Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Soil Management and Sugarbeet Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #325357
Title: Soil biology and carbon in dryland agriculture

Author
item Manter, Daniel
item Sherrod, Lucretia
item PETERSON, GARY - Colorado State University

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/12/2016
Publication Date: 1/19/2016
Citation: Manter, D.K., Sherrod, L.A., Peterson, G. 2016. Soil biology and carbon in dryland agriculture. Proceedings of the Cover Your Acres Winter Conference. Vol. 13: 15-21.

Interpretive Summary: The goal of this paper is to explore potential management strategies in dryland agriculture that can promote soil health and crop productivity. Traditional crop production in the semiarid Great Plains consists of conventional tillage management of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) - summer fallow. In this study, we explore the potential of increased cropping intensity (i.e., reduced fallow frequency) to promote soil health and crop productivity. At all three dryland sites studied in eastern Colorado, increasing cropping intensity resulted in increasing wheat yields, increased soil carbon sequestration, and the promotion of beneficial bacteria in the soil.

Technical Abstract: The goal of this paper is to explore potential management strategies in dryland agriculture that can promote soil health and crop productivity. Traditional crop production in the semiarid Great Plains consists of conventional tillage management of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) - summer fallow. In this study, we explore the potential of increased cropping intensity (i.e., reduced fallow frequency) to promote soil health and crop productivity. At all three dryland sites studied in eastern Colorado, increasing cropping intensity resulted in increasing wheat yields, increased soil carbon sequestration, and the promotion of beneficial bacteria in the soil.