Author
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Wright, Sara |
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Submitted to: No Tillage National Congress in Argentina
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 8/18/1998 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Aggregate stability is an important indicator of soil health for most of the dry-land or irrigated agricultural areas of the world. Aggregates form because primary particles adhere to each other more strongly than to surrounding soil particles. Before land is put into production, aggregates are a predominant and obvious indicator of soil quality. Afer land has been farmed for several years, aggregates are generally much less numerous and less stable. Soil erosion and crusting indicate that soil quality has declined. Adhesive substances that are involved in formation and stabilization of aggregates are produced by soil microorganisms. A recent discovery indicates that a ubiquitous group of soil fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, produce large amounts of an unusual glue-like protein, glomalin. The amount of glomalin in aggregates is directly related to aggregate stability. Tillage disrupts the network of filamentous hair-like parts of the fungus. No-till management of crops allows glomalin to be produced in greater amounts than in tilled soils. Because glomalin is resistant to decay and is composed partly of carbon and nitrogen, there is an added benefit to no-till farming - helping to abate global climate change by sequestering C. |
