Abstract
Core Ideas Haney N and P tests were correlated with conventional soil NO3–N and Mehlich III P. Corn and soybean yields were generally not correlated with soil health indicators. Haney and conventional soil test methods had similar laboratory precision as determined by sensitivity ratio analysis. Haney Soil Health Tests generated additional information, particularly about organic C and N fractions, that is not available from conventional chemical soil tests. The Haney Soil Health Tool is a suite of tests integrating chemical and biological factors to provide a sophisticated analysis of soil nutrient availability. This research was conducted to determine if Haney tests (including H3A and water extracts, Solvita 24‐h CO2 evolution, and Soil Health Calculation [SHC]) can add value to conventional chemical soil testing methods and increase knowledge of the effects of tillage systems, crop rotation, and N rate on soil health and corn grain yield. We studied rainfed continuous corn (Zea mays L.) and corn following soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] under three tillage systems and three N rates in a long‐term field experiment in northeast Nebraska. The H3A ammonium, H3A inorganic N, and water‐extractable total N tests detected more differences (significant F tests for main effects and interactions involving all treatments) than conventional NO3–N analysis (which detected the interaction of rotation × N rate). Water‐extractable organic C detected more differences than LOI. There was a three‐way interaction of tillage × rotation × N rate for Solvita and SHC; high N and intensive tillage mostly corresponded to low Solvita and SHC values. We did not expect the treatments to affect P or K directly, but the tillage × rotation interaction was significant for Mehlich III P, tillage for H3A organic P, and N rate for H3A inorganic and total P. Correlation analysis confirmed linear relationships between many Haney and conventional soil tests, and we concluded via sensitivity ratio calculations that the tests offered similar precision.
Highlights
Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification Dep. of Agronomy Kansas State Univ. 1603 Old Claflin Pl
We studied rainfed continuous corn (Zea mays L.) and corn following soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] under three tillage systems and three N rates in a long-term field experiment in northeast Nebraska
There were consistent rotation (CS > continuous corn (CC)) and N rate effects on grain yield, while tillage effects were more variable with significant yield differences in 3 yr of the 10-yr period (2004–2013; data not shown)
Summary
Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification Dep. of Agronomy Kansas State Univ. 1603 Old Claflin Pl. Haney and conventional soil test methods had similar laboratory precision as determined by sensitivity ratio analysis. This research was conducted to determine if Haney tests (including H3A and water extracts, Solvita 24-h CO2 evolution, and Soil Health Calculation [SHC]) can add value to conventional chemical soil testing methods and increase knowledge of the effects of tillage systems, crop rotation, and N rate on soil health and corn grain yield. The H3A ammonium, H3A inorganic N, and water-extractable total N tests detected more differences (significant F tests for main effects and interactions involving all treatments) than conventional NO3–N analysis (which detected the interaction of rotation × N rate). Conventional chemical soil testing methods have changed little in recent decades, and while they are the first step in assessing a soil’s ability to supply nutrients to a crop, they were not designed to measure biological processes. A soil assessment that can improve our ability to predict crop growth and inform supplemental management would be a welcome development
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