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Cited by 45Soil Management and Crop YieldSoil erosion and sediment transportSoil and Unsaturated Flow

Cropping system influences on soil physical properties in the Great Plains

Pikul, J.L., Schwartz, R.C., Benjamin, J.G., Baumhardt, R.L., Merrill, S.·2006·Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems
DOI 10.1079/raf2005122
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Abstract

Abstract Agricultural systems produce both detrimental and beneficial effects on soil quality (SQ). We compared soil physical properties of long-term conventional (CON) and alternative (ALT) cropping systems near Akron, Colorado (CO); Brookings, South Dakota (SD); Bushland, Texas (TX); Fargo, North Dakota (ND); Mandan (ND); Mead, Nebraska (NE); Sidney, Montana (MT); and Swift Current, Saskatchewan (SK), Canada. Objectives were to quantify the changes in soil physical attributes in cropping systems and assess the potential of individual soil attributes as sensitive indicators of change in SQ. Soil samples were collected three times per year from each treatment at each site for one rotation cycle (4 years at Brookings and Mead). Water infiltration rates were measured. Soil bulk density (BD) and gravimetric water were measured at 0–7.5, 7.5–15, and 15–30 cm depth increments and water-filled pore space ratio (WFPS) was calculated. At six locations, a rotary sieve was used to separate soil (top 5 cm) into six aggregate size groups and calculate mean weight diameter (MWD) of dry aggregates. Under the CON system at Brookings, dry aggregates (>19 mm) abraded into the smallest size class (<0.4 mm) on sieving. In contrast, the large aggregates from the ALT system abraded into size classes between 2 and 6 mm. Dry aggregate size distribution (DASD) shows promise as an indicator of SQ related to susceptibility of soil to wind erosion. Aggregates from CON were least stable in water. Soil C was greater under ALT than CON for both Brookings and Mead. At other locations, MWD of aggregates under continuous crop or no tillage (ALT systems) was greater than MWD under CON. There was no crop system effect on water infiltration rates for locations having the same tillage within cropping system. Tillage resulted in increased, decreased, or unchanged near-surface BD. Because there was significant temporal variation in water infiltration, MWD, and BD, conclusions based on a single point-in-time observation should be avoided. Elevated WFPS at Fargo, Brookings, and Mead may have resulted in anaerobic soil conditions during a portion of the year. Repeated measurements of WFPS or DASD revealed important temporal characteristics of SQ that could be used to judge soil condition as affected by management.

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  • Near-surface SBD at the Nebraska locations would be expected to increase with subsequent reconsolidation.

    “Near-surface SBD at the Nebraska locations would be expected to increase with subsequent reconsolidation (Pikul et al., 2006).”

    From Field-scale soil property changes under switchgrass managed for bioenergy (2011) · cites this paper as Pikul et al., 2006

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Authors
Pikul, J. L., Schwartz, R. C., Benjamin, J. G., Baumhardt, R. L., & Merrill, S.
Affiliations
Agricultural Research Service (US)
Corresponding author
Pikul, J.L.
ORCID
Venue
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
2006-03
Volume
21
Issue
1
Pages
15-25
ISSN
  • 0889-1893 (ISSN-L)
  • 1742-1705
  • 1742-1713
DOI
10.1079/raf2005122
OpenAlex
W2167939634
Cited by
45
References
46
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 4
FWCI
3.90
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified, 348 d)
Locations
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Management and Crop Yield
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil erosion and sediment transport
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Civil and Structural Engineering › Soil and Unsaturated Flow
Keywords
cropping systems, soil physical properties, soil quality, conventional farming, no-tillage, water infiltration, soil bulk density, water-filled pore space, soil aggregate stability, mean weight diameter, wind erosion, soil organic carbon, anaerobic soil conditions, Great Plains, long-term field experiment

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