The lower Fraser Valley is one of the most intensively cropped regions in Canada. Yet, how soil health indicators respond to long-term intensive agricultural management is poorly documented in this region. Thus, we evaluated a suite of soil health indicators in response to 21 growing seasons of continuous silage corn (Zea mays L.) under conventional tillage or no-tillage (0–20 cm soil layer). Wet aggregate stability, available water capacity, active carbon (permanganate oxidizable, POXC), and extractable potassium and extractable magnesium were significantly greater with no-till than conventional tillage, whereas 8 of 13 indicators were similar. Soil health indicators responded more favourably to no-till than conventional tillage.
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19 February 2019
Soil health indicators after 21 yr of no-tillage in south coastal British Columbia
Ben W. Thomas,
Derek Hunt,
Shabtai Bittman,
Kirsten D. Hannam,
Aimé J. Messiga,
Dennis Haak,
Mehdi Sharifi,
Xiying Hao
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Canadian Journal of Soil Science
Vol. 99 • No. 2
June 2019
Vol. 99 • No. 2
June 2019
active carbon
available water capacity
POXC
soil quality
wet aggregate stability