Biological soil properties & functions as affected by tillage system Results from NL sites

February 26, 2014

NL field sites – Marine clay loam soils

Lelystad RCBD field experiment(different tillage systems for conventional and organic crop rotations

Hoeksche WaardFarmers fields and experimental farm with conventional crop rotations

Lelystad field trial

Minimum tillage (MT)Non-inversion tillage (NIT)Conventional tillage (CT)

Block (n=4)

Lelystad field trial

8 cm

20 cm25 cm

CT NIT MT

All with controlled traffic lanes

Lelystad field trial

potato sugar winter onionsbeet wheat

potato grass white spring carrots s. wheat clover cabbage wheat beans

Conventional crop rotation (synthetic fertilizers)

Organic crop rotation (animal manure)

+ use of green manure where possible

Lelystad field trial

Crittenden et al 2014 (in press)

Lelystad field trial

Measurements 2009-2013:

- Earthworm populations 2009-2011 (Crittenden et al. 2014, APSOIL) & 2012 (Oudshoorn, 2013)

- Nematode feeding groups and microbial parameters 2009 & 2012 (PPO & RIVM)

- Soil physical characteristics (compaction, infiltration, pF, aggregate stability)

- Soil OM/C

- Soil N (including N2O) (PPO)

- Crop yields (PPO)

NB: not all data are available for all parcels all years

Lelystad field trial

Measurements 2009-2013:

- Earthworm populations 2009-2011 (Crittenden et al. 2014, APSOIL) & 2012 (Oudshoorn, 2013)

- Nematode feeding groups and microbial parameters 2009 & 2012 (PPO & RIVM)

- Soil physical characteristics (compaction, infiltration, pF, aggregate stability)

- Soil OM/C

- Soil N (including N2O) (PPO)

- Crop yields (PPO)

Results; Earthworms (2009-2011)

Spring2009 Fall2009 Fall2010 Spring 2011 Fall20110

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

*

*

* NIT CT

Ea

rth

wo

rms

(in

d.

m-2

)

Organic farming J10-6

Crittenden et al 2014 (in press)

Results; Earthworms (2009-2011)

Spring2009 Fall2009 Fall2010 Spring 2011 Fall20110

50

100

150

200

250

300NIT CT

Ea

rth

wo

rms

(in

d.

m-2

)

Conventional farming - J92b

Crittenden et al 2014 (in press)

Results; Earthworms Fall 2012

Data: Oudshoorn 2013OrganicOrganic J10-6Conventional J9-2b

Results; Earthworms Fall 2009-2012

Data: Bas Oudshoorn

OrganicOrganic

Sampling date

  Conventional J9-2b   Organic J10-6

Tillage system

  CT MT NIT   CT MT NIT

Fall 2009 Spring barley

95 110 169 Winter wheat; mustard

389 415 289

Fall 2010 Onions; rye grass

279 208 358 Carrots; white clover

357 a 159 b 104 b

Fall 2011 Potatoes 192 245 127 Wheat/Faba bean

841 a 560 b 555 b

Fall 2012 Sugar beet 123 b 263 a 308 a Potatoes; grass clover

723 797 804

Results; Earthworm species

Crittenden et al. 2014 Oudshoorn, 2013

Organic J10-6

Conventional J9-2b

Species composition all yrs

Endogeic species:- A. caliginosa (65-85%)- A. rosea- A. chlorotica (<1%)

Epigeic species:- L. rubellus (CT<MT/NIT)- E. tetraedra - L. castaneus (<1%)- S. mammalis (<1%)

Anecic species- A. longa (<1%)- L. terrestris (<1%)

Results; Nematode feeding groups

Data PPO, Gerard Korthals - 2009 baseline data? (0-25 cm depth)

Nematode Guild AnalysisCalculation of functional indices, nematode guild analysis

oMaturity index (MI) (r-k life strategies, disturbance indicator)

oEnrichment index (EI) (nutrient status)

oStructure index (SI) (soil ecosystem stability)

oBasal index (BI) (disruption)

oChannel index (CI) (bacterial- or fungal decomposition)

Results; Microbial parameters

Data PPO, RIVM, Alterra- 2009 baseline data? (0-25 cm depth)

Results; soil physical characteristics

Data: Crittenden et al in prep.

Conventional J9-2b Organic J10-6

Aggregate stability 2011-2012

Results; soil physical characteristics

Data: Crittenden et al in prep.

Organic J10-3

Aggregate stability 2011-2012

Organic J10-6

Results; soil physical characteristics

Data: Crittenden et al in prep.

Organic J10-6; 0-5 cm Organic J10-6; 10-15 cm

pF 2011-2012

Results; soil physical characteristics

Data: Crittenden et al in prep.

