Soil Microbial Activity in Different Cropping Systems under Long-Term Crop Rotation

Jaan Kuht, Viacheslav Eremeev, Liina Talgre, Evelin Loit, Erkki Mäeorg, Kalle Margus, Eve Runno-Paurson, Helena Madsen and Anne Luik
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Jaan Kuht: Chair of Crop Science and Plant Biology, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
Viacheslav Eremeev: Chair of Crop Science and Plant Biology, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
Liina Talgre: Chair of Crop Science and Plant Biology, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
Evelin Loit: Chair of Crop Science and Plant Biology, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
Erkki Mäeorg: Chair of Crop Science and Plant Biology, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
Kalle Margus: Chair of Crop Science and Plant Biology, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
Eve Runno-Paurson: Chair of Crop Science and Plant Biology, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
Helena Madsen: Chair of Crop Science and Plant Biology, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
Anne Luik: Chair of Plant Health, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51006 Tartu, Estonia

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: Soil microbes play a key role in the nutrient cycling by decomposing the organic material into plant-available elements and also by maintaining the soil health. The study of soil microbial hydrolytic activity (SMA) was carried out in a long-term crop rotation (barley undersown (us) with red clover, red clover, winter wheat, pea and potato) experiment in five different farming systems during 2014–2018. There were two conventional systems, with chemical plant protection and mineral fertilizers, and three organic systems, which included winter cover crops and composted manure. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the (i) cropping system and (ii) precrops in rotation on the soil SMA. The soil microbial hydrolytic activity was significantly affected by yearly weather conditions, farming system, and crops. In all farming systems, the SMA was the lowest after dry and cold conditions during early spring in 2018. In unfertilized conventional systems, the considerably lower SMA is explained by the side effects of pesticides and low organic residuals, and we can conclude that the conventional system with no added fertilizer or organic matter is not sustainable, considering soil health. In each year, the SMA of organic systems with cover crops and composted manure was 7.3–14.0% higher compared to all farming systems. On average, for both farming systems, the SMA of all the rotation crops was positively correlated with the SMA values of precrops. However, in conventional farming systems, the effect of undersowing on the SMA of the precrop was smaller compared to organic systems.

Keywords: conventional system; organic system; cover crops; manure; soil microbial activity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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