Soil Use and Management最新文献

{"title":"Comparing structural soil properties of boreal clay fields under contrasting soil management","authors":"Jari Hyväluoma, Petri Niemi, Sami Kinnunen, Kofi Brobbey, Arttu Miettinen, Riikka Keskinen, Helena Soinne","doi":"10.1111/sum.13040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13040","url":null,"abstract":"Soil management significantly affects soil structure. Tillage and grassland renovation may have destructive influences, while conversion of arable land to grassland can improve pore structure and related soil functions. In crop rotations including perennial grasses, soil structure is affected by these counteracting processes. This work aimed to quantify the impacts of different soil management practices on the structure of boreal clay soils. We studied intact topsoil samples taken from two locations by X‐ray computed microtomography, image‐based flow simulations and water retention measurements. At both locations, adjacent field areas with two contrasting soil management histories were compared. Both locations had at least a 30‐year‐old grassland site, which was compared to arable soils either under no‐till management with annual crop rotation or conventional tillage with crop rotation including perennial grasses. Both imaging and water retention measurements showed significant differences in the soil macropore structure between the long‐term grassland and arable no‐till soil such that macroporosity and hydraulic conductivity of the long‐term grassland were higher than those of soil under agricultural production. On the contrary, at the second study location, differences between long‐term grassland and cultivated fields were minor and the long‐term grassland exhibited lower macroporosity. Our results confirm that soil management affects the macropore structure of boreal clay soil and that no‐till annual cropping and periodically tilled crop rotation including perennial phases exert different effects on the soil structure as compared with long‐term grassland.","PeriodicalId":21759,"journal":{"name":"Soil Use and Management","volume":"298 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140592912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of urea fertilization rates on nitrogen losses, productivity and profitability in East African sugarcane plantations","authors":"Joseph Tamale, Paolo Nasta, Sebastian Doetterl, John Hutson, Oliver van Straaten, Laban F. Turyagyenda, Peter Fiener","doi":"10.1111/sum.13030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13030","url":null,"abstract":"Fertilizer‐intensive sugarcane plantations are expanding in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) amidst increased groundwater pollution and carbon footprint concerns. Yet, the impact of nitrogen (N) levels on N losses, productivity and profitability in these plantations remains unclear. To address this gap, we conducted a completely randomized design experiment in a Ugandan sugarcane plantation using three N fertilization rates (low, standard and high) as treatments. N leaching under the different treatments was determined using the average drainage fluxes across a 1‐m‐layered profile which we estimated with a suite of pedotransfer functions (PTFs) and leachate N concentrations from suction cup lysimeters. Soil nitrous oxide fluxes were determined using static vented chamber bases and gas chromatography. Partial factor crop productivity was estimated from the average field fresh weight under each treatment and the amount of N fertilizer applied, while the return on investment was determined from the factory price of the field fresh weight and the market price of fertilizers. Our findings indicate that three out of five PTFs effectively estimated soil hydraulic properties at our test site, based on the close match between measured and predicted soil matric potential values. Notably, N leaching at low and standard N rates were comparable but significantly lower than at higher‐than‐standard N rates. Additionally, we measured comparable soil nitrous oxide emissions and field fresh weight but partial factor productivity and return on investment declined along the fertilizer intensification gradient. In conclusion, the study demonstrates the promising application of certain PTFs in N‐leaching modelling in the data‐scarce SSA. Furthermore, obtaining comparable field fresh weight with minimal N losses at lower‐than‐standard N rates presents an opportunity to mitigate groundwater pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. However, the potential impact of the switch from standard to low N rates on soil organic carbon stocks and sugarcane yields warrants further investigation.","PeriodicalId":21759,"journal":{"name":"Soil Use and Management","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140592676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differential responses of photosynthesis, yield and soil properties 4 years after a single application of zeolites and biochar in a rainfed olive orchard","authors":"Sandra Martins, Cátia Brito, Alexandre Gonçalves, José Moutinho‐Pereira, Ermelinda Pereira, Margarida