ARS | Publication request: Soil quality changes with organic no-till production

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 19, 2011
Publication Date: October 19, 2011
Citation: Weyers, S.L., Cambardella, C.A. 2011. Soil quality changes with organic no-till production [abstract][CD-ROM]. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting. Oct. 16-19, 2011, San Antonio, TX.

Technical Abstract: The establishment of organic no-tillage systems in the upper Midwest has been hindered by the difficulty in controlling weeds. Residue from the rolling and crimping of winter-cover crops as a weed control component has been explored in a cross-site comparison across the upper Midwest. We hypothesized that no-tillage and cover crop residue inputs would improve soil quality in these organic systems. We observed increases in soil microbial biomass carbon with implementation of no-tillage in the majority of the six cross-site locations tested. Differences in microbial community structure using fatty-acid methyl ester profiles were also evaluated.