Relationships of on‐farm soil health scores with corn and soybean yield in the Midwestern US

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Crookston ◽  
Matt Yost ◽  
Maria Bowman ◽  
Kristen Veum
Keyword(s):  
Soil Health ◽  
Soybean Yield ◽  
On Farm

Should we manage soil organic carbon in Vertosols in the northern grains region of Australia?

2003 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 261 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Farquharson ◽  
G. D. Schwenke ◽  
J. D. Mullen
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Organic Carbon Content ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
South Wales ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Carbon Concentrations

Two issues prompted this paper. The first was the measured soil organic carbon decline in fertile northern Australian soils under continual cropping using traditional management practices. We wanted to see whether it was theoretically possible to maintain or improve soil organic carbon concentrations with modern management recommendations. The second was the debate about use of sustainability indicators for on-farm management, so we looked at soil organic carbon as a potential indicator of soil health and investigated whether it was useful in making on-farm crop decisions. The analytical results indicated first that theoretically the observed decline in soil organic carbon concentrations in some northern cracking clay soils can be halted and reversed under continuous cropping sequences by using best practice management. Second, the results and associated discussion give some support to the use of soil organic carbon as a sustainability indicator for soil health. There was a consistent correlation between crop input decisions (fertilisation, stubble management, tillage), outputs (yield and profits) and outcomes (change in soil organic carbon content) in the short and longer term. And this relationship depended to some extent on whether the existing soil organic carbon status was low, medium or high. A stock dynamics relationship is one where the change in a stock (such as soil organic carbon) through time is related not only to the management decisions made and other random influences (such as climatic effects), but also to the concentration or level of the stock itself in a previous time period. Against such a requirement, soil organic carbon was found to be a reasonable measure. However, the inaccuracy in measuring soil organic carbon in the paddock mitigates the potential benefit shown in this analysis of using soil organic carbon as a sustainability indicator.These results are based on a simulation model (APSIM) calibrated for a cracking clay (Vertosol) soil typical of much of the intensively-cropped slopes and plains region of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland, and need to be interpreted in this light. There are large areas of such soils in north-western New South Wales; however, many of these experience lower rainfalls and plant-available soil water capacities than in this case, and the importance of these characteristics must also be considered.

scholarly journals EXAMINING THE DRIVERS OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTATION AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN MALAWI

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHELE HOCKETT ◽  
ROBERT B. RICHARDSON
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Development Project ◽  
New Crops ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
And Gender ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Depth Interviews

SUMMARYSmallholder farmers in Malawi are faced with the challenge of managing complex and dynamic farming systems while also adapting to change within volatile agroecological conditions. Moreover, management decisions are influenced by a combination of local knowledge, expert recommendations and on-farm experimentation. Although many smallholder farmers actively experiment with new crops and technologies, little is known about the prevalence of experimentation or the types of experiments farmers conduct. This study examined the decision-making processes of experimenting farmers to explore the drivers of on-farm experimentation. Using a mixed-methods design that incorporated field observations, survey data and in-depth interviews, we identified numerous examples of experiments with new crops, varieties and techniques that had been executed either independently or through participation in an agricultural development project. Results of quantitative and qualitative analysis reveal that smallholder farmers in Malawi across a range of socioeconomic characteristics are inclined to experiment, and gender roles in agricultural experimentation vary widely. While experimental methods differ between farmers, there are commonalities in the drivers of experimentation, including adapting to climate change, improving soil health, improving nutrition and generating income. Smallholders have a great capacity for experimentation, and their knowledge, experience, preferences and priorities – if properly understood and incorporated – could ultimately benefit both future agricultural development projects and their participants.