Arrobas, Manuel Â. Rodrigues, Fernando Nunes, Carlos M. Correia","doi":"10.1111/sum.13045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13045","url":null,"abstract":"Olive orchards represent a key agricultural system in the Mediterranean Basin. Soil degradation processes associated with unsustainable agronomic practices and climate change could severely impact the sustainability of Mediterranean rainfed olive orchards. In this context, soil amendments are important tools that can be used to enhance soil fertility for sustained environmental quality and plant performance. In this study, a field trial was conducted for 4 years in olive tree (<jats:italic>Olea europaea</jats:italic> L.) to assess the effects of a mineral fertilizer compound and the combination with a single application of zeolites or biochar on the physiological and biochemical performance, tree nutritional status, crop yield and soil chemical and biological properties to gain knowledge towards more sustainable management. Our results showed that the addition of zeolites and biochar to mineral fertilizer ameliorated the physiological and biochemical performance, as evidenced by consistent increments of relative water content, stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis and by lower signs of oxidative stress during the periods of greater climate adversity. However, crop yield was not significantly different among soil treatments. On the other hand, soil chemical and biological traits at the surface layer (0–10 cm) have shown different and relevant responses after 4 years of soil amendment application. In fact, zeolite supply stood out as increased pH, extractable K, cation exchange capacity, microbial biomass carbon and microbial biomass quotient and reduced extractable Cu. Furthermore, zeolites induced positive changes in soil enzymatic activity, leading to increases in 10 enzymes involved in C, N and P cycles. In contrast, the effects of biochar on soil properties were much more reduced, given that it decreased the microbial biomass nitrogen and enhanced the activities of three P‐cycle enzymes. In summary, our data demonstrated that both soil amendments can be an interesting complement to mineral fertilization, in order to increase trees' resilience under rainfed conditions and to promote soil health, although the use of zeolites appears to be a more promising strategy because of the induction of higher soil sustainability.","PeriodicalId":21759,"journal":{"name":"Soil Use and Management","volume":"55 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140593115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An agrogeophysical modelling framework for the detection of soil compaction spatial variability due to grazing using field‐scale electromagnetic induction data","authors":"Alejandro Romero‐Ruiz, Dave O'Leary, Eve Daly, Patrick Tuohy, Alice Milne, Kevin Coleman, Andrew P. Whitmore","doi":"10.1111/sum.13039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13039","url":null,"abstract":"Soil compaction is a regarded as a major environmental and economical hazard, degrading soils across the world. Changes in soil properties due to compaction are known to lead to decrease in biomass and increase in greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient leaching and soil erosion. Quantifying adverse impacts of soil compaction and developing strategies for amelioration relies on an understanding of soil compaction extent and temporal variability. The main indicators of soil compaction (i.e., reduction of pore space, increase in bulk density and decrease in soil transport properties) are relatively easy to quantify in laboratory conditions but such traditional point‐based methods offer little information on soil compaction extent at the field scale. Recently, geophysical methods have been proposed to provide non‐invasive information about soil compaction. In this work, we developed an agrogeophysical modelling framework to help address the challenges of characterizing soil compaction across grazing paddocks using electromagnetic induction (EMI) data. By integrative modelling of grazing, soil compaction, soil processes and EMI resistivity anomalies, we demonstrate how spatial patterns of EMI observations can be linked to management leading to soil compaction and concurrent modifications of soil functions. The model was tested in a dairy farm in the midlands of Ireland that has been grazed for decades and shows clear signatures of grazing‐induced compaction. EMI data were collected in the summer of 2021 and autumn of 2022 under dry and wet soil moisture conditions, respectively. For both years, we observed decreases of apparent electrical resistivity at locations that with visible signatures of compaction such as decreased vegetation and water ponding (e.g., near the water troughs and gates). A machine learning algorithm was used to cluster EMI data with three unique cluster signatures assumed to be representative of heavy, moderately, and non‐compacted field zones. We conducted 1D process‐based simulations corresponding to non‐compacted and compacted soils. The modelled EMI signatures agree