Influence of cropping system and soil type on soil health

Abstract

There has been a continued adaption and application of soil health tests across all regions of the globe; however, there are challenges related to the interpretation of the results of soil health tests developed in one region but applied elsewhere. To determine the factors that are the most important for interpreting soil health tests in Nova Scotia, a soil health database was constructed using soil samples from diverse cropping systems and soil orders in the region. The Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health, developed at Cornell University in New York, was adapted and combined with other soil health measures. Principal component analysis (PCA), analysis of variance, and a correlation analysis were applied to the dataset to determine if management (i.e., cropping system) or pedogenesis (i.e., soil order) was more important as a driver of soil health test results. It was determined that cropping systems explained more variance in the dataset than soil order. Although total carbon explained the most variation in the PCA, it was highly correlated to other measures of carbon such as permanganate oxidizable carbon and respiration that may be more responsive to management changes. In addition, autoclaved-citrate extractable protein, a test for nitrogen mineralization, was more related to measures of soil carbon than other measures of soil nitrogen availability. The findings of this study provide a foundation for interpreting soil health testing results for this region and will help indicate which cropping systems and soil management practices have the greatest potential for improving soil health.