Abstract
Ecological nutrient management is a strategy that can help create resilient cropping systems and reduce the negative impact that agricultural systems have on the environment. Ecological nutrient management enhances plant-soil-microbial interactions and optimizes crop production while providing key ecosystem services. Incorporating perennial legumes into crop rotations and implementing no-till to enhance organic nitrogen (N) soil pools could reduce the need for inorganic N fertilizer inputs and lead to improved soil health. Plant and soil N pools need to be further quantified to understand how to enhance soil health across a range of agroecosystems. This paper aims to quantify plant and soil N pools in systems contrasting in crop perenniality (corn–corn, corn–soy, and corn–forage–forage) and tillage intensity (chisel till vs. no-till). Key plant, soil, and organismal metrics of N cycling were measured including fine root production, N-Acetyl-B-Gulcosaminidase (NAG) enzyme activity, and soil protein, nematode enrichment opportunist (fungal and bacterial feeding nematodes) and the nematode Enrichment Index. Fine root production was determined using in-growth mesh cores. Findings reveal that monoculture cropping systems with reduced tillage intensity and rotations with perennial legumes had significantly greater fine root N (FRN), soil protein and NAG enzyme activity (p < 0.05) relative to corn-soy. Additionally, nematode bacterivore enrichment opportunists (b1) were significantly reduced in corn-corn systems when compared to all other crop rotation systems. Correlation analyses indicated positive and significant relationships between FRN and soil protein (p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that lengthening crop rotations with perennial legumes and incorporating no-till management can increase organic N inputs, N mineralization rates, and organic N storage. Such ecological approaches to management have the potential to reduce the need for inorganic N inputs, while increasing long-term soil health and crop productivity.
Highlights
The conventional approach to nutrient management is to apply inorganic sources of nitrogen fertilizer to ensure rapid crop nutrient uptake that maximizes crop yields
We found a positive relationships between fine root N (FRN) and soil protein, which indicates that FRN and soil protein may have a cyclical relationship in which the enhancement of both belowground plant and soil N pools can increase crop productivity
Ecological nutrient management strategies including the incorporation of perennial legumes into crop rotations and reduced tillage intensity present a solution for creating resilient agroecosystems because of their ability to enhance key rhizosphere processes
Summary
The conventional approach to nutrient management is to apply inorganic sources of nitrogen fertilizer to ensure rapid crop nutrient uptake that maximizes crop yields. Ecological nutrient management practices aim to optimize crop productivity while simultaneously enhancing soil fertility and long-term ecosystem sustainability (Drinkwater and Snapp, 2007a). Ecological nutrient management provides a framework toward enhancing food production and increasing resilience, which is sorely needed due to accelerated population growth and climate change. Ecological nutrient management could serve as a sustainable solution to food production around the world and serve as an effective way to reach the United Nations Sustainability Goal 2.4, which seeks to ensure sustainable food production and resilient agricultural practices that enhance crop production and help to maintain ecosystems that strengthen the capacity for climate adaptation and improved soil quality (UN Sustainable Development Goals, 2020)
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