Soil organic matter (SOM) is essential for sustaining soil health and crop productivity. However, changes in SOM stocks in response to agronomic practices are slow and show years later when it is too late for adjustments in management. Identifying early indicators of SOM dynamics will allow early management decisions and quick remedial action. The objectives of this study were to evaluate long-...

Grain legumes convert atmospheric N2 to reactive N through symbiosis with N2-fixing rhizobia. Biological N2 fixation associated with legumes and the subsequent decomposition of legume residues are the primary processes that replenish N removed by harvest in agroecosystems without the addition of fertilizer N (Galloway et al., 1995, Peoples et al., 1995). Therefore, legumes are often included in...

Dryland farming in the Mediterranean climate of the Pacific Northwest, USA supports extremely low earthworm populations under conventional tillage. Increases in earthworm populations are being observed in fields under no-till cropping systems. A 30+ year experiment with four tillage levels in a pea (Pisum sativum L.)-winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation was evaluated for earthworm popul...

Interest in reduced tillage methods is expanding in response to concerns for soil quality in vegetable systems. Reduced tillage (RT) refers to systems that minimize soil disturbance and maintain at least 30% residue cover. These systems can reduce soil and wind erosion, overcome compaction challenges typical of vegetable soils, conserve organic matter and improve overall soil health. In additio...

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introduction energy analysis of agricultural ecosystem is essential for sustainable production. the relation between agriculture and energy is very close. agriculture is an energy consumer and the energy supplier. agriculture’s use of energy is recognized in three external inputs: labor, machines, and fertilizers (connor et al., 2011). significant gains in energy efficiency were arisen in agric...

soil enzyme activities can be used as indicators of soil quality for assessing the sustainability of agricultural ecosystems. the objective of this study was to determine the effects of barley residue input rate, burning, urea fertilizer and tillage management on activities of alkaline phosphatase and urease under field conditions, after a period of 90 days. the experiment was carried out based...

the objective of this study was to determine the quicker response of subsoil or surface soil to minimum tillage (mt) and conventional tillage (ct) and biofertilizers (bacillus coagulans, b), phosphorus fertilization (p) and integrated p and b (pb) under the wheat (triticum aestivum l vr. sardari) growing season. the experimental design was split plot laid out in randomized complete block design...

Most waterborne outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis have been attributed to agricultural sources due to the high prevalence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in animal wastes and manure spreading on farmlands. No-till, an effective conservation practice, often results in soil having higher water infiltration and percolation rates than conventional tillage. We treated six undisturbed no-till and six tilled ...