Integrated analysis of changes in soil microbiota and metabolites following long-term fertilization in a subtropical maize-wheat agroecosystem

Although the application of inorganic fertilizer is a widespread agronomic practice used to boost soil productivity and crop yields, the effects on soil microbiome and the metabolic mechanisms involved in the high-yield response of crops to long-term fertilization remain poorly described. In this study, combined metagenomic and metabolomic analyses were used to explore the mechanism of crop yield response to the 20-year application of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in a subtropical ag...     

中国黄土高原玉米产量对水肥的反应: 大田研究

This paper describes a field research on crop yield response to water and fertilizer in Changwu tableland of the Loess plaeau.Under the current level of land management in this area.low fertility of soil is the first yield-limiting factor and water deficit is the second.At a given fertility level,the relationship between crop yield and its water consumption is parabolic.Within a certain rage of soil moisture,the soil water availability to crop is not sharply deceased with its markedly decreasing content,Because of this relatively high availability and the gigh reserve of soil water at the early stage of crop growth,drought due to inadequate or poorly distributed rainfall becomes less serious.High fertilizer input ,improved crop variety and optimum cultivation technique can give a 50-100% yield increment of dryland crops in the loess tableland.     

长期施肥对华北平原土壤生产力的影响

Soil productivity is the ability of a soil, in its normal environment, to support plant growth and can be evaluated with respect to crop production in unfertilized soil within the agricultural ecosystem. Both soil productivity and fertilizer applications affect crop yields. A long-term experiment with a winter wheat-summer maize rotation was established in 1989 in a field of the Fengqiu State Key Agro-Ecological Experimental Station, a region typical of the North China Plain, including seven treatments: 1) a balanced application of NPK chemical fertilizers(NPK); 2) application of organic fertilizer(OM); 3) application of 50% organic fertilizer and50% NPK chemical fertilizers(1/2OMN); 4) application of NP chemical fertilizers(NP); 5) application of PK chemical fertilizer(PK);6) application of NK chemical fertilizers(NK); and 7) unfertilized control(CK). To investigate the effects of fertilization practices on soil productivity, further pot tests were conducted in 2007–2008 using soil samples from the different fertilization treatments of the long-term field experiment. The soil sample of each treatment of the long-term experiment was divided into three pots to grow wheat: with no fertilization(Potunf), with balanced NPK fertilization(PotNPK), and with the same fertilizer(s) of the long-term field experiment(Potori). The fertilized soils of the field experiment used in all the pot tests showed a higher wheat grain yield and higher nutrient uptake levels than the unfertilized soil. Soil productivity of the treatments of the field experiment after 18 years of continuous fertilizer applications were ranked in the order of OM 1/2OMN NPK NP PK NK CK. The contribution of soil productivity of the different treatments of the field experiment to the wheat grain yield of Potoriwas 36.0%–76.7%, with the PK and NK treatments being higher than the OM, 1/2OMN, NPK, and NP treatments since the soil in this area was deficient in N and P and rich in K. Wheat grain yields of PotNPKwere higher than those of Potoriand Potunf. The N, P, and K use efficiencies were higher in PotNPKthan Potoriand significantly positively correlated with wheat grain yield. Soil organic matter could be a better predictor of soil productivity because it correlated more strongly than other nutrients with the wheat grain yield of Potunf. Wheat yields of PotNPKshowed a similar trend to those of Potunf, indicating that soil productivity improvement was essential for a further increase in crop yield. The long-term applications of both organic and chemical fertilizers were capable of increasing soil productivity on the North China Plain, but the former was more effective than the latter. The balanced application of NPK chemical fertilizers not only increased soil productivity, but also largely increased crop yields, especially in soils with lower productivity. Thus, such an approach should be a feasible practice for the sustainable use of agricultural soils on the North China Plain, particularly when taking into account crop yields, labor costs, and the limited availability of organic fertilizers.     

