The effects of a 4-year crop rotation and two tillage systems on blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) disease of canola were determined in a field experiment carried out from 1999 through 2002 at Carman, Manitoba. Crops in rotation were canola (Brassica napus) (C), wheat (Triticum aestivum) (W), and flax (Linum usitatissimum) (F). Rotations were done under conventional tillage (T) or zero-till (Z)...

Despite the obvious importance of roots to agro-ecosystem functioning, few studies have attempted to examine the effects of warming on root biomass and distribution, especially under different tillage systems. In this study, we performed a field warming experiment using infrared heaters on winter wheat, in long-term conventional tillage and no-tillage plots, to determine the responses of root b...

Agricultural management alters physical and chemical soil properties, which directly affects microbial life strategies and community composition. The microbial community drives important nutrient cycling processes that can influence soil quality, cropping productivity and environmental sustainability. In this research, a long-term agricultural experiment in a subtropical Acrisol was studied in ...

Blowing dust from excessively tilled fallow fields is a major soil loss and air quality concern in the low precipitation (<300 mm annual) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production region of the Inland Pacific Northwest (PNW) of the United States. A 2-year tillage-based winter wheat-summer fallow (WW-SF) rotation is practiced on >90% of rainfed cropland in the region. Earlier research proved the u...

Comprehensive assessment of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) budget of reduced tillage agricultural systems must consider emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4), each of which have higher global warming potentials than carbon dioxide (CO2). Tillage intensity may also impact nitric oxide (NO) emissions, which can have various environmental and agronomic impacts. In 2003 and 2004, we us...

Understanding management factors driving soil biota is pivotal to improve the sustainability of cropping systems, especially given emergence new systems induced by bioeconomy. Here, we investigated combined effects tillage practices (tillage versus no-tillage) and contrasted including conventional, feed biogas on earthworm communities microbial metabolic activity diversity (using Biolog Ecoplat...

Agricultural productivity relies on a wide range of ecosystem services provided by the soil biota. Plowing is a fundamental component of conventional farming, but long-term detrimental effects such as soil erosion and loss of soil organic matter have been recognized. Moving towards more sustainable management practices such as reduced tillage or crop residue retention can reduce these detriment...

Increasing atmospheric CO(2) concentration has led to concerns about potential effects on production agriculture. In the fall of 1997, a study was initiated to compare the response of two crop management systems (conventional tillage and no-tillage) to elevated CO(2). The study used a split-plot design replicated three times with two management systems as main plots and two atmospheric CO(2) le...