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Title: SHORT AND LONG TERM EFFECTS OF CONSERVATION TILLAGE ON SOIL RESISTANCE AND AGGREGATE STABILITY IN RICE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS.

Author
item ANDERS, M - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item SCHMID, B - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item Olk, Daniel - Dan

Submitted to: Southern Conservation Tillage Systems Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/29/2005
Publication Date: 6/29/2005
Citation: Anders, M.M., Schmid, B., Olk, D.C. 2005. Short and long term effects of conservation tillage on soil resistance and aggregate stability in rice production systems. Proceedings of the 27th Annual Southern Conservation Tillage Systems Conference. p. 102-110.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Rice production is traditionally tillage-intensive and has seen little adoption of conservation tillage practices. This situation has occurred during a time when soil organic matter and structure have been declining in quantity and quality in rice production areas. Water management, tradition, land tenure, crop subsidies, and soils that are unresponsive to conservation tillage are some of the reasons given for low adoption of conservation tillage. In order to determine whether soil aggregate stability and resistance were improved by conservation tillage in rice-based rotations, a series of measurements were taken from on-station tillage studies and an on-farm site where conservation tillage had been practiced on specific fields from 2 to 41 years. Results indicated that the percentage of water-stable aggregates increased with the adoption of conservation tillage through 41 years. Changes in soil resistance were dependent on soil type, type of rotated crop, and duration (in years) of conservation tillage. Rotated soybeans were effective in reducing soil resistance in no-till plots, while rotated corn increased soil resistance. Continuous rice cropping reduced soil resistance in fields no-tilled up to 41 years, when measurements were stopped. Aggregate stability and soil resistance were sensitive to tillage and were found to be good indicators of soil health.