qualitatively and quantitatively with the measured EMI data, linking decreased electrical resistivities to zones that were visibly compacted. By providing a theoretical framework based on mechanistic modelling of soil management and compaction, our work may provide a strategy for utilizing EMI data for detection of soil degradation due to compaction.","PeriodicalId":21759,"journal":{"name":"Soil Use and Management","volume":"68 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140593017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intercropping herbage promoted the availability of soil phosphorus and improved the bacterial genus structure and the abundance of key bacterial taxa in the acidic soil of mango (Mangifera indica L.) orchards","authors":"Chengming Yan, Dongsheng An, Baoshan Zhao, Zhiling Ma, Haiyang Ma, Qiufang Zhao, Ran Kong, Junbo Su","doi":"10.1111/sum.13046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13046","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims to understand the characteristics and distribution patterns of soil phosphorus (P) forms in the tropical high‐P orchards under cover cropping and to explore the biotic and abiotic factors driving the changes in P forms. The study collected three kinds of soil (clean tillage [CK, control], <jats:italic>Stylosanthes guianensis</jats:italic> cover [SC, legume], and <jats:italic>Cynodon dactylon</jats:italic> (L.) Pers. cover [CC, grass]) from a mango orchard and determined P forms in the water‐stable aggregates and bulk soil, analyzed the environmental factors and the structure of the bacterial‐fungal community. Compared to CK, SC and CC have a significant positive influence on the forms and distribution of soil P, increase the content of organic P (Org‐P) and certain inorganic P forms (Al‐P and Fe‐P), and enhance the content of P within macroaggregates (&gt;0.25 mm), thereby maintaining total P (TP) and Olsen‐P in the top 30 cm of soil, particularly for the SC treatment. SC and CC also improved acid phosphatase (ACP), and water‐stable aggregates while decreasing bulk density (BD) and exchangeable aluminium (Al<jats:sub>e</jats:sub>) in the topsoil (0–15 cm). Redundant and Pearson analysis revealed these factors significantly affected soil P availability. Moreover, SC and CC increased the relative abundance of <jats:italic>Nitrospira</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Candidatus‐Udaeobacter</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Pseudolabrys</jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>ADurb.Bin063–1</jats:italic> in the topsoil (0–15 cm), and decreased the relative abundance of <jats:italic>Occallatibacter</jats:italic>. Redundant and Pearson analysis indicated that these bacterial communities are likely associated with the availability of P. Overall, cover cropping promoted the transformation and distribution of P forms by altering the physical, chemical, and biological environment of the soil, which was beneficial for the sustainable P management in tropical high‐P soils. This research offers practical insights into the use of cover crops as a tool for enhancing soil health and sustainable P management in tropical high‐P orchards.","PeriodicalId":21759,"journal":{"name":"Soil Use and Management","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140592673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Carbon neutrality of an island with 100% renewable energy production and forest as carbon sinks: El Hierro (Canary Islands) a pilot for Europe","authors":"Noelia Cruz‐Pérez, Gunta Grūbe, Ricardo Ruiz‐Peinado, Alejandro García‐Gil, Juan C. Santamarta","doi":"10.1111/sum.13042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13042","url":null,"abstract":"The island of El Hierro is the smallest and youngest island in the Canary archipelago. It has been recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2000, and it has a population of approximately 10,000 inhabitants. The aim of this study was to determine the amount of CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> emissions absorbed by the forest stands of the island of El Hierro and compare it to the emissions generated by the population. It is noteworthy that there is a hydro‐wind energy production project on the island that has significantly minimized the emissions linked to energy production. In short, El Hierro's forest stands are capable of capturing 46,785 tons of CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> annually, while emissions associated with electricity production and emissions linked to road mobility are below the island's carbon sequestration capacity since the <jats:italic>Gorona del Viento</jats:italic> renewable energy project was built. By working on investment in renewable energies to produce energy and changing mobility with the use of electric vehicles, a small island like El Hierro can adapt to ecological transition by the year 2040. This is a goal set by the government to drastically reduce emissions in the Canary Islands.","PeriodicalId":21759,"journal":{"name":"Soil Use and Management","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140592671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long‐term effects of soil erosion on dryland crop yields in the Songnen Plain, Northeast China","authors":"Ziyang Yu, Xinlei Zhang, Jiatong Liu, Guoping Lei","doi":"10.1111/sum.13044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13044","url":null,"abstract":"The elucidation of the influence of soil erosion on crop yields is of paramount importance to ensure food security. Remote sensing data has facilitated the acquisition of long‐term spatially‐distributed information on soil erosion modulus and crop yields. