the truncated hillslope sections and retaining soil on the field by vegetative buffers.     

Diesel and glyphosate price changes benefit the economics of conservation tillage versus traditional tillage

Recent increases in diesel price and decreases in glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] price should favor the profitability and farmer acceptance of herbicide-intensive conservation tillage systems versus fuel-intensive traditional tillage (TT) systems. Profitability results from a long-term field experiment that compared TT, minimum tillage (MT), and delayed minimum tillage (DMT) systems for winter wheat–(Triticum aestivum L.)summer fallow in eastern Washington, USA were calculated using both 1998 and 2005 input prices. Net returns for the MT and DMT systems increased by US$ 6.37 and 6.30 (rotational ha)⁻¹, respectively, and net returns to the TT system decreased by US$ 2.36 (rotational ha)⁻¹ when 2005 versus 1998 prices were used. Here, rotational ha equals 0.5 ha fallow and 0.5 ha wheat. Focusing on the dominant crop of soft white winter wheat (SWWW), the 2005 price hikes pushed diesel costs up for all systems, from US$ 6.81 (rotational ha)⁻¹ for DMT to US$ 9.00 (rotational ha)⁻¹ for TT. The cost of diesel for the conservation tillage systems, relative to the cost for TT, decreased by US$ 1.50–2.20 (rotational ha)⁻¹. The conservation tillage systems accrue greater savings from the price reduction in glyphosate because they consume more of this herbicide. An unanticipated result was that relative cost savings from price changes in N fertilizer rivaled those from diesel and glyphosate because anhydrous NH₃–N was exclusively used in the experiment for TT and aqueous NH₃–N for MT and DMT. The price of anhydrous NH₃–N increased from US$ 0.55 kg⁻¹ in 1998 to 0.85 kg⁻¹ in 2005, a 56% increase. Aqueous NH₃–N only increased from $0.75 kg⁻¹ in 1998 to 0.85 kg⁻¹ in 2005, a 15% increase. The greater price increase for anhydrous NH₃–N penalized the TT system because of its use of this fertilizer. If the same source of N fertilizer were used on all three tillage systems, this fertilizer cost effect would disappear. Nonetheless, the conservation tillage systems still retained a statistically significant profitability advantage over TT even if the same fertilizer was used throughout. The sharp price increase for diesel and the concurrent price decrease for glyphosate herbicide favored the conservation tillage systems over TT in this study. Results provide strong evidence for the superior profitability of conservation tillage winter wheat–summer fallow under current economic conditions.     

Control concepts for tillage systems

Prescribed tillage to meet agronomic needs will be important to future goals of productivity, energy efficiency, and resource conservation. Control systems will be an important feature of the tillage systems that are developed to implement prescribed tillage. A control concept for tillage systems is described.     

Quantifying soil displacement and tillage erosion rate by different tillage systems in dryland northwestern Iran

Redistribution of soil particles by the force applied by tillage is a major factor in soil degradation of agricultural land. Decreasing tillage intensity can reduce the amount of soil displaced and the distance moved and hence may reduce rates of erosion. To understand the relative importance of erosion, we tabulated machine, soil and landform properties likely to be involved. We compared soil displacement and tillage erosion rates under different systems, including mouldboard ploughing (conventional tillage), chisel ploughing (reduced tillage), stubble cultivator (minimum tillage) and no‐tillage under dryland agriculture in northwestern Iran. The area was undulating and so all tillage took place along contours. Metallic tracers were buried in the soil at known locations and depths and their recovery after tillage provided a measure of soil displacement and tillage erosion. Conventional tillage along a contour line caused significantly greater soil displacement (≃57 cm) in the direction of tillage than reduced and minimum tillage systems (~20 and ~15 cm, respectively). Conventional tillage also caused more lateral soil displacement (downwards in the main direction of slope, the tillage erosion rate) than reduced or minimum tillage systems (48 cm or 152 kg/m vs. 5 and 4 cm or 16 and 7 kg/m, respectively). Although a range of factors contribute to the tillage systems used by farmers, our results suggest that under dryland conditions, similar to those found in our study area, adoption of noninversion, reduced tillage along the contour, for example by chisel ploughing can substantially limit tillage erosion relative to conventional tillage.     

田块尺度顺坡垄作改等高垄作提高黑土有机质含量

为了明晰等高垄作后对坡耕地土壤有机质的恢复作用,选取一块面积为1.4 hm2的典型黑土坡耕地,采用标准栅格法,同位大样点取样调查了改垄前和改垄10 a后土壤有机质和含水率等性状的变化。结果表明:1)与经典统计学相比,地统计学通过变程、块金值与基台值的比值以及插值绘制空间分布图,能够从全坡面更好地反映改垄前后性状的空间变化;2)等高改垄10 a后,垄台土壤含水率变程由510.7 m降低到193.2 m,块金值与基台值的比值由11.7%升至46.9%,空间相关性强度由强烈变为中等,水分再分配降低;3)耕层土壤有机质总体增加了2.61 g/kg,提升了8.4%,只在坡中上部西侧小区的部分区域降低了3.7%;4)土壤全氮含量减少了0.04 g/kg,降低了2.8%。上述结果表明,对于严重侵蚀的坡耕地,改顺坡垄为等高垄作,可弱化性状空间相关性,对土壤有机质具有恢复作用,但应适当增加化肥氮素的施用量,对东北黑土区坡耕地水土流失治理具有指导意义。     