Developing soil health indicators for improved soil management on farm

2021 ◽  
pp. 289-328
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Stockdale ◽  
◽  
Paul Hargreaves ◽  
Anne Bhogal ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Health ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Traffic Light ◽  
Essential Step ◽  
The World ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Water Catchment ◽  
Structure Water

A range of chemical, physical and biological processes are important for sustained productivity and environmental quality in agricultural systems. Farmers and scientists share a concern with soil health, and this leads to questions for both measurement and management. An essential step is to define the context and the key functions required of a soil at the scale of interest (e.g. farm, drinking water catchment, region). Only then can appropriate indicator measurements be selected. Current soil health frameworks across the world commonly use organic matter (carbon), pH, extractable phosphorus, and various indicators of soil structure/water storage. A framework of interpretation shows whether the measured values are acceptable or whether one or more soil functions are constrained. A number of the soil health frameworks in practical use present the soil health indicators in a scorecard using traffic light coding to direct users towards guidance for improved soil management on-farm.

scholarly journals On-farm soil health evaluations: Challenges and opportunities

2017 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 26A-31A ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas L. Karlen ◽  
Nicholas J. Goeser ◽  
Kristen S. Veum ◽  
Matt A. Yost
Keyword(s):  
Soil Health ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
On Farm

scholarly journals Assessing On‐Farm Economics of Soil Health

Crops & Soils ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 34-37
Author(s):  
Shannon Cappellazzi ◽  
Cristine L.S. Morgan ◽  
Archie Flanders ◽  
John Shanahan
Keyword(s):  
Soil Health ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Farm Economics

scholarly journals On-farm Soil Health Assessment of Cover-cropping in Florida

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Jehangir H. Bhadha ◽  
Nan Xu ◽  
Abul Rabbany ◽  
Naba R. Amgain ◽  
Jay Capasso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Positive Change ◽  
The State ◽  
Crop Fields ◽  
Cover Cropping ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Soil Protein

Conventional cropping systems on sandy soils require continuous application of large amounts of external nutrients and irrigation water yet remain vulnerable to loses of these inputs. Within the state of Florida, need exists to provide farmers with economically viable alternatives that harness ecological processes and improve soil health and biodiversity. Cover crops are proving to be vital in the development of soil health. As part of this study we conducted a comprehensive on-farm assessment involving nine collaborative growers (ten farms) across the state; with each individual farm following its unique cover-cropping practice. Our goal was to shadow their practice and determine its effect on soil health indicators such as soil pH, bulk density (BD), maximum water holding capacity (MWHC), organic matter (OM), active carbon, cation exchange capacity, soil protein, Total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP), Mehlich-3 P (M3P) and potassium (M3K). Compared to fallow, soil OM, MWHC, and soil protein showed increases in cover crop fields for most farms, which presented a positive change towards building up soil health. Although soil TKN level was significantly decreased due to cover crops, soil protein level building up over time was the most positive change for soil health. M3K decreased in cover-crop fields, which indicated that supplementary K would be necessary prior to planting subsequent cash crops.

scholarly journals Long term crop rotation effect on soybean yield explained by soil- and root-associated microbiome and soil health indicators

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Achal Neupane ◽  
Izzet Bulbul ◽  
Ziyi Wang ◽  
R. Michael Lehman ◽  
Emerson Nafziger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
The Other ◽  
Microbial Populations ◽  
Soybean Yield ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
One Year