半干旱地区土壤水分和养分对玉米生长和产量的耦合影响

Interaction between soil water and nutrients plays an important role in sustainable crop management in semi-arid environments.On the basis of a field experiment conducted from 2000 to 2003,this study examined the coupled effects of irrigation and fertilizers on maize growth and yield in a semi-arid region of northeastern China.In terms of plant productivity,nitrogen fertilizer had the most significant effect followed by irrigation and phosphate levels.The combined application of nutrients and irrigation exerted a synergistic effect on the grain yield of maize plants.Regression analysis indicated that optimal levels of nitrogen and phosphate,in addition to adequate irrigation,could greatly improve the efficiency of grain production.Similarly,optimization of soil nutrient availability substantially increased water use efficiency.These suggested that for the most efficient and sustainable crop production,irrigation and nutrient management should be based on a quantitative understanding of water/nutrients interaction,particularly in semi-arid and arid regions.     

中国滇池流域土地利用方式对土壤侵蚀和养分状况的影响

Soil erosion and loss of soil nutrients have been a crucial environment threat in Southwest China. The land use and its impact on soil qualities continue to be highlighted. The present study was conducted to compare soil erosion under four land use types(i.e.,forestland, abandoned farmland, tillage, and grassland) and their effects on soil organic carbon(SOC), total nitrogen(TN) and total phosphorus(TP) in the Shuanglong catchment of the Dianchi Lake watershed, China. There were large variations in the erosion rate and the nutrient distributions across the four land use types. The erosion rates estimated by137 Cs averaged 2 133 t km-2year-1under tillage and abandoned farmland over the erosion rate of non-cultivated sites, and the grasslands showed a net deposition. For all sites, the nutrient contents basically decreased with the soil depth. Compared with tillage and abandoned farmland, grassland had the highest SOC and TN contents within 0–40 cm soil layer, followed by forestland. The significant correlations between137 Cs, SOC and TN were observed. The nutrient loss caused by erosion in tillage was the highest. These results suggested that grassland and forestland would be beneficial for SOC and TN sequestration over a long-term period because of their ability to reduce the loss of nutrients by soil erosion. Our study demonstrated that reduction of nutrient loss in the red soil area could be made through well-managed vegetation restoration measures.     

Effect of Soil Erosion on Spring Barley Growth in East Anglia,England：Preliminary Results

The effect of soil erosion on spring barley growth was studied on a deep loamy soil in East Anglia,England,in 1992,Soil erosion was simulated by three levels of soil desurfacing,7.5,18and 30cm with three replicates.Significant differences in crop height,ground cover and crop yield were observed between the three levels of desurfacing.Soil desurfacing also has a singnificant effect on soil moisture at the 20cm depth.The interaction between soil removal and crop performance affected soil moisture at the depths of 50 and 100cm,No significant differences were found in runoff and sediment etween the three topsoil removals due to very dry growing season.Regression equations were developed between spring barley yield and soil desurfacing Spring barley grain yield declined by 97.6kg/ha per cm soil desurfacing.     

Tillage effect on organic carbon in a purple paddy soil

The distribution and storage of soil organic carbon （SOC） based on a long-term experiment with various tillage systems were studied in a paddy soil derived from purple soil in Chongqing, China. Organic carbon storage in the 0-20 and 0-40 cm soil layers under different tillage systems were in an order： ridge tillage with rice-rape rotation （RT-rr） 〉 conventional tillage with rice only （CT-r） 〉 ridge tillage with rice only （RT-r） 〉 conventional tillage with rice-rape rotation （CT-rr）. The RT-rr system had significantly higher levels of soil organic carbon in the 0-40 cm topsoil, while the proportion of the total remaining organic carbon in the total soil organic carbon in the 0-10 cm layer was greatest in the RT-rr system. This was the reason why the RT-rr system enhanced soil organic carbon storage. These showed that tillage system type was crucial for carbon storage. Carbon levels in soil humus and crop-yield results showed that the RT-rr system enhanced soil fertility and crop productivity. Adoption of this tillage system would be beneficial both for environmental protection and economic development.     