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model was employed to estimate the soil erosion modulus, while the Carnegie‐Ames‐Stanford Approach (CASA) model has been utilized to calculate the net primary productivity (NPP). This study integrated models to assess the impact of soil erosion on dryland crop yields in the Songnen Plain from 2000 to 2020. The findings reveal that the annual average soil erosion modulus for dry cropland in black soil region (BSR) of the Songnen Plain is 4.2 (t ha<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> yr<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>), which is 1.5 times greater than that of the other region (OR). The greater cropland erosion within the BSR limited the trend for increasing crop yields, whereas the impact of erosion on crop yield dynamics in the OR was not significant. The areas where dryland crop yields diminished in the Songnen Plain because of soil erosion were predominantly concentrated within the BSR. Advancements in agricultural technology have partially mitigated the adverse consequences of erosion on yields.","PeriodicalId":21759,"journal":{"name":"Soil Use and Management","volume":"96 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140592674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Manganese and phosphorus maize shoot concentrations are differently affected by nitrification inhibitor‐driven rhizosphere acidification","authors":"Mathew Edung Etabo, Pablo Lacerda Ribeiro, Britta Pitann, Karl Hermann Mühling","doi":"10.1111/sum.13054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13054","url":null,"abstract":"High soil pH can lead to Mn<jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> and P deficiency and yield losses. In addition, it is unclear which process, nitrification‐induced acidification of bulk soil or nitrification inhibitor‐driven rhizosphere acidification, is more effective in increasing Mn<jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> availability and shoot concentration. Thus, this topic was investigated in this study. Moreover, we also evaluated if applying NIs can avoid P deficiency in soil with high pH and high buffering capacity. Two greenhouse experiments were carried out to investigate the impact of applying 3,4‐Dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) in sandy soil subjected to the application of different lime rates, simulating several soil pH and buffering capacity conditions. The utilized lime rates were 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 g CaCO<jats:sub>3</jats:sub> kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>. The measured variables were bulk and rhizosphere soil pH, Mn<jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> and P availability, maize biomass production, as well as Mn and P shoot concentrations. DMPP significantly reduced shoot biomass by 10% in unlimed soil; however, it promoted the overall shoot biomass by 30% in limed soil in both experiments. In addition, DMPP decreased the overall Mn shoot concentration by 24 and 21% in experiments I and II, respectively. In contrast, DMPP increased the overall P shoot concentration due to rhizosphere acidification by 24 and 17% in experiments I and II, respectively. The DMPP application did not avoid P deficiency under the highest lime rate (4 g CaCO<jats:sub>3</jats:sub> kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>) despite alleviating it. In conclusion, the application of NIs is not beneficial for increasing Mn<jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> shoot concentration and, when performed to increase P availability in high pH soils, should consider the likelihood of causing Mn deficiency.","PeriodicalId":21759,"journal":{"name":"Soil Use and Management","volume":"43 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140592774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Short‐term effects of double‐layer ploughing reduced tillage on soil structure and crop yield","authors":"Julia Pöhlitz, Steffen Schlüter, Jan Rücknagel","doi":"10.1111/sum.13043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13043","url":null,"abstract":"Soil tillage is widely acknowledged to affect soil characteristics and agricultural productivity. This research investigates the short‐term effects of various tillage methods on soil physical properties and crop yields at a Central German field site with a dry climate (mean temperature 9.5°C; annual precipitation 470 mm). Three tillage approaches were evaluated: conventional plough tillage (25 cm