Abstract
Maize ( Zea mays L. ) is the most common arable crop on sandy soils in the Netherlands, and it is often grown for several consecutive years after temporary grassland. For the maize-growing years, reduced tillage intensity and prolonged growing period of cover crops could limit declines in soil organic matter (SOM) and soil biota while maintaining soil structure and maize yield. We measured soil parameters and maize yield in an eight-years field experiment on sandy Gleyic Podzol. Treatments included four cropping systems differing in tillage intensity but with conventional sowing dates (conventional inversion tillage (CT), non-inversion tillage (NIT), strip tillage (ST) and no-till (NT)), and two cropping systems (CT-prolonged and ST-prolonged) with prolonged growing period of a winter rye-winter pea cover crop combined with a late sown short-season maize (18 weeks growth). After eight years, we found no evidence for differences in SOM or total carbon content between the treatments. However, in the reduced-tillage treatments, SOM content was higher in the top (0–15 cm) than in the bottom (15–30 cm) of the plough layer, while in CT and CT-prolonged, this stratification was inverted. We observed differences in earthworm abundance, biomass and functional group distribution. In comparison to CT (100 %), the earthworm abundance was 153 % in NIT, 235 % in ST and 206 % in NT whereas earthworm biomass was 269 % in NIT, 325 % in ST and 475 % in NT. Epigeic earthworms were more affected by tillage than endogeic earthworms. Compared to CT, earthworm biomass was higher in CT-prolonged. The initially low earthworm population recovered during the course of the experiment independent of tillage intensity. Higher soil penetration resistance was observed in the reduced tillage systems compared to CT, independent of prolonging the cover crop. Despite the increased penetration resistance, the maize yields in NIT and ST were similar to CT. The maize yields were lower in NT, CT-prolonged and ST-prolonged compared to CT, but no differences were observed between CT-prolonged and ST-prolonged. The biomass of the harvested prolonged cover crop closed the yield gap in relation to CT in four out of six years in which cover crop biomass in CT-prolonged and ST-prolonged was quantified. Based on our results, we recommend strip tillage for continuous maize-cropping systems on Dutch sandy soils. In the case of severe compacting of compaction prone soils, we recommend conventional tillage with a prolonged cover crop and short-season maize variety. • Conventional and reduced tillage with two cover crop strategies in long term field experiment. • No changes in SOM in tillage layer (0–30 cm), but different stratification with reduced versus conventional tillage. • Earthworm abundance and biomass increased with decreasing tillage intensity. • Earthworm abundance was higher with prolonged cover cropping in combination with short-season maize. • Reducing tillage maintained the yield level of conventional tillage, but no-till reduced it by 19 %.
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Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
Soil organic matter and total carbon did not differ between treatments after eight years.
- Treatment
- treatmentse0
- Outcome
- SOM or total carbon contente0
- Direction
- no evidence for differencese0
- Comparator
- between the treatmentse0
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“After eight years, we found no evidence for differences in SOM or total carbon content between the treatments”
e1“Maize ( Zea mays L. )”
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced tillage left more SOM in the top than bottom plough layer, opposite to conventional tillage.
- Treatment
- reduced-tillage treatmentse0
- Outcome
- SOM contente0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- top (0–15 cm) than in the bottom (15–30 cm)e0
- Comparator
- CT and CT-prolongede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in the reduced-tillage treatments, SOM content was higher in the top (0–15 cm) than in the bottom (15–30 cm) of the plough layer, while in CT and CT-prolonged, this stratification was inverted”
e1“Maize ( Zea mays L. )”
Claim · model-written summary
Earthworm abundance in NIT was 153% of CT.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In comparison to CT (100 %), the earthworm abundance was 153 % in NIT”
e1“Maize ( Zea mays L. )”
Claim · model-written summary
Earthworm abundance in ST was 235% of CT.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“earthworm abundance was 153 % in NIT, 235 % in ST”
e1“In comparison to CT (100 %)”
e2“Maize ( Zea mays L. )”
Claim · model-written summary
Earthworm abundance in NT was 206% of CT.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“earthworm abundance was 153 % in NIT, 235 % in ST and 206 % in NT”
e1“In comparison to CT (100 %)”
e2“Maize ( Zea mays L. )”
Claim · model-written summary
Earthworm biomass in NIT was 269% of CT.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“earthworm biomass was 269 % in NIT”
e1“In comparison to CT (100 %)”
e2“Maize ( Zea mays L. )”
Claim · model-written summary
Earthworm biomass in ST was 325% of CT.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“earthworm biomass was 269 % in NIT, 325 % in ST”
e1“In comparison to CT (100 %)”
e2“Maize ( Zea mays L. )”
Claim · model-written summary
Earthworm biomass in NT was 475% of CT.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“earthworm biomass was 269 % in NIT, 325 % in ST and 475 % in NT”
e1“In comparison to CT (100 %)”
e2“Maize ( Zea mays L. )”
Claim · model-written summary
Epigeic earthworms were more affected by tillage than endogeic earthworms.
- Treatment
- tillagee0
- Outcome
- Epigeic earthwormse0
- Direction
- more affectede0
- Comparator
- endogeic earthwormse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Epigeic earthworms were more affected by tillage than endogeic earthworms”
e1“Maize ( Zea mays L. )”
Claim · model-written summary
Earthworm biomass was higher with CT-prolonged than CT.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compared to CT, earthworm biomass was higher in CT-prolonged”
e1“Maize ( Zea mays L. )”
Claim · model-written summary
Earthworm populations recovered over time regardless of tillage intensity.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The initially low earthworm population recovered during the course of the experiment independent of tillage intensity”
e1“Maize ( Zea mays L. )”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil penetration resistance was higher under reduced tillage than CT.
- Treatment
- reduced tillage systemse0
- Outcome
- soil penetration resistancee0
- Direction
- Highere0
- Comparator
- CTe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Higher soil penetration resistance was observed in the reduced tillage systems compared to CT, independent of prolonging the cover crop”
e1“Maize ( Zea mays L. )”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize yields under NIT and ST were similar to CT.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize yields in NIT and ST were similar to CT”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize yield under NT was lower than CT, by 19%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize yields were lower in NT, CT-prolonged and ST-prolonged compared to CT”
e1“no-till reduced it by 19 %”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize yield under CT-prolonged was lower than CT.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize yields were lower in NT, CT-prolonged and ST-prolonged compared to CT”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize yield under ST-prolonged was lower than CT.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize yields were lower in NT, CT-prolonged and ST-prolonged compared to CT”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize yields did not differ between CT-prolonged and ST-prolonged.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“no differences were observed between CT-prolonged and ST-prolonged”
e1“The maize yields were lower”
Claim · model-written summary
Harvested prolonged cover crop biomass closed the yield gap with CT in four of six years.
- Treatment
- harvested prolonged cover crope0
- Outcome
- yield gape0
- Direction
- closede0
- Value
- four out of six yearse0
- Comparator
- CTe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The biomass of the harvested prolonged cover crop closed the yield gap in relation to CT in four out of six years”
e1“Maize ( Zea mays L. )”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend strip tillage for continuous maize cropping on Dutch sandy soils.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“we recommend strip tillage for continuous maize-cropping systems on Dutch sandy soils”
Claim · model-written summary
For severe compaction, the authors recommend conventional tillage with a prolonged cover crop and short-season maize.
- Outcome
- conventional tillage with a prolonged cover crop and short-season maize varietye0
- Qualifier
- severe compacting of compaction prone soilse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the case of severe compacting of compaction prone soils, we recommend conventional tillage with a prolonged cover crop and short-season maize variety”
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