耕作侵蚀研究述评

耕作位移和耕作侵蚀主要是在重力作用下,由耕作工具触发的土壤侵蚀;是造成坡耕地土壤重新分布和坡耕地土壤侵蚀的重要过程之一;对坡面地形演化、土壤性质改变、土壤养分流失与重新分布、土地生产力降低、土壤碳储存变化等都有重要影响.在以往研究的基础上,总结耕作侵蚀的基本过程和机制、研究方法、影响因素和侵蚀速率的研究进展,讨论目前研究中的不足与未来可能的研究方向.不同于风蚀和水蚀,耕作侵蚀发生的动力条件是人为影响,而非自然发生的降水或风力;因而,其侵蚀过程和机制、研究方法、影响因素、侵蚀速率分布等均不同于风蚀和水蚀.耕作侵蚀主要受人为和自然因素的影响,人为因素驱动耕作侵蚀发生,坡面是耕作侵蚀的地形基础.人为因素主要有耕作工具特性、耕作方向、速度和深度等;自然因素主要包括坡面的形状和尺寸、地形、坡度和土壤性质等.强烈的耕作侵蚀主要发生在坡面上部和坡面曲率剧烈变化的部位.耕作侵蚀研究主要通过基于示踪技术的实测方法,结合模型预测开展.由于耕作侵蚀、风蚀和水蚀的研究方法各成体系,通用方法较少,因而,多营力侵蚀研究难度巨大.以137 Cs为代表的核素在研究水蚀、风蚀和耕作侵蚀中均表现出独特的优势,为区分多营力侵蚀中各种侵蚀的速率和贡献提供了新的可能.     

中国特色保护性耕作技术

国外多年的保护性耕作实践表明,旱地保护性耕作能减少土壤风蚀水蚀,抑制沙尘暴。项目研究目的是检验保护性耕作技术在我国的适应性、应采取的工艺体系及机具。从1991年开始,中国农业大学和山西省农机局等合作,开始农艺农机结合的保护性耕作系统试验,10年试验表明,保护性耕作不仅减少水土流失,而且增产增收。通过改进保护性耕作工艺,开发研制中小型保护性耕作机具,形成了中国特色的保护性耕作技术。主要特色在于用小型机具在小地块上实现保护性耕作、以及能在贫瘠的土地上获得较高产量,从而满足我国既要保护环境又要提高产量的要求。研究表明,我国北方自然条件、种植制度、经济水平等差别较大,在保护性耕作推广中需要分区采用不同的技术体系。     

Budgets for root-derived C and litter-derived C: comparison between conventional tillage and no tillage soils

Placement of plant residues in conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) soils affects organic matter accumulation and the organization of the associated soil food webs. Root-derived C inputs can be considerable and may also influence soil organic matter dynamics and soil food web organization. In order to differentiate and quantify C contributions from either roots or litter in CT and NT soils, a ¹⁴C tracer method was used.To follow root-derived C, maize plants growing in the field were ¹⁴C pulse-labeled, while the plant litter in those plots remained unlabeled. The ¹⁴C was measured in NT and CT soils for the different C pools (shoots, roots, soil, soil respiration, microbial biomass). Litter-derived C was followed by applying ¹⁴C labeled maize litter to plots which had previously grown unlabeled maize plants. The ¹⁴C pools measured for the litter-derived CT and NT plots included organic matter, microbial biomass, soil respiration, and soil organic C.Of the applied label in the root-derived C plots, 35–55, 6–8, 3, 1.6, and 0.4–2.4% was recovered in the shoots, roots, soil, cumulative soil respiration, and microbial biomass, respectively. The ¹⁴C recovered in these pools did not differ between CT and NT treatments, supporting the hypothesis that the rhizosphere microbial biomass in NT and CT may be similar in utilization of root-derived C. Root exudates were estimated to be 8–13% of the applied label. In litter-derived C plots, the percentage of applied label recovered in the particulate organic matter (3.2–82%), microbial biomass (4–6%), or cumulative soil respiration (12.5–14.7%) was the same for CT and NT soils. But the percentage of ¹⁴C recovered in CT soil organic C (18–69%) was higher than that in NT (12–43%), suggesting that particulate organic matter (POM) leaching and decomposition occurred at a higher rate in CT than in NT. Results indicate faster turnover of litter-derived C in the CT plots.     

Earthworms influenced by reduced tillage,conventional tillage and energy forest in Swedish agricultural field experiments

Abstract

We compared earthworm density, depth distribution and species composition in three soil cultivation experiments including the treatments ploughless tillage and mouldboard ploughing. Sampling was done in September 2005 and for one experiment also in 1994. By yearly sampling 1995–2005, earthworms in an energy forest of Salix viminalis were compared with those in an adjacent arable field. Sampling method was digging of soil blocks and hand sorting and formalin sampling in one cultivation experiment. Both methods were used in the energy forest and arable land comparison.

In two soil cultivation experiments, highest abundances or biomass were found in ploughless tillage. Earthworm density was higher in the upper 10 cm, especially in the ploughless tillage. Earthworm density was significantly higher in the energy forest than in the arable field. Formalin sampling revealed c. 36% of the earthworm numbers found by digging in the energy forest and gave almost no earthworms in the arable field. In all treatments with soil cultivation, species living and feeding in the rhizosphere and soil dominated. One such species, Allolobophora chlorotica, was more abundant under mouldboard ploughing than ploughless tillage. Lumbricus terrestris, browsing on the surface and producing deep vertical burrows, was more common in the ploughless tillage. Species living and feeding close to the soil surface were almost only found in the energy forest, which had not been soil cultivated since 1984.

The findings support earlier studies pointing out possibilities to encourage earthworms by reduced soil cultivation. This is one of the first published studies that followed earthworm populations in an energy forest plantation during several years. Explanation of earthworm reactions to management and environmental impacts should be done with consideration of the ecology of species or species groups. Earthworm sampling by formalin must always be interpreted with caution and calibrated by digging and hand-sorting sampling.