Abstract
Soil arthropods play an important role in nutrient cycling and maintenance of soil structure, and their abundance and diversity provide an indication of the biological quality of soil. Land application of livestock manure provides crop nutrients and may also impact the soil arthropod community. This study was conducted to quantify soil arthropod abundance and diversity for a period of one year following swine manure application via broadcast or injection. Arthropods were extracted from plot soil samples using Berlese funnels, identified and counted, and the QBS index (Qualita Biologica del Suolo) was calculated for each soil sample. Collembola (Hypogastruridae and Isotomidae) populations were greater (p < 0.05) in the broadcast plots than the injection or control plots. Pseudoscorpiones were more abundant (p < 0.05) in the injection treatment compared to the broadcast and control treatments. Acari populations and the QBS index were not significantly impacted by manure application.
Highlights
Agricultural soil health is a complex concept lacking a simple, direct method of measurement, making it difficult to quantify or categorize
This study focused on assessing the impact of swine slurry application method and time following slurry application on soil chemical properties and arthropod abundance and diversity for a period of one year
Since soil was collected between the injection slots, it is likely that slurry had not been placed at the sampling location
Summary
Agricultural soil health is a complex concept lacking a simple, direct method of measurement, making it difficult to quantify or categorize. Mites (Acari) and springtails (Collembola) are two of the most abundant and diverse commonly represented soil arthropod orders and are ubiquitous in most agroecosystems [6] [7] [8]. These and other soil arthropods serve as links in the middle of the food chain, acting as both predators and prey [8] [9] with some species contributing to organic matter decomposition and cycling of nutrients, improvement of soil structure, and growth of plants [2] [10] [11] [12] [13]. Monitoring changes in abundance and diversity of arthropods may reveal valuable information about the ecological health of soil in response to external stimuli
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