长期施用无机肥对稻田红壤生化特性的影响

A long-term experiment was set up in Yingtan of Jiangxi Province to investigate the effects of long-term application of inorganic fertilizers on the biochemical properties of a rice-planting soil derived from Quaternary red earth. Noncultivated soils are extremely eroded and characterized by a low pH and deficiencies in available nutrients, in particular P and N. After 13 years of inorganic fertilization in cultivation for double-cropped rice, the biochemical properties of the soil were changed. The nitrification potential and urease activity were higher in the treatments with N application than those without N application. Acid phosphatase activity and dehydrogenase activity were also higher in the treatments with P application than in those without P application. The dehydrogenase activity correlated well with the concentrations of both total P and hydrolysable N and with rice crop yield, suggesting that dehydrogenase activity might be a suitable indicator for improvement in soil fertility.     

川中丘陵区土壤侵蚀对土壤特性和作物产量的影响

Roles of tillage erosion and water erosion in the development of within-field spatial variation of surface soil properties and soil degradation and their contributions to the reduction of crop yields were studied on three linear slopes in the Sichuan Basin, southwestern China. Tillage erosion was found to be the dominant erosion process at upper slope positions of each linear slope and on the whole short slope (20 m). On the long slope (110 m) and medium slope (40 m), water erosion was the dominant erosion process. Soil organic matter and soil nutrients in the tillage layer were significantly related to slope length and ¹³⁷Cs inventories on the long slope; however, there was no significant correlation among them on the short slope, suggesting that water erosion lowered soil quality by transporting SOM and surface soil nutrients selectively from the upper to lower slope positions, while tillage erosion transported soil materials unselectively. On the medium slope, SOM, total N, and available N in the tillage layer were correlated with slope length and the other properties were distributed evenly on the slope, indicating that water erosion on this slope was still the dominant soil redistribution process. Similar patterns were found for the responses of grain yield, aboveground biomass, and harvest index for slopes. These results indicated that tillage erosion was a major cause for soil degradation and grain yield reduction on the linear slopes because it resulted in displacement of the tillage layer soil required for maintaining soil quality and plant growth.     

Rhizosphere microbiomes can regulate plant drought tolerance

Beneficial root-associated rhizospheric microbes play a key role in maintaining host plant growth and can potentially allow drought-resilient crop production. The complex interaction of root-associated microbes mainly depends on soil type, plant genotype, and soil moisture. However, drought is the most devastating environmental stress that strongly reduces soil biota and can restrict plant growth and yield. In this review, we discussed our mechanistic understanding of drought and microbial response traits. Additionally, we highlighted the role of beneficial microbes and plant-derived metabolites in alleviating drought stress and improving crop growth. We proposed that future research might focus on evaluating the dynamics of root-beneficial microbes under field drought conditions. The integrative use of ecology, microbial, and molecular approaches may serve as a promising strategy to produce more drought-resilient and sustainable crops.     

保护耕作研究进展及前景展望

阐述了国内外保护耕作技术的研究进展,分析了保护耕作对作物产量、土壤性状、土壤水分利用的效应以及对作物病虫草害的影响和控制水土流失的作用,提出我国推行保护耕作应注意的关键问题。     

Effects of tillage and traffic on crop production in dryland farming systems: II. Long-term simulation of crop production using the PERFECT model

Soil water conservation is critical to long-term crop production in dryland cropping areas in Northeast Australia. Many field studies have shown the benefits of controlled traffic and zero tillage in terms of runoff and soil erosion reduction, soil moisture retention and crop yield improvement. However, there is lack of understanding of the long-term effect of the combination of controlled traffic and zero tillage practices, as compared with other tillage and traffic management practices.In this study, a modeling approach was used to estimate the long-term effect of tillage, traffic, crop rotation and type, and soil management practices in a heavy clay soil. The PERFECT soil–crop simulation model was calibrated with data from a 5-year field experiment in Northeast Australia in terms of runoff, available soil water and crop yield; the procedure and outcomes of this calibration were given in a previous contribution. Three cropping systems with different tillage and traffic treatments were simulated with the model over a 44-year-period using archived weather data.Results showed higher runoff, and lower soil moisture and crop production with conventional tillage and accompanying field traffic than with controlled traffic and zero tillage. The effect of traffic is greater than the effect of tillage over the long-term. The best traffic, tillage and crop management system was controlled traffic zero tillage in a high crop intensity rotation, and the worst was conventional traffic and stubble mulch with continuous wheat. Increased water infiltration and reduced runoff under controlled traffic resulted in more available soil water and higher crop yield under opportunity cropping systems.     

