Assessing the Impact of No-Till on Water Related Soil Functions and the Role of Farmer Networks in Knowledge Exchange and Implementation.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Kamilla Skaalsveen
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Water Purification ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Soil Functions ◽  
Soil And Water

No-tillage is a non-inversion farming practice that is becoming more widely used in farming and often considered to enhance soil functions, by increasing soil organic matter levels and thereby improving soil structure. Knowledge about the effects of different management practices on separate soil functions is important to understand potential trade-offs between them. Studies have shown that no-tillage affects soil functions of water purification and water retention and can reduce erosion rates and inputs from agriculture to water bodies, however evidence from north western European countries is still limited. Alongside this gap in evidence about the physical impacts of no-tillage, knowledge about how farmers share knowledge about no-tillage, a knowledge intensive practice, and the role of farmer networks is still growing. This paper presents results from interdisciplinary (PhD) research which measured the effect of no-tillage on water related soil functions in a UK case study and analysed the distribution of no-tillage knowledge through farmer networks. The field-scale monitoring compares two neighbouring farms (one using conventional ploughing and the other no-tillage) with similar soil and topographic characteristics to assess spatial and temporal changes in soil and water variables. The 2-year monitoring included nutrient analysis of surface and sub-surface soil samples, bulk density, soil moisture, infiltration capacity, surface runoff and analysis of Dissolved Reactive Phosphorous (DRP), Total Phosphorous (TP) and Suspended Solids (SS) in downstream waters. Farmers’ networks were mapped using Social Network Analysis (SNA) to reveal the nature and extent of their knowledge exchange about no-tillage. This was complemented by semi-structured interviews with farmers to understand their reasons for implementing no-tillage. This paper presents findings from both aspects of this research. The soil and water data show varying impacts of no-tillage on soil functions and water quality with different soil types and climate. The no-tillage fields had higher bulk density and soil organic matter content and thereby increasing the soil moisture levels, but the free-draining porous limestone was providing greater benefits under no-tillage in this study compared with the limerich loamy soil with high silt and clay content. The SNA suggests that farmers’ networks expanded with the conversion to no-tillage and that their main influencers were other more experienced no-tillage farmers. In this respect I question the role of external organisations in supporting no-tillage adoption. The research offers a significant new contribution to the field as it assesses the effects of no-tillage on water purification and retention functions of the soil, and at the same time contributes to understanding the dynamics of farmer networks and the link to implementation.

scholarly journals The Fate of Glyphosate in Soil and Water: A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (SpecialIssue) ◽  
pp. 389-399
Author(s):  
Suwardji Suwardji ◽  
‪I Made Sudantha
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Phosphate Adsorption ◽  
Suspended Material ◽  
Soil Sediment ◽  
Soils And Sediments ◽  
Soil Evidence ◽  
Soil Constituents ◽  
Soil And Water

The fate of glyphosate in soil and water is dependent on the properties of glyphosate and its envoronement. Behaviour of glyphosate in soil, sediment and water is strongly influenced the way by which it can be adsorbed by soils, sediments, and suspended material in water. The role of soil organic matter, clay mineral, and amorphous minerals on the adsorption of glyphosate depends primarily on the nature and properties of the soil itself and the properties of glyphosate. Environmental factors have some influence on sorption and degradation of glyphosate. Glyphosate is rapidly inactivated in soil, is in part due to adsorption. Some soil properties have been identified strongly influence adsorption of glyphosate, such as clay minerals, composition of cations in exchangeable site of clay and organic matter, unoccupied phosphate adsorption site, degree of humification, and soil pH. Adsorption limits the availability of glyposate for microbial degradation. The sorbed glyphosate is not directly available to microorganisms in soil. Evidence also suggests that not only a strongly sorbed compound such as paraquat but also weakly sorbed compounds such as flumetsulam and picloram can persist for long periods when they are sorbed by soil constituents. This suggests that the interaction between sorption and biodegradation should be considered in predicting the fate of pesticides in soils and sediments.

scholarly journals Examining the Effectiveness of Catch Crops as a Nature-Based Solution to Mitigate Surface Soil and Water Losses as an Environmental Regional Concern

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artemi Cerdà ◽  
Iván Franch-Pardo ◽  
Agata Novara ◽  
Srikanta Sannigrahi ◽  
Jesús Rodrigo-Comino
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Rainfall Simulation ◽  
Catch Crop ◽  
Runoff Generation ◽  
Catch Crops ◽  
Water Losses ◽  
Soil And Water