Organic J10-3; 0-5 cm Organic J10-3; 10-15 cm

pF 2011-2012

Results; soil organic matter

Data: Crittenden et al in prep.

Organic J10-6 Organic J10-3

SOM 2011-2012

Results; Soil C stocks 2011

Data: Natasja Poot

Organic J10-6

No net C sequestration (PT=0.911)

●ST: 88±4 Mg/ha

●NIT: 89±4 Mg/ha

10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

STNIT

Soil organic carbon (Mg/ha)

Dept

h (c

m)

0-10 cm 10-20 cm0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5 STNIT

Ksat

(cm

/min

)Results; more soil physical characteristics

Data: Poot 2012; Oudshoorn 2013

Conventional

Organic

Conventional J9-2b Organic J10-6

Organic J10-6

Results; soil physical 2012Data: Bas Oudshoorn

Conventional

Organic

Results; crop yields Data: PPO

Teelt Jaar

ST T M ST T M ST T M ST T M ST T M

suikerbiet 100% 100% 100% 100% 102% 104% 100% 97% 96%

a a a a a a

zomergerst 100% 100% 100% 100% 96% 104%

a a a

pootaardappel 100% 99% 101%

a a a

peen 100% 92% 88% 100% 77% 80% 100% 74% 69%

b ab a b a a

zomertarwe 100% 105% 108% 100%

a a a a a a

wintertarwe 100% 105% 105%

a a a

grasklaver 100% 108% 100% 144% 141%

a a a b b

veldbonen/zomertarwe 100% 83% 100% 110% 114%

b a a b b

pootaardappel 100% 97% 99% 100% 93% 95%

a a a a a a

zaaiui

consumptieaardappel 100% 100% 95% 100% 100% 100%

b b a a a a

witte kool 100% 98% 95% 100% 103% 93%b ab a

eiwit %

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Discussion / conclusions

Large variation in earthworm densities between parcels and years

Very much dominated by A. caliginosa

When sign. tillage effects are found: Different response in organic farming than in conventional farming.

Hypothesis that NIT would increase total ew numbers is not confirmed

L. rubellus increases under NIT, anecics virtually absent

Can anecics survive in our arable fields?

=> Results also confirmed in farmers fields (Crittenden et al, ms submitted)

Discussion / conclusions

Higher aggregate stability in NIT, especially at 10-20 cm

Higher SOM content in NIT with time (top 15 cms only and only sign. in one of the two parcels) => No net C sequestration

Higher compaction in NIT based on penetrometer readings

Measurement of water infiltration with double ring method? What are we measuring?

Yields: lower for NIT in some crops (esp. carrot), higher for others (grass/cereals), but also dependent on year

Discussion / conclusions

Soil physics: quantification and translation to ecosystem services?

Proxies for ecosystem services? LCA? Scale? Functional unit?

Do we have information about desired levels or ranges for proxies / soil quality indicators? (prototyping).

Thanks to:

Steve Crittenden,

Joana Frazão

Ron de Goede (WU)

Bas Oudshoorn, Natasja Poot, Tamila Eswaramurthy (MSc students)

Wijnand Sukkel, Derk van Balen, Gerard Korthals (PPO)

.. and all SUSTAIN colleagues

Communication 2013-2014

2013 Newsletter

●Soil physical effects

●Soil chemical effects (organic matter, N)

●Soil biology (nematodes, microbial)

2014: NIT Hand book in cooperation with Network of Practice on Reduced Tillage Farming

Presentations for farmers

Conference presentations (EGU, Green Carbon)

Handbook NIT

Yields: PPO

Weed control: advisor

Pests: advisor

Diseases ?

Soil structure: PRI

N dynamics: LBI, PPO

Earthworms: Wageningen Univ.

Soil health: PRI

Practical crop management: advisors

Farmers fields – marine loam soils

Effects of NIT and field margin strips

3 commercial farms and one field station in the Hoeksche Waard

Farmers fields – marine loam soils

Traditional practice:

- Max. 12 species of earthworms

in arable fields

- Appr. 200 ind m-2

Crittenden et al. in prep.

Farmers fields – marine loam soils

Crittenden et al. in prep.

0

100

200

300

400

RAND GEPLOEGD NKG

Aant

alle

n m

-24 bedrijven

L. TerrestrisA. LongaE. TetraedaS. MammalisL. CastaneusL. RubellusD. RubidusM. MinisculaA. LimicolaA. RoseaAl. ChloroticaA. Caliginosa

Farmers fields – marine loam soils

Crittenden et al. in prep.

0

100

200

300

400

RAND GEPLOEGD NKG

Aant

alle

n m

-24 bedrijven

L. TerrestrisA. LongaE. TetraedaS. MammalisL. CastaneusL. RubellusD. RubidusM. MinisculaA. LimicolaA. RoseaAl. ChloroticaA. Caliginosa