9887: Assessment of selected soil parameters in a long-term Western Canadian organic field experiment
(2007) Assessment of selected soil parameters in a long-term Western Canadian organic field experiment . Paper presented at 3rd QLIF Congress: Improving Sustainability in Organic and Low Input Food Production Systems, University of Hohenheim, Germany, March 20-23, 2007.
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Summary
A long-term field study was used to compare soil nitrogen and phosphorous status, and soil aggregate stability in organic and conventional cropping systems. Two rotations were tested: a grain only and a grain-alfalfa hay rotation. The organic systems had a lower nitrate leaching potential than the same rotations under conventional management. After 13 years, one organic system (the grain-alfalfa; no manure return) is suffering serious soil P depletion. However, the grain only and the grain-alfalfa with manure return to land systems had soil P levels similar to the prairie grass control treatment and showed no signs of P deficiency. Despite having lower levels of organic carbon, the organic soils had higher levels of wet aggregate stability than conventionally managed soils.
| Document Language: | English |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | nitrogen, phosphorous, mycorrhiza, aggregate stability |
| Subject Areas: | Crop husbandry > Production systems |
| Research affiliation: | International Conferences > QLIF Congress 2007 > 3 Crop production / soil management |
| Total budget (Euro): | 0 |
| Orgprints ID Number: | 9887 |
| Contact: | Entz, Dr. Martin H. |
| Deposited On: | 07 March 2007 |
| EPrint Type: | Conference paper |
| Published?: | Published |
| Type of presentation: | Paper |
| Peer Review Status: | Not peer-reviewed |
| Additional Publishing Information: | The final version of this paper is published in: Niggli, Urs; Leifert, Carlo; Alföldi, Thomas; Lück, Lorna and Willer, Helga, Eds. (2007) Improving Sustainability in Organic and Low Input Food Production Systems. Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress of the European Integrated Project Quality Low Input Food (QLIF). University of Hohenheim, Germany, March 20 – 23, 2007. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, CH-Frick.http://orgprints.org/10417/ Printed copies may be ordered from the FiBL Shop at www.shop.fibl.org. |
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