depth), cultivator tillage (18 cm depth), and double‐layer plough tillage (15 and 30 cm depth). We assessed soil physical properties through standard laboratory analyses, compression tests, soil pore structure via X‐ray computed tomography (X‐ray CT) and crop yields over 3 years. The results indicate that cultivator tillage approach increased soil bulk density relative to conventional tillage, especially in the second year, though this effect diminished over time. Double‐layer plough tillage emerged as a viable short‐term alternative to conventional tillage, achieving comparable soil bulk density. Saturated hydraulic conductivity values were generally higher for soils under conventional tillage or double‐layer plough tillage than for cultivator tillage, highlighting their soil loosening effect. Classical soil analysis methods combined with X‐ray computed tomography provided valuable insights into tillage induced changes to soil structure. Cultivator tillage resulted in a distinct pore structure with reduced macroporosity and pore connectivity. Despite notable soil property variations, crop yields remained consistent across the tillage methods. Overall, double‐layer plough tillage presents a sustainable option, moderately improving soil physical properties while maintaining crop yields. This study highlights the need to assess the short‐term effects of tillage on soils and contributes to the broader dialogue on optimizing tillage strategies for effective soil management and crop production.","PeriodicalId":21759,"journal":{"name":"Soil Use and Management","volume":"206 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140592675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Earthworm communities and their relation to above‐ground organic residues and water infiltration in perennial cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) and annual silage maize (Zea mays) energy plants","authors":"Lena Wöhl, Thorsten Ruf, Christoph Emmerling, Stefan Schrader","doi":"10.1111/sum.13041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13041","url":null,"abstract":"Perennial energy cropping systems are hailed as a sustainable way of mitigating and potentially adapting to climate change. As a result of the absence of tillage, soils cropped with perennials like cup plant (<jats:italic>Silphium perfoliatum</jats:italic>) promote abundant and functionally diverse earthworm communities. Hence, ecosystem service provision because of earthworm activity and functional redundancy, for example, litter decomposition, water infiltration and nutrient turnover, is considerably enhanced in perennial cropping systems. We studied the abundance and functional role of earthworms in non‐tilled perennial systems and reduced‐tilled annual systems to assess their relationship with the respective above‐ground organic residues and their implications for the soil water dynamic. We sampled earthworms and simultaneously measured the saturated infiltration rate for two consecutive years in cup plant and maize (<jats:italic>Zea mays</jats:italic>) fields. Furthermore, we sampled above‐ground litter each trimester in both systems and analysed the total C and N content and CN ratios. Our field investigations revealed significantly higher earthworm abundance, species diversity and richness in cup plant systems likely because of the absence of tillage and the formation of a litter layer. High abundances of juveniles in both maize and cup plant systems pointed to harsh habitat conditions likely because of temperature variations, waterlogging and bulk density. The respective field litter was of minor importance as a food source in both systems because of poor quality, but may positively affect the soil water balance in cup plant systems. Earthworm populations in maize may have been supported by organic fertilizer while earthworm populations in cup plants may have additionally benefitted from the extensive root network and a higher on‐site plant diversity. Reduced tillage regimes in maize systems may have enhanced saturated infiltration rates. A direct link between earthworms and infiltration was not validated, but may not be excluded in the future, as earthworm populations may develop slowly because of adverse habitat conditions. Our results show that perennials support abundant and diverse earthworm populations and indicate the importance of functional redundancy and the diversity of food sources. The combination of both earthworm abundance and perennial cropping systems is capable of increasing on‐site ecosystem stability and supporting adaptation to climate change by increasing functional redundancy and, ultimately, providing ecosystem services. The noticeable occurrence of the latter, however, may be delayed because of the slow establishment of earthworm communities and delayed build‐up of ecosystems stability. Hence, a transitional phase is inevitable to reap the benefits of perennial energy cropping systems and must be accounted for.","PeriodicalId":21759,"journal":{"name":"Soil Use and Management","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140592861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}