Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluation of commercial soil health tests using a medium-term cover crop experiment in a humid, temperate climate

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
Plant and Soil Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background and aims

Various tests have been developed for quantifying soil health, such as Haney soil health test (HSHT), Solvita, and Solvita labile amino N (SLAN). Although commercially available, their applicability in temperate agroecosystems are largely unknown. Therefore, these tests were evaluated using a medium-term cover crop (CC) experiment established in 2007 (repeated 2008).

Methods

Treatments of four different summer-planted CCs and a no CC control (no-CC), with a split-plot of cereal straw removal were used to assess soil health treatment differences and correlations with crop yield, soil organic C (SOC), and 2 day cumulative C mineralization (Cmin2d).

Results

Average crop yield with CC was 7.9 to 22% greater than no-CC depending on the year. Similarly, compared to no-CC, plots with CC had 8.4 to 9.3% greater average SOC concentrations and 5.6 to 6.5% greater Cmin2d, suggesting the suitability of this trial to evaluate soil health tests. Inconsistencies between years with HSHT, Solvita and SLAN in (i) detecting CC treatment differences and (ii) correlations with crop yield or soil indicators (SOC, Cmin2d) suggests limited the applicability of these soil health tests.

Conclusions

This research furthers our understanding of CC systems on soil quality, C storage and by extension agroecosystem sustainability.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

CC:

Cover crop

HSHT:

Haney soil health test

no-CC:

No cover crop control

OSR:

Oilseed radish

OSR&Rye:

Mixture of oilseed radish and winter cereal rye

Cmin2d :

Cumulative 2 day soil C mineralization

SOC:

Soil organic C

SLAN:

Solvita labile amino N

+S:

Straw retained

-S:

Straw removed

WEOC:

Water extractable organic C

WEON:

Water extractable organic N

References

  • Arcand MM, Helgason BL, Lemke RL (2016) Microbial crop residue decomposition dynamics in organic and conventionally managed soils. Appl Soil Ecol 107:347–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arias M, Gonzalez-Perez J, Gonzalez-Vila F, Ball A (2005) Soil health, a new challenge for microbiologists and chemists. Int Microbiol 8:13–21

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bai SH, Blumfield TJ, Xu ZH, Chen CR, Wild C (2012) Soil organic matter dynamics and nitrogen availability in response to site preparation and management during revegetation in tropical Central Queensland, Australia. J Soils Sediments 12:386–395

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bajgai Y, Kristiansen P, Hulugalle N, McHenry M, McCorkell B (2015) Soil organic carbon and microbial biomass carbon under organic and conventional vegetable cropping systems in an Alfisol and a Vertisol. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 101:1–15

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Belfry KD, Trueman C, Vyn RJ, Loewen SA, Van Eerd LL (2017) Winter cover crops on processing tomato yield, quality, pest pressure, nitrogen availability, and profit margins. PLoS ONE 12:e0180500

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blanco-Canqui H, Claassen MM, Presley DR (2012) Summer cover crops fix nitrogen, increase crop yield, and improve soil–crop relationships. Agron J 104:137–147

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blanco-Canqui H, Holman JD, Schlegel AJ, Tatarko J, Shaver T (2013) Replacing fallow with cover crops in a semiarid soil: Effects on soil properties. Soil Sci Soc Am J 77:1026–1034

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blanco-Canqui H, Lal R (2009) Crop residue removal impacts on soil productivity and environmental quality. Crit Rev Plant Sci 28:139–163

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blanco-Canqui H, Shaver TM, Lindquist JL, Shapiro CA, Elmore RW, Francis CA, Hergert GW (2015) Cover crops and ecosystem services: Insights from studies in temperate soils. Agron J 107:2449–2474

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blanco-Canqui H, Stalker AL, Rasby R, Shaver TM, Drewnoski ME, van Donk SJ, Kibet L (2016) Does cattle grazing and baling of corn residue increase water erosion? Soil Sci Soc Am J 80:168–177

