?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Crop+yield+and+soil+fertility+response+to+reduced+tillage+under+organic+management&rft.creator=Berner%2C+A.&rft.creator=Hildermann%2C+I.&rft.creator=Fliessbach%2C+Dr.+A.&rft.creator=Pfiffner%2C+Dr.+L.&rft.creator=Niggli%2C+Dr.+U.&rft.creator=M%C3%83%C2%A4der%2C+Dr.+P.&rft.subject=+Soil&rft.subject=+Soil+biology&rft.subject=+Soil+quality&rft.description=Conservation+tillage+(no-till+and+reduced+tillage)+brings+many+benefits+with+respect+to+soil+fertility+and+energy+use%2C+but+it+also+has+drawbacks+regarding+the+need+for+synthetic+fertilizers+and+herbicides.+Our+objective+was+to+adapt+reduced+tillage+to+organic+farming+by+quantifying+effects+of+tillage+(plough+versus+chisel)%2C+fertilization+(slurry+versus+manure+compost)+and+biodynamic+preparations+(with+versus+without)+on+soil+fertility+indicators+and+crop+yield.+The+experiment+was+initiated+in+2002+on+a+Stagnic+Eutric+Cambisol+(45%25+clay+content)+near+Frick+(Switzerland)+where+the+average+annual+precipitation+is+1000+mm.+This+report+focuses+on+the+conversion+period+and+examines+changes+as+tillage+intensity+was+reduced.+Soil+samples+were+taken+from+the+0-10+cm+and+10-20+cm+depths+and+analysed+for+soil+organic+carbon+(Corg)%2C+microbial+biomass+(Cmic)%2C+dehydrogenase+activity+(DHA)+and+earthworm+density+and+biomass.+Among+the+components+tested%2C+only+tillage+had+any+influence+on+these+soil+fertility+indicators.+Corg+in+the+0-10+cm+soil+layer+increased+by+7.4%25+(1.5+g+Corg+kg-1+soil%2C+p+%3C+0.001)+with+reduced+tillage+between+2002+and+2005%2C+but+remained+constant+with+conventional+tillage.+Similarly%2C+Cmic+was+28%25+higher+and+DHA+27%25+(p+%3C+0.001)+higher+with+reduced+than+with+conventional+tillage+in+the+soil+layer+0-10+cm.+In+the+10-20+cm+layer%2C+there+were+no+significant+differences+for+these+soil+parameters+between+the+tillage+treatments.+Tillage+had+no+significant+effect+on+total+earthworm+density+and+biomass.+The+abundance+of+endogeic%2C+horizontally+burrowing+adult+earthworms+was+70%25+higher+under+reduced+than+conventional+tillage+but+their+biomass+was+53%25+lower+with+reduced+tillage.+Wheat+(Triticum+aestivum+L.)+and+spelt+(Triticum+spelta+L.)+yield+decreased+by+14%25+(p+%3C+0.001)+and+8%25+(p+%3C+0.05)%2C+respectively%2C+with+reduced+tillage%2C+but+sunflower+(Helianthus+annuus+L.)+yield+was+slightly+higher+with+reduced+tillage.+Slurry+fertilization+enhanced+wheat+yield+by+5%25+(p+%3C+0.001)+compared+to+compost+fertilization.+Overall%2C+Corg%2C+Cmic%2C+and+DHA+improved+and+yields+showed+only+a+small+reduction+with+reduced+tillage+under+organic+management%2C+but+long-term+effects+such+as+weed+competition+remain+unknown.&rft.publisher=Elsevier&rft.date=2008-09&rft.type=Journal+paper&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F14426%2F1%2FBerner_et_al_2008_Tillage.pdf&rft.identifier=Berner%2C+A.%3B+Hildermann%2C+I.%3B+Fliessbach%2C+Dr.+A.%3B+Pfiffner%2C+Dr.+L.%3B+Niggli%2C+Dr.+U.+and+M%C3%83%C2%A4der%2C+Dr.+P.+(2008)+Crop+yield+and+soil+fertility+response+to+reduced+tillage+under+organic+management.+[Crop+yield+and+soil+fertility+response+to+reduced+tillage+under+organic+management.]+Soil+%26+Tillage+Research%2C+101%2C+pp.+89-96.+[+In+Press+%2C+September+2008]&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F14426%2F