%0 Conference Paper
%A Entz, Martin
%A Welsh, Cathy
%A Tenuta, Mario
%A Chen, Yu Ying
%A Nelson, Alison
%A Froese, Jane
%D 2007
%F orgprints:9887
%K nitrogen, phosphorous, mycorrhiza, aggregate stability
%T Assessment of selected soil parameters in a long-term Western Canadian organic field experiment  
%U http://orgprints.org/9887/
%X 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.