Interrelationships of Soil Properties in Organic Farming Systems.
Poster Number 917
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Tampa Convention Center, East Hall, Third Floor
Charles S. Wortmann1, Elizabeth A. Sarno2, Charles A. Shapiro2, Krystalin Stevens3, Rhae A. Drijber4 and Elizabeth Sue Jeske5, (1)Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Lincoln, NE (2)University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Concord, NE (3)Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (4)Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE (5)Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
A baseline of soil properties was established and their interrelationships determined for organic farms in Nebraska. Samples were collected at 180 geo-referenced points across 16 farms for the 0-7.5 and 7-5-15 cm depths. Field history and management were recorded for each point. Soil analysis included soil organic matter, pH, P, K, Zn, EC, soil texture, FAME analysis (biomass of bacteria, fungi, mycorrhizae and actinomycetes), and CN ratio. Also, dry aggregate size distribution, wet aggregate stability, and particulate SOM were determined for the 0-7.5 cm depth. Data were analyzed using regression and multivariate analysis. Samples were archived for DNA analysis of microbial communities. Sites are to be resampled after 10 years to assess changes in soil properties.
