The Capacity of Conservation and Regenerative Organic Agriculture to Positively Influence Soil Bulk Density, Soil Organic Carbon, Total Nitrogen and Microbiology
The Capacity of Conservation and Regenerative Organic Agriculture to Positively Influence Soil Bulk Density, Soil Organic Carbon, Total Nitrogen and Microbiology
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Date
2024-05
Authors
Legrain, Isabelle
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Abstract
Conservation and regenerative organic agricultural management are potential
mitigation strategies for global soil quality degradation. However, comprehensive studies
on the success of these managements are limited. This study aimed to provide further
understanding on the ability of these managements to positively affect soil quality related
to bulk density, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and microbial activity and
diversity using phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA). Conservation practices such as
no-till (NT) and cover cropping (CC) were compared with conventional practices of disc
tillage (T) and no cover cropping (NC). Regenerative organic practices were analyzed for
effectiveness at improving soils transitioning from conventional management. Results
showed that conservation management did not significantly lower bulk density when
compared to conventional management, however, significantly higher SOC, TN, and
microbial activity were measured. Regenerative organic management did improve all
aforementioned indicators, however, shifts in microbial structure posed potential issues
when analyzing fungal communities. Overall, these managements were found to be capable
of improving soil quality, but longer study duration is needed to accuratel y assess
implications to bulk density and microbial community structure.