Abstract
Long-term Tillage and Nitrogen Fertilization Effects on Soil Properties and Crop Yields
Highlights
The impact of agricultural intensification due to the need of food on soil degradation now is occurring in tropical countries where the resources are scarce, fragile, and stressed by a harsh climate
In Indonesia conservation tillage (CT) that includes minimum tillage (MT) and no-tillage (NT) of corn and soybean are increasingly adopted by farmers because of lower production costs compared to intensive tillage (Utomo 2004)
The soil surfaces were continuously not tilled for 24 years, but the bulk density and soil porosity of conservation tillage (CT) at 0-10 cm depth were still no different from intensive tillage (IT)
Summary
The impact of agricultural intensification due to the need of food on soil degradation now is occurring in tropical countries where the resources are scarce, fragile, and stressed by a harsh climate. Plant residues from previous crop season which are used as mulch is important in CT practices. This is because its effective ness in reducing soil erosion, and in converting the substrate to microbial biomass carbon (Wright and Hons 2004; Smith and Collins 2007; Utomo et al 2010), and in increasing soil organic carbon that has influence on soil physical, chemical and biological properties especially in surface horizon (Stockfisch et al 1999; Fernandez et al 2007; Thomas et al 2007; Brady and Weil, 2008; Quintero 2009; Utomo et al 2012). In long-term period, shifting from intensive tillage (IT) to conservation tillage (CT), can promote better soil property
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