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Assessment of selected soil parameters in a long-term Western Canadian organic field experiment

Entz, Martin; Welsh, Cathy; Tenuta, Mario; Chen, Yu Ying; Nelson, Alison and Froese, Jane (2007) Assessment of selected soil parameters in a long-term Western Canadian organic field experiment. Paper 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.


EPrint Type:Conference paper, poster, etc.
Type of presentation:Paper
Keywords:nitrogen, phosphorous, mycorrhiza, aggregate stability
Subjects: Crop husbandry > Production systems
Research affiliation: International Conferences > 2007: 3rd QLIF Congress > 3 Crop production / soil management
Deposited By: Entz, Dr. Martin H.
ID Code:9887
Deposited On:07 Mar 2007
Last Modified:12 Apr 2010 07:34
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Not peer-reviewed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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