Humus management practices affect soil structural quality and nutrient availability of arable fields in Western Switzerland

Summary in the original language of the document

Effective soil organic matter (SOM) management is crucial for long-term soil fertility. Humus balances are simple tools to evaluate SOM development based on applied farming practices. Here, humus balances were used to assess the effect of farm management on soil structural quality (SSQ), as well as SOM and nutrients contents. 3 groups were identified based on the farm practices used in the humus balance calculations (residue management, organic inputs, presence of intercrops as well as the ratio of legumes and leys in the crop rotation). The group interpreted as animal husbandry farms showed significantly higher SSQ, SOM and nutrient contents. Opposingly, the group interpreted as stockless farms showed the lowest SSQ, SOM and nutrient contents, potentially risking nutrient deficiencies and soil degradation. This study revealed significant effects of farm management on SSQ, nutrient and SOM contents. It showed that humus balances can be used to compare farms based on few farming practices and evaluate their effect on nutrient dynamics.