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.     

玉米-小麦一年两熟保护性耕作体系试验研究

采用将夏玉米、冬小麦两季作物作为整体来研究适合华北一年两熟地区保护性耕作技术体系，确定了耕作和覆盖两个因素，包括免耕、深松、耙地、翻耕4种耕作方法，以及100%秸秆覆盖，50%秸秆覆盖和0覆盖3种秸秆覆盖水平。筛选设计了8种保护性耕作和2种传统翻耕共10种体系的试验方案。试验中测定了土壤含水量、容重、地温等参数和根系、产量等作物指标。试验结果表明，我国华北地区实施保护性耕作有利于节约用水，提高水分利用效率，增加作物产量。试验得出最适合的两种保护性耕作体系是：玉米-小麦全程免耕100%秸秆覆盖体系、玉米深松100%秸秆覆盖+小麦免耕100%秸秆覆盖体系。     

Effects of tillage and traffic on crop production in dryland farming systems: I. Evaluation of PERFECT soil-crop simulation model

Agricultural production systems are complex involving variability in climate, soil, crop, tillage management and interactions between these components. The traditional experimental approach has played an important role in studying crop production systems, but isolation of these factors in experimental studies is difficult and time consuming. Computer simulation models are useful in exploring these interactions and provide a valuable tool to test and further our understanding of the behavior of soil–crop systems without repeating experimentation.Productivity erosion and runoff functions to evaluate conservation techniques (PERFECT) is one of the soil–crop models that integrate the dynamics of soil, tillage and crop processes at a daily resolution. This study had two major objectives. The first was to calibrate the use of the PERFECT soil–crop simulation model to simulate soil and crop responses to changes of traffic and tillage management. The second was to explore the interactions between traffic, tillage, soil and crop, and provide insight to the long-term effects of improved soil management and crop rotation options. This contribution covers only the first objective, and the second will be covered in a subsequent contribution.Data were obtained from field experiments on a vertisol in Southeast Queensland, Australia which had controlled traffic and tillage treatments for the previous 5 years. Input data for the simulation model included daily weather, runoff, plant available water capacity, and soil hydraulic properties, cropping systems, and traffic and tillage management. After model calibration, predicted and measured total runoffs for the 5-year period were similar. Values of root mean square error (RMSE) for daily runoff ranged from 5.7 to 9.2 mm, which were similar to those reported in literature. The model explained 75–95% of variations of daily, monthly and annual runoff, 70–84% of the variation in total available soil water, and 85% of the variation in yield. The results showed that the PERFECT daily soil–crop simulation model could be used to generate meaningful predictions of the interactions between crop, soil and water under different tillage and traffic systems.Ranking of management systems in order of decreasing merit for runoff, available soil water and crop yield was (1) controlled traffic zero tillage, (2) controlled traffic stubble mulch, (3) wheeled zero tillage, and (4) wheeled stubble mulch.     

Is conservation tillage suitable for organic farming? A review

Conservation tillage covers a range of tillage practices, mostly non‐inversion, which aim to conserve soil moisture and reduce soil erosion by leaving more than one‐third of the soil surface covered by crop residues. Organic farmers are encouraged to adopt conservation tillage to preserve soil quality and fertility and to prevent soil degradation – mainly erosion and compaction. The potential advantages of conservation tillage in organic farming are reduced erosion, greater macroporosity in the soil surface due to larger number of earthworms, more microbial activity and carbon storage, less run‐off and leaching of nutrients, reduced fuel use and faster tillage. The disadvantages of conservation tillage in organic farming are greater pressure from grass weeds, less suitable than ploughing for poorly drained, unstable soils or high rainfall areas, restricted N availability and restricted crop choice. The success of conservation tillage in organic farming hinges on the choice of crop rotation to ensure weed and disease control and nitrogen availability. Rotation of tillage depth according to crop type, in conjunction with compaction control measures is also required. A high standard of management is required, tailored to local soil and site conditions. Innovative approaches for the application of conservation tillage, such as perennial mulches, mechanical control of cover crops, rotational tillage and controlled traffic, require further practical assessment.     