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bowley SR (2015) A hitchhiker’s guide to statistics in biology. Generalized Linear Mixed Model Edition. Plants et al., Kincardine ON. ISBN 978–0–9685500-4-5

  • Brinton W (2016) Official instructions for Solvita SLAN (Solvita Labile Amino Nitrogen – lab method). Version 2016/S. Mt. Vernon, ME: Woods End Laboratories Inc. pg 3

  • Burford JR, Bremner JM (1975) Relationships between the denitrification capacities of soils and total, water-soluble and readily decomposable soil organic matter. Soil Biol Biochem 7:389–394

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Campiglia E, Caporali F, Radicetti E, Mancinelli R (2010) Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) cover crop residue management for improving weed control and yield in no-tillage tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) production. Eur J Agron 33:94–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carrera LM, Buyer JS, Vinyard B, Abdul-Baki AA, Sikora LJ, Teasdale JR (2007) Effects of cover crops, compost, and manure amendments on soil microbial community structure in tomato production systems. Appl Soil Ecol 37:247–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carter MR, Gregorich EG (2008) Measuring change in soil organic carbon storage. In: Carter MR, Gregorich EG (eds) Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 25–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Congreves KA, Hooker DC, Hayes A, Verhallen EA, Van Eerd LL (2017) Interaction of long-term nitrogen fertilizer application, crop rotation, and tillage system on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. Plant Soil 410:113–127

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Congreves KA, Voroney RP, O’Halloran IP, Van Eerd LL (2013) Broccoli residue-derived nitrogen immobilization following amendments of organic carbon: an incubation study. Can J Soil Sci 93:23–31

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Curtin D, Wright CE, Beare MH, McCallum FM (2006) Hot water extractable nitrogen as an indicator of soil nitrogen availability. Soil Sci Soc Am J 70:1512–1521

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Federer W, King F (2007) Variations on split plot and split block experiment designs. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, New York, p 219

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fine AK, van Es HM, Schindelbeck RR (2017) Statistics, scoring functions, and regional analysis of a comprehensive soil health database. Soil Sci Soc Am J 81:589–601

  • Gaudin ACM, Janovicek K, Deen B, Hooker DC (2015) Wheat improves nitrogen use efficiency of maize and soybean-based cropping systems. Agric Ecosyst Environ 210:1–10

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gilley JE, Finkner SC, Spomer RG, Mielke LN (1986) Runoff and erosion as affected by corn residue: Part I. Total losses. Trans ASAE 29:157–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grebliunas BD, Armstrong SD, Perry WL (2015) Changes in water-extractable organic carbon with cover crop planting under continuous corn silage production. Air Soil Water Res 9:45–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Haney RL, Haney EB (2010) Simple and rapid laboratory method for rewetting dry soil for incubations. Comm. Soil Plant Anal 41:1493–1501

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haney RL, Brinton WF, Evans E (2008) Soil CO2 respiration: Comparison of chemical titration, CO2 IRGA analysis and the Solvita Gel System. Renew Agric Food Syst 23:171–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haney RL, Franzluebbers AJ, Hons FM, Zuberer DA (2004) Soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization: Influence of drying temperature. Soil Sci Soc Am J 68:489–492

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haney RL, Franzluebbers AJ, Jin V, Johnson MV, Haney EB, White MV, Harmel RD (2012) Soil organic C:N vs.water-extractable organic C:N. Open J Soil Sci 2:269–274

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harmel RD, Haney RL (2013) Initial field evaluation of the agro-economic effects of determining nitrogen fertilizer rates with a recently-developed soil test methodology. Open J Soil Sci 3:91–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Higashi TM, Yunghui M, Komatsuzaki S, Miura T, Hirata H, Araki H, Kaneko N, Ohta H (2014) Tillage and cover crop species affect soil organic carbon in Andosol, Kanto, Japan. Soil Tillage Res 138:64–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Idowu OJ, Van Es HM, Abawi GS, Wolfe DW, Schindelbeck RR, Moebius-Clune BN, Gugino BK (2009) Use of an integrative soil health test for evaluation of soil management impacts. Renew Agric Food Syst 24:214–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen LS, Mueller T, Magid J, Nielsen NE (1997) Temporal variation of C and N mineralization, microbial biomass and extractable organic pools in soil after oilseed rape straw incorporation in the field. Soil Biol Biochem 29:1043–1055

