Soil Quality in Intensive Organic Management Systems. Craig Cogger, Doug Collins, Andy Bary, Ann-Marie Fortuna, and Ann Kennedy

Transcription

1 Soil Qulity in Intensive Orgnic Mngement Systems Crig Cogger, Doug Collins, Andy Bry, Ann-Mrie Fortun, nd Ann Kennedy

2 Long-term orgnic vegetble cropping systems experiment 2003-present Orgnic reduced tillge experiments 2009-present

3 Long-Term Orgnic Frming Systems Reserch Nutrient Mngement Weed Ecology nd Mngement Soil Qulity Economics of Crop Production Crop Yield nd Qulity Insect Predtors nd Pests

4 Three Cover Crop Tretments Rely plnted Legume (RLY) Post-Hrvest Cerel & legume (PH) Short-term Grss-legume Psture (LEY)

5 Pstured poultry (Freedom Rngers) in trveling cges

6 Soil mendments include High-C compost nd Low-C broiler litter. Chicken (Broiler) litter: (CKN) Low C ppliction ( dt/c) Mixed on-frm compost: (OFC) High C ppliction (8-17 dt/cre)

7 Two tillge tretments re included in the experiment CONV = Conventionl tillge (plow, disc, rototill) SPD = Modified tillge (low-speed rotting spder)

8 The rotry spder hs deeper, shovel-like tillge. Spder bldes

9 Long-term Orgnic Vegetble Systems Experiment estblished WSU Puyllup 2003

10 REP 2 REP 1 REP 4 REP 3 Systems experiment, summer 2005, showing ll 48 plots. All plots were in winter sqush in 2005.

11 sqush Snp ben Broccoli/spinch (fter broccoli hrvest, before spinch plnting) Systems experiment, July 2007, showing outlines of 5 of the 48 plots,nd how beds re rrnged in the plots

12 Systems experiment, looking cross plots in 1 rep.

13 Lettuce hrvest

14 Soil qulity mesurements include physicl, chemicl, nd biologicl indictors Bulk Density Infiltrtion Compction Prticulte OM Enzyme ctivity Nemtodes Collembol Microbil biomss Nitrogen cycling Microbil community structure Nutrients nd crbon

15 . Bulk density is n indictor of porosity, nd orgnic mtter.

16 Bulk density is lower with high-c compost dditions. 1.3 Chicken mnure compost On-frm compost 1.2 Bulk density, g/ml b b b b b Amendment without ley

17 Soils hd higher bulk density during short-term psture cycle. Bulk density, g/ml b c Ley Post Hrvest Rely b Cover crop b b

18 Tillge type hd no effect on bulk density. 1.3 Bulk density, g/ml b Conventionl Spder b 0.9 Tillge

19 Mesuring wter infiltrtion using simple field method.

20 Infiltrtion is usully fster in plots treted with high-c compost. Infiltrtion, ml/min b b b Chicken mnure compost On-frm compost b 4 Amendment, without Ley

21 The penetrometer mesures compction to depth of 16 inches

22 Spder-tilled soils hd less compct profile thn conventionl tillge Soil depth, cm surfce ns b Spder tillge Conventionl Jul 2005 ns pene sys feb12 Aug 2010 Spder tillge Conventionl Penetrometer resistnce, kp b b ns

23 Amendment hd no effect on compction in the soil profile. surfce 60 Jul 2005 Aug 2010 Soil depth, cm High C Low C High C Low C Pene sys sum 2feb12.jnb Penetrometer resistnce, kp 5.5 x 7.5 imge

24 Cover crop system hd little effect on soil compction when the ley tretment ws not in psture. Soil depth, cm surfce Jul 2005 Aug 2010 Ley Post Hrvest Rely Ley Post Hrvest Rely pene sys sum 4 2feb Penetrometer resistnce, kp

25 Microbil biomss nd soil respirtion mesurements re done in the lb nd field.

26 The High-C compost tretment hd greter microbil biomss.

27 The psture sometimes hd higher microbil biomss

28 A soil nemtode community Aporcelimelluspredtor; 1.9 mm Rhbditide; bcterivore Cephlobidebcterivore; 0.5 mm 0.1mm Aphlenchoidesfungivore; 0.3mm

29 The enrichment index reflects presence of opportunists; the mturity index indictes more diverse ecosystem Enrichment Index Mturity Index Enrichment Index ** * Mturity Index * ** SU 2006-SU 2007-SU SU 2006-SU 2007-SU CKN OFC

30 The nemtode chnnel index is n indiction of the fungl popultion in the soil. A higher CI mens greter Fungi:Bcteri rtio. Nemtode Chnnel Index Nemtode Chnnel Index Chnnel Index 3 2 b b Ley PH Rely 0 CKN OFC Type of Cropping System Type of Amendment

31 Dehydrogense ctivity tends to be greter in plots receiving high C compost. 4.0 Dehydrogense ctivity, ug TPF/g soil/h Low C High C * ** * * 1.0 Jn 04 Jun Jn 05 Jun Jn 06 Jun Jn 07 Jun Jn 08

32 Soils treted with high-c compost hve higher nitrifiction potentil 35 Chicken Mnure Compost NO 3 - -N mg kg -1 soil d June Sept Error brs represent the stndrd error of the men of nitrifiction potentil (P=0.01)

33 High C mendment tretment hs higher soil ph, K, nd orgnic mtter. ph 2009 Exch. K 2009 mg/kg OM 2006 g/kg Ley b 38 Fll Rely Low C 5.5 b 300 b 37 b High C CC x md *** *** **

34 Summry of soil qulity observtions Amendment hd the gretest effect on orgnic mtter, bulk density, infiltrtion, nd microbiologicl properties. Tillge type ffected compction in the soil profile Tillge frequency ffected complexity of nemtode ecosystems, Tillge frequency hd short term effects on bulk density nd infiltrtion.

35 Orgnic reduced tillge experiments using mulched cover crops

36 Mulching is done with roller/crimper (shown) or flil mower

37 Strip tillge cretes tilled zone for plnting

38 No-till tretment uses home-mde plnting id to crete nrrow plnting strip.

39 2011 Experiments: Brley & vetch cover crops, fliling nd rolling/crimping, till, no-till, nd strip-till. Tilled Tilled Fliled+Strip Fliled+No-Till Crimp+Strip Crimp+No-till Ln Vetch Cover Crop Strider Brley Cover Crop

40 Short-term effect of reduced tillge is higher bulk density nd compction, nd slower infiltrtion (not surprising) Infiltrtion, 12 August 2009 Bulk Density 12 August b minutes b Bulk Density NoTill Till 0.0 NoTill Till Acres Aug 2009 Soil compction, Aug 2009 Soil Depth, inch rolled nd crimped conventil tillge Cone Index, kp 21cres pene 2009.jnb

41 Tillge did not significntly ffect totl nemtodes, 2009, 2010,

42 The nemtode community ws more structured with less disturbnce.

43 Chnges to microbil biomss were not significnt FlilAid FlilStrip FlilTill RollAid RollStrip

44 Erthworm isoltion from squre in orgnic no-till plot. D. Collins

45 Erthworm biomss ws greter in no-till tretment 120 d fter tillge in till tretment, October Erthworm biomss g/m 2 ) p<0.053, n=3 No-till Till

46 Reduced tillge soil qulity summry (short term). In the short run reduced tillge results in higher bulk density nd slower infiltrtion. We would expect these effects to diminish in the long run. Erthworms re more bundnt nd nemtodes more diverse under reduced tillge Microorgnism effects hve not been observed.