Early impacts of cover crop selection on soil biological parameters during a transition to organic agriculture

IF 1.3 Q3 AGRONOMY
Leah Ellman-Stortz, Katie Lewis, Terry Gentry, Paul DeLaune, Elizabeth Pierson, Nicholas Boogades
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Abstract

Although Texas is not widely known for organic production, it is responsible for most organic peanut production in the United States. When managed effectively, this can be a lucrative practice due to consumer demands. However, farmers pursuing organic management must undergo a 3-year transition period to obtain United States Department of Agriculture certification, which is often associated with depressed yields. The objective of this study was to measure the impact of organic management and cover crop selection on biological indicators of soil health during the second year of transitioning to an organic cotton–peanut rotation in West Texas. We conducted a field study at two locations, and soil health indicators including in situ respiration, carbon mineralization, enzyme activities, and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were measured. The use of a cover crop resulted in generally greater biological activities compared to the fallow after only one cover crop rotation, representing early elevated biological activities under plots treated with a cover crop. However, cover crop species selection typically does not affect soil biological parameters. Cover crop use also did not contribute to yield losses when compared to a fallow treatment. When comparing organic management to conventional management, both sites experienced elevated PLFA counts under organic management. Importantly, results indicated that although reduced peanut yields could be expected under transitional organic management, this was not cover crop species-specific, nor was it a guarantee. Given the economic risk of organic management for farmers, this study will benefit producers deciding whether to pursue organic production and cover cropping.

Abstract Image

向有机农业过渡期间选择覆盖作物对土壤生物参数的早期影响
虽然得克萨斯州在有机生产方面并不广为人知,但它却是美国大部分有机花生生产地。如果管理得当,由于消费者的需求,这可能是一种有利可图的做法。然而,追求有机管理的农民必须经过 3 年的过渡期才能获得美国农业部的认证,而这往往与减产有关。本研究的目的是测量在德克萨斯州西部过渡到有机棉花-花生轮作的第二年期间,有机管理和覆盖作物选择对土壤健康生物指标的影响。我们在两个地点进行了实地研究,测量了土壤健康指标,包括原位呼吸、碳矿化、酶活性和磷脂脂肪酸 (PLFA)。使用覆盖作物后,与只轮作一次覆盖作物的休耕地相比,生物活性普遍较高,这表明使用覆盖作物的地块早期生物活性较高。不过,覆盖作物品种的选择通常不会影响土壤生物参数。与休耕处理相比,使用覆盖作物也不会造成产量损失。在比较有机管理和常规管理时,两个地点在有机管理下的 PLFA 数量都有所增加。重要的是,研究结果表明,虽然在过渡性有机管理下花生产量可能会减少,但这并不是覆盖作物物种的特异性,也不是一种保证。鉴于有机管理对农民的经济风险,这项研究将有利于生产者决定是否进行有机生产和覆盖种植。
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来源期刊
Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment
Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)
CiteScore
2.60
自引率
0.00%
发文量
80
审稿时长
24 weeks
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