Abstract
Sustainable agricultural practices such as reduced tillage and optimized fertilization may have potential to improve soil health and increase availability of plant nutrients and yields. However, there is very little information relating soil quality or health to crop productivity, particularly under farmer management. Therefore, the objective was to investigate the effects of two contrasting approaches to crop fertility management on crop productivity, soil test measurements, and soil enzyme activity as integrative measures of soil health. A three year study was conducted at on-farm sites in Ohio, Illinois, and Iowa where topsoil (0-15 cm) and crop yield of Zea mays L. (corn) and Glycine max. (L.) Merr. (soybean) rotations were collected from two contrasting fertility management systems. The two contrasting approaches tested were the Maximum Farming System (MFSyst) and a more Conventional system (Conv) that differ in approaches to tillage and the frequency of fertilizer applications during the growing season. The MFSyst approach resulted in significantly higher yields, soil nutrient test levels along with β-glucosidase (GLU) and arylsulfatase (ARYL) which are sensitive soil health indicators. Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of corn was significantly elevated by nearly 18%, corn yield correlated with GLU activities, and soil test phosphorous (P) levels were reduced by over 50% using the MFSyst approach. These results indicate that improvements in soil health detected by soil GLU and ARYL enzyme activities are associated with significant improvements in soil quality and crop productivity.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
MFSyst produced higher crop yields.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“The MFSyst approach resulted in significantly higher yields, soil nutrient test levels along with β-glucosidase (GLU) and arylsulfatase (ARYL) which are sensitive soil health indicators”
Claim · model-written summary
MFSyst increased soil nutrient test levels.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“The MFSyst approach resulted in significantly higher yields, soil nutrient test levels along with β-glucosidase (GLU) and arylsulfatase (ARYL) which are sensitive soil health indicators”
Claim · model-written summary
MFSyst increased β-glucosidase (GLU).
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“The MFSyst approach resulted in significantly higher yields, soil nutrient test levels along with β-glucosidase (GLU) and arylsulfatase (ARYL) which are sensitive soil health indicators”
Claim · model-written summary
MFSyst increased arylsulfatase (ARYL).
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“The MFSyst approach resulted in significantly higher yields, soil nutrient test levels along with β-glucosidase (GLU) and arylsulfatase (ARYL) which are sensitive soil health indicators”
Claim · model-written summary
MFSyst increased corn nitrogen use efficiency by nearly 18%.
- Taxon
- corn
Zea mays subsp. mayse0 - Treatment
- MFSyst approache0
- Outcome
- Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE)e0
- Direction
- elevatede0
- Value
- nearly 18%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of corn was significantly elevated by nearly 18%, corn yield correlated with GLU activities, and soil test phosphorous (P) levels were reduced by over 50% using the MFSyst approach”
Claim · model-written summary
Corn yield correlated with GLU activity.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Outcome
- corn yielde0
- Comparator
- GLU activitiese0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of corn was significantly elevated by nearly 18%, corn yield correlated with GLU activities, and soil test phosphorous (P) levels were reduced by over 50% using the MFSyst approach”
Claim · model-written summary
MFSyst reduced soil test phosphorus by over 50%.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Treatment
- MFSyst approache0
- Outcome
- soil test phosphorous (P) levelse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- over 50%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of corn was significantly elevated by nearly 18%, corn yield correlated with GLU activities, and soil test phosphorous (P) levels were reduced by over 50% using the MFSyst approach”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.