| dc.description.abstract | This study sought to investigate the impact of organic management and cover crop use, selection, and seeding rate on biological parameters of soil health after one year of transitioning to organic management in a semi-arid region. Protecting soil health is an essential task for modern agriculture, and it is largely controlled by microbial communities which decompose plant residues and cycle nutrients.
Only a limited amount of arable land exists to support human populations, but much of this is already subject to degradation through intensive agriculture. In recent years, consumer awareness relating to sustainability has led to an elevated demand for organic products. Farmers looking to pursue organic management are required by the USDA to undergo a three-year transition period before they can sell their products as certified organic. One practice which is encouraged in organic management is cover cropping, which is typically used to limit wind erosion. This practice also benefits soil health through stimulating microbial activity and encouraging both nutrient cycling and organic matter buildup.
Because organic management is associated with depressed yields – particularly during the transitional years - studies should focus on management practices that are best related to rapid improvements in soil health, such as cover crop selection.
This study focused on indicators of soil biological activity under a cotton-peanut rotation in West Texas during the first year of transition to organic management. Results from this research indicated that the selected cover crop seeding rates appeared to have little influence on microbial activity under plots transitioning to organic management. However, there were indications of elevated microbial activity under cover cropped treatments as compared to fallow after only one cover crop rotation, and both mineralizable carbon (CMIN) and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) enzyme activities were elevated under rye/vetch treatments as compared to rye alone at limited points in the season. | en |