AbstractThe main goal of this research was to conduct a biophysical, economic, social, and perception-based approach to foresee the solutions that could be used to mitigate the soil loss problem cost-effectively in “La Ribera del Xúquer” district (Valencia Region, Spain). To achieve these goals, a farmer perception survey was carried out, and an assessment of the biophysical impact of catch crops on soil organic matter, bulk density, steady-state infiltration rate (double-ring infiltrometer) and runoff generation, and soil erosion (rainfall simulation experiments) was carried out in 2016. For the biophysical approach, two paired plots, i.e., catch crops vs. glyphosate herbicide treatment (in advance, control plot), were selected under clementine citrus production. The results show that soil organic matter increased from 1.14 to 1.63%, and bulk density decreased from 1.47 to 1.27 g cm−3 after 10 years of treatments using catch crops. They also facilitated higher infiltration rates from 16.7 to 171 mm h−1 and a delay in runoff generation from 149 to 654 s for control and catch crop plots. Both runoff rates (from 50.6 to 3.1%) and soil erosion (from 3.9 to 0.04 Mg ha−1 h−1) were reduced once the catch crops were deployed in the field. After surveying (2018–2019), farmers stated the use of catch crops as a speck of dirt and a cause of possible loss of reputation when used. Moreover, farmers (N = 73) would accept the catch crops as an effective nature-based alternative only if a subsidy of 131.17€ ha−1 would be paid. The survey results also demonstrated that the farmers' community would see catch crop more as a benefit for the planet's health and society. Few constraints, such as ageing of the farmers’ population, lack of education and negative perception for other management factors, are the critical detrimental factors for adopting catch crops as a nature-based solution to reduce soil and water losses. There is a need for an effective agrarian extension service to change the fate of the current agriculture and achieve sustainability by adopting new management strategies in contemporary agricultural practices.

C and N stocks and the role of molecular recalcitrance and organomineral interaction in stabilizing soil organic matter in a subtropical Acrisol managed under no-tillage

Geoderma ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 133 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 258-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cimélio Bayer ◽  
Ladislau Martin-Neto ◽  
João Mielniczuk ◽  
Jeferson Dieckow ◽  
Telmo J.C. Amado
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
C And N

scholarly journals Impacts of different management systems on the physical quality of an Amazonian Oxisol

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 1269-1278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Maria Silva Guedes ◽  
Antonio Rodrigues Fernandes ◽  
Herdjania Veras de Lima ◽  
Ademar Pereira Serra ◽  
José Ribamar Costa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Structural Quality ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Physical Quality

The physical quality of Amazonian soils is relatively unexplored, due to the unique characteristics of these soils. The index of soil physical quality is a widely accepted measure of the structural quality of soils and has been used to specify the structural quality of some tropical soils, as for example of the Cerrado ecoregion of Brazil. The research objective was to evaluate the physical quality index of an Amazonian dystrophic Oxisol under different management systems. Soils under five managements were sampled in Paragominas, State of Pará: 1) a 20-year-old second-growth forest (Forest); 2) Brachiaria sp pasture; 3) four years of no-tillage (NT4.); 4) eight years of no-tillage (NT8); and 5) two years of conventional tillage (CT2). The soil samples were evaluated for bulk density, macro and microporosity and for soil water retention. The physical quality index of the samples was calculated and the resulting value correlated with soil organic matter, bulk density and porosity. The surface layers of all systems were more compacted than those of the forest. The physical quality of the soil was best represented by the relations of the S index to bulk density and soil organic matter.

Implications of crop residue management and conservation tillage on soil organic matter

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 627-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Dormaar ◽  
J. M. Carefoot
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Crop Residue ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Residue Management ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
The Impact

Under natural grassland or native prairie, aboveground residue or surface litter modifies the microenvironment. It promotes water infiltration and, by insulating the soil surface, moderates soil temperatures and limits evaporation. Root mass decomposes and transforms within the conditions created by surface litter. Together with root exudates, this below-ground residue or subsurface litter reacts with soil minerals to form aggregates, lower bulk density and increase water-holding capacity. Bringing such soils under cultivation leads to lower soil organic matter content, thereby increasing bulk density. The role of surface litter becomes even more important, as it affects wind and water erosion, reduces the impact of raindrops, prevents crusting, protects the soil from drying by sublimation, and captures snow. Management of crop residues depends on the role of the residue. A distinction must be made between above- and below-ground residues: their roles are distinctly different. Aboveground crop residue protects the soil and creates the conditions for below-ground residue to decompose and transform. These decomposition products, in turn, create favourable soil structure for plant growth. Research is needed on the effect of repeated harvesting of "excess" aboveground residues. Key words: Labile organic matter, resilience, resistance, surface litter, subsurface litter

T4-like Phages Reveal the Potential Role of Viruses in Soil Organic Matter Mineralization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomeng Wei ◽  
Tida Ge ◽  
Chuanfa Wu ◽  
Shuang Wang ◽  
Kyle Mason-Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Organic Matter Mineralization

Chemical composition of cover crops and soil organic matter pools in no‐tillage systems in the Cerrado

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arminda Moreira de Carvalho ◽  
Luana Ramos Passos Ribeiro ◽  
Robélio Leandro Marchão ◽  
Alexsandra Duarte de Oliveira ◽  
Karina Pulrolnik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tillage Systems

Multi-algorithm comparison to predict soil organic matter and soil moisture content from cell phone images

Geoderma ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 385 ◽  
pp. 114863
Author(s):  
Perry Taneja ◽  
Hitesh Kumar Vasava ◽  
Prasad Daggupati ◽  
Asim Biswas
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Cell Phone ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Algorithm Comparison
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