Conservation Tillage and Compost Treatments Affect On Soil Quality and Organic Vegetable Yield.

Conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT) using a spading implement, and no-tillage (NT) treatments in compost treated organic vegetable plots were evaluated. Green bean, corn, beet, tomato and cover crop yield and biomass were determined.  Soil quality parameters were evaluated including bulk density, water infiltration, earthworms, soil respiration, organic nitrogen and carbon, and phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, pH, electrical conductivity, and nitrate.  The Sullivan silty loam soil had an initial pH of 5.7 prior to compost applications in September 2007.  Compost has been applied annually at rates of 0, 8.5, 25.1, and 42.4 Mg/ha on a dry weight basis.  Soil pH has increased with increasing compost rate up to 6.9 at the highest rate. Tillage treatments were incorporated into the 36 raised bed plots in 2008.  Soil quality and yield data from 2009 and 2010 will be presented.  No-till plots had decreased germination compared to CT and MT in 2009 but did not have decreased yield.  Second year results will be presented for the tillage treatments and third year results for the compost treatments.