Trends in tillage practices in relation to sustainable crop production with special reference to temperate climates

The concept and some definitions of sustainable agriculture are reviewed. Most of these definitions include economic, environmental and sociological aspects. The finite area of land emphasizes the need for consideration of soil conservation and of soil quality in relation to sustainability. An important element of soil quality is rooting depth. Therefore loss of soil by erosion is a dominant factor in long-term sustainability. The effects of tillage on soil parameters in minimum data sets that have been proposed to describe soil quality are reviewed. Soil organic matter may be one of the most important soil quality characteristics in relation to tillage because of its influence on other soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Conservation tillage practices can increase the organic matter content, aggregate stability and cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the topsoil. However, bulk density and penetrometer resistance are also increased, especially with zero tillage. Although such soil quality parameters may form a basis for describing some of the consequences of particular tillage practices, they do not provide a basis for predicting the outcome in terms of crop growth and yield. This is both because critical values of soil quality parameters have not been defined and because in some soils biopore formation in zero or minimally tilled land can modify the soil for water movement and for root growth and function.

The effects of tillage on crop growth and yield in long-term experiments are reviewed. The review only includes experiments in North America, Europe and New Zealand that have lasted 10 years or more to allow for seasonal variation in weather, possible progressive changes in soil conditions and the learning phase often experienced when new tillage methods are used. While there is a good deal of variation in the results of these tillage experiments some patterns have emerged. In long-term experiments, yields of maize in Europe and the US and soybeans in the US have been similar after ploughing and no-tillage, especially on well-drained soils. In Europe, yields of winter cereals have also been similar after traditional and simplified tillage but yields of spring cereals have sometimes been less after direct drilling than ploughing.

Trends in tillage practices are reviewed. Conservation tillage in the US is increasing and is used on about 30% of cropland, including no-till on about 10% of cropland. This increase in use of conservation tillage is mainly attributed to the legal requirement for farmers who are in government price support programs to adopt conservation plans which may involve conservation tillage. However, the allowable rates of erosion in these plans are likely to be in excess of rates of erosion for long-term sustainability. Survey information on tillage practices needs to be considered in relation to predictions on suitability of conservation tillage based on experimental results. In the semi-arid prairies of Canada there is a trend toward fewer cultivation operations, but in eastern Canada the mouldboard plough is still the dominant tillage method. In Europe although erosion is less obvious it is believed to be increasing, but minimum tillage is not widely used. This is because of the need to remove at least some straw for successful minimum tillage in sequential winter wheat and barley crops, but there are few economic uses for straw, and burning is illegal in many countries. In the more moist cooler conditions of Europe grass weed proliferation is another constraint, at least with present technology. So far, the overall success of conservation tillage has not been limited by the growing problem of genetic resistance of weeds to herbicides. Societal attitudes to the continued use of herbicides may pose longer-term problems for some conservation tillage practices.     

适宜耕作模式提高黄淮海平原冬小麦产量并改善土壤水肥状况

为了探索黄淮海小麦生产适宜的耕作模式,该研究设计长期定位试验（2017年—2022年）对比了简化耕作模式深耕（deep tillage, DT）、轮耕（rotational tillage, RT）和免耕（no-tillage, NT）对冬小麦产量和土壤水肥状况的影响。结果表明：RT处理显著提高了冬小麦苗期0～20 cm土层土壤水分吸收利用情况,冬小麦孕穗期、灌浆期RT处理0～20、>20~40 cm土层土壤含水量显著高于DT、NT处理。RT处理0～20、>20～40 cm土壤全氮、有机质含量和碳氮比含量较DT、NT处理显著提高, 2021—2022年0～20 cm土壤全氮、有机质含量、碳氮比RT处理较DT和NT处理分别显著提高40.45%和31.58%、56.66%和45.34%、11.62%和9.91%。2020—2021年和2021—2022年RT处理冬小麦产量较DT、NT处理分别显著提高20.20%、13.39%和20.35%、18.74%。RT处理显著增加了冬小麦千粒质量,其产量变异系数最低,产量可持续指数最高,说明RT处理有助于增加冬小麦生产力稳定性和可持续性,可以实现黄淮海冬小麦高产稳产。研究可为黄淮海平原冬小麦生产应用一年深耕、两年免耕的轮耕耕作模式提供理论指导与技术支撑。     

