Life Sciences Commons^™

Changes In Soil Microbiology Under Conventional And No-Till Production During Crop Rotation, C. J. Hsiao, G. F. Sassenrath, L. Zeglin, G. Hettiarachchi, C. Rice

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Soil microbial activity is important for crop production. Soil microbes are involved in nutrient and water cycling within the soil, and interact with crop plants to provide the basic nutrient and water resources needed for crop production. Claypan soils have unique physical characteristics that impact soil biology. This study explored the tempo­ral changes in soil microbiology in a claypan soil under conventional and no-till produc­tion during a crop rotation of corn/winter wheat/soybean/fallow commonly planted in southeast Kansas. We found soil microbial activity changed more in the top two inches of soil than in the lower soil layers. Wheat resulted in …