IMPLICATIONS OF COVER CROPS FOR SOIL QUALITY AND GEODIVERSITY IN A HUMID‐TEMPERATE REGION IN THE MIDWESTERN USA

摘要: Winter cover cropping plays an important role in conservation farming. In the Midwest region of USA, strips planted with Austrian winter peas [AWP (Pisum sativum L.)], radishes [RAD (Raphanus sativus and a mixed both cultivars (MIX) were compared during spring season to determine their impact on soil quality at 0–5 5–10 cm depths. The treatments RAD, AWP, MIX had highest, intermediate, lowest bulk density impacts (1·67, 1·52, 1·50 Mg m−3, respectively). An opposite trend was observed for concentrations organic carbon (15·9, 17·6, 19·4 g kg−1, respectively) total nitrogen (1·5, 1·7, 2·8 g kg−1, respectively), calcium exchange capacity (8·6, 9·5, 11·4 cmol+c kg−1, earthworm (85, 221 226 per m2 x 0·15 m, MIX, RAD resulted water stable aggregates (91·6, 87·4, 79·9 cent, mean weight diameter (3·4, 2·7, 2·1 mm, saturated hydraulic conductivity (15·7, 13·0, 6·3 cm h−1, intrinsic permeability (1·69, 1·37, 0·70 cm2 10−10, AWP similar C:N ratio (10·5), which larger than associated (7·2). Overall, positive did, greater depth. This indicates suitability various crops improving restoring geodiversity. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.