渭北旱塬玉米田保护性轮耕土壤固碳效果与增产增收效应

针对渭北旱塬降水少、季节性差异大及长期采用单一土壤耕作制度等制约作物增产增收的因素,该研究探索有利于提高旱作农田土壤质量及作物生产能力的轮耕模式。2007-2012年在陕西合阳实施了渭北旱塬春玉米连作田6种不同轮耕模式的长期定位试验,设置以免耕(NT,no-tillage)、深松(ST,sub-soiling)和翻耕(CT,continuous tillage)3种耕作处理组合集成的6种轮耕模式(NT?ST、ST?CT、CT?NT、NT?NT、ST?ST和CT?CT),测定各轮耕模式下春玉米田土壤容重和有机碳储量,分析各轮耕模式下春玉米籽粒产量、水分利用效率和经济效益的变化规律。结果表明:1)在疏松土壤、减少耕作机械碾压次数,改善土壤结构和降低容重等方面,6种轮耕模式以NT?ST表现最佳,ST?ST次之,差异显著(P0.05)。2)6种轮耕模式在0~60 cm土层土壤有机碳平均储量较试验前均增加幅度6.6%~17.4%。NT?NT轮耕模式对增加表层土壤有机碳储量具有优势,且与各处理间差异显著(P0.05)。NT?ST轮耕模式可改变耕层土壤有机碳储量分布特征,进而使土壤营养均匀分布。3)6种轮耕模式5年春玉米籽粒产量、水分利用效率和经济效益综合评价分析,NT?ST轮耕模式最高,分别为9 338.8 kg/hm2、22.6 kg/(hm2·mm)和7 600.5元/hm2;其次是ST?CT,其中NT?ST轮耕模式下春玉米籽粒产量、水分利用效率和经济效益较其他处理增加幅度分别为3.7%~15.7%、17.6%~45.8%和10.1%~40.4%,差异显著(P0.05);且5种轮耕模式下作物籽粒产量、水分利用利用效率和经济效益均高于传统CT?CT模式。综上所述,在6种轮耕模式下,以NT?ST(免耕与深松逐年轮换)轮耕模式下土壤容重和有机碳储量最佳,生产能力最强,水分利用率最高,是渭北旱塬地区春玉米连作田最佳适宜轮耕模式,其次是ST?CT(深松与翻耕逐年轮换)轮耕模式。     

Effect of long-term conservation tillage on soil biochemical properties in Mediterranean Spanish areas

In semi-arid Mediterranean areas, studies of the performance of conservation tillage systems have largely demonstrated advantages in crop yield, soil water storage and soil protection against wind and water erosion. However, little attention has been given to interactions between soil biochemical properties under different tillage practices. Biochemical properties are useful tools to assess changes caused by different soil tillage systems in long-term field experiments. This study deals with the effect of long-term tillage practices (reduced tillage and no-tillage vs. traditional tillage) on soil chemical properties and microbial functions in three different sites of Spain (two of them located in the Northeast and one in the Southwest) under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions. Soil biological status, as index of soil quality, was evaluated by measuring microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and dehydrogenase (an oxidoreductase) and protease (a hydrolase) activities at three soil depths (0–5, 5–10 and 10–25 cm). In the three experimental areas, increases in soil organic matter content, MBC and enzymatic activities were found at the superficial layers of soil under conservation tillage (reduced tillage and no-tillage) in comparison with traditional tillage. Values of the stratification ratio of some biochemical properties were significantly correlated with yield production in Northeast sites.Conservation tillage has proven to be an effective strategy to improve soil quality and fertility in Mediterranean areas of Spain.