Abstract Background Crop rotation is an important management tactic that farmers use to manage crop production and reduce pests and diseases. Long-term crop rotations may select groups of microbes that form beneficial or pathogenic associations with the following crops, which could explain observed crop yield differences with different crop sequences. To test this hypothesis, we used two locations each with three long-term (14 year), replicated, crop rotation treatments: continuous corn ( Zea mays ) (CCC), corn/corn/soybean (SCC), and corn/soybean (CSC); both CSC and SCC had each phase present each year. In Year 15, we grew soybean ( Glycine max ) in each plot, so that soybean replaced corn in CCC and in the CSC phase where soybean grew in Year 14, and took data from soybeans following CCC (14 years of corn), SCC (two years of corn), CSC (one year of corn), and SCS (one year of soybean). Soybean yield and soil health indicators were measured, along with the bulk soil microbiome and soybean root-associated microbiome.Results Soybean yields were significantly higher following CCC than in the other three treatments at both locations. Soil protein as a soil health indicator was also higher following CCC than in the other treatments. Differential abundances of bacterial and fungal taxa were related to yield differences in a site-specific manner. Uncultured bacterial taxa in family JG30-KF-AS9 was enriched in the high-yielding CCC plots in Monmouth, whereas Microvirga , Rhodomicrobium , and Micromonosporaceae were enriched in the low-yielding SCS plots. Members of the fungal phylum Ascomycota were informative in explaining yield differences among treatments mostly as pathogens, but Tumularia , Pyrenochaetopsis and Schizothecium were enriched in the CCC plots, suggesting a role as either corn pathogens or beneficial fungal taxa for soybean. Multivariate analysis associated soil health indicators with the rotation regimes and some of the differentially abundant microbial taxa.Conclusions Our finding of associations between soil health indicators related to soil microbial populations and soybean yield following different cropping sequences has wide-ranging implications, opening the possibility of both monitoring and manipulating soil microbial populations as a way to improve crop yield potential.

Integrated Soil Health Assessment bridging Local Knowledge and Soil Science in Conservation Agriculture 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thirze Hermans ◽  
Andrew Dougill ◽  
Stephen Whitfield ◽  
Caroline L. Peacock ◽  
Samuel Eze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Assessment Framework ◽  
Agricultural Innovations ◽  
Soil Measurements ◽  
On Farm

<p>Climate change challenges across sub-Saharan Africa require more resilient food production systems. To improve agricultural resilience, the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) framework has been proposed including Conservation Agriculture (CA). CA has three key principles; 1) minimum soil disturbance, 2) crop residue cover, 3) crop diversification. Current soil health studies assessing CA’s impact have focused on 'scientific measurements', paying no attention to local knowledge. Local knowledge however influences farmers’ land decision making and their evaluation of CA. In this study, a participatory approach to evaluate CA’s soil health impacts is developed and implemented using farmers’ observations and soil measurements on farm trials in two Malawian communities. The on-farm trials compared conventional ridge and furrow systems (CP), with CA maize only (CAM) and CA maize-legume intercrop systems (CAML). This approach contextualizes the CA soil health outcomes and contributes to understanding how an integrated approach can explain farmer decision-making.</p><p>Based on a stepwise integrated soil assessment framework, firstly farmers’ soil health indicators were identified as crop performance, soil consistency, moisture content, erosion, colour and structure. These local indicators were consistent with conventional soil health indicators for quantitative measurements. Soil measurements and observations show that CA leads to soil structural change. Both soil moisture (Mwansambo: 7.54%-38.15% lower for CP; Lemu 1.57%-47.39% lower for CP) and infiltration improve under CA (Lemu CAM/CAML 0.15 cms<sup>-1</sup>, CP 0.09 cms<sup>-1</sup>; Mwansambo CP/CAM 0.14 cms<sup>-1</sup>, CAML 0.18 cms<sup>-1</sup>). Farmers perceive ridges as positive due to aeration, nutrient release and infiltration, which corresponds with higher exchangeable ammonium (Lemu CP 76.0 mgkg <sup>-1</sup>, CAM 49.4 mgkg <sup>-1</sup>, CAML 51.7 mgkg <sup>-1</sup>), and nitrate/nitrite (Mwansambo CP 200.7  mgkg <sup>-1</sup>, CAM 171.9 mgkg <sup>-1</sup>, CAML 103.3 mgkg <sup>-1</sup>). This perspective still contributes to the popularity of ridges, despite the higher yield and total nitrogen measurements under CA. The perceived carbon benefits of residues, and ridge advantages have encouraged farmers to bury residues in ridges.</p><p>This work shows that an integrated approach provides more nuanced and localized information about land management. The stepwise integrated soil assessment framework developed in this study can be used to understand the role of soil health in farmers’ land management decision-making. Thereby supporting a two-way learning process for scaling agricultural innovations and broadening the evidence base for sustainable agricultural innovations.</p>

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