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karlen DL, Andrews SS, Wienhold BJ, Doran JW (2003) Soil quality: Humankind’s foundation for survival. J Soil Water Conserv 58:171–179

    Google Scholar 

  • Kenney I, Blanco-Canqui H, Presley DR, Rice CW, Janssen K, Olson B (2015) Soil and crop response to stover removal from rain-fed and irrigated corn. GCB Bioenergy 7:219–230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lehman RM, Ducey TF, Jin VL, Acosta-Martinez V, Ahlschwede CM, Jeske ES, Drijber RA, Cantrell KB, Frederick JR, Fink DM, Osborne SL, Novak JM, Johnson JMF, Varvel GE (2014) Soil microbial community response to corn stover harvesting under rain-fed, no-till conditions at multiple US locations. Bioenerg Res 7:540–550

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lenzi A, Antichi D, Bigongiali F, Mazzoncini M, Migliorini P, Tesi R (2009) Effect of different cover crops on organic tomato production. Renew Agric Food Syst 24:92–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mailvaganam S (2017) Tomatoes: Area, Production, Farm Value, Price and Yield, Ontario, 1979–2016. [cited 10 Nov. 2017] http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/stats/hort/tomato.htm

  • Malhi SS, Nyborg M, Goddard T, Puurveen D (2011a) Long-term tillage, straw management, and N fertilization effects on quantity and quality of organic C and N in a Black Chernozem soil. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 90:227–241

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malhi SS, Nyborg M, Goddard T, Puurveen D (2011b) Long-term tillage, straw management, and N fertilization effects on quantity and quality of organic C and N in Gray Luvisol soil. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 90:1–20

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marschner P, Umar S, Baumann K (2011) The microbial community composition changes rapidly in the early stages of decomposition of wheat residue. Soil Biol Biochem 43:445–451

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Merrill SD, Liebig MA, Tanaka DL, Krupinsky JM, Hanson JD (2013) Comparison of soil quality and productivity at two sites differing in profile structure and topsoil properties. Agric Ecosyst Environ 179:53–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell JP, Shrestha A, Mathesius K, Scow KM, Southard RJ, Haney RL, Schmidt R, Munk DS, Horwath WR (2017) Cover cropping and no-tillage improve soil health in an arid irrigated cropping system in California’s San Joaquin Valley, USA. Soil Tillage Res 165:325–335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morrow JG, Huggins DR, Carpenter-Boggs L, Reganold JP (2016) Evaluating measures to assess soil health in long-term agroecosystem trials. Soil Sci Soc Am J 80:450–462

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mueller L, Schindler U, Mirschel W, Shepherd G, Ball BC, Helming K, Rogasik J, Eulenstein F, Wiggering H (2010) Assessing the productivity function of soils: a review. Agron Sustain Dev 30:601–614

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy BW (2015) Impact of soil organic matter on soil properties—a review with emphasis on Australian soils. Soil Res 53:605–635

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy DV, Stockdale EA, Poulton PR, Willison TW, Goulding KWT (2007) Seasonal dynamics of carbon and nitrogen pools and fluxes under continuous arable and ley-arable rotations in a temperate environment. Eur J Soil Sci 58:1410–1424

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • O’Reilly KA, Lauzon JD, Vyn RJ, Van Eerd LL (2012) Nitrogen cycling, profit margins and sweet corn yield under fall cover crop systems. Can J Soil Sci 92:353–365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Reilly KA, Robinson DE, Vyn RJ, Van Eerd LL (2011) Weed populations, sweet corn yield, and economics following fall cover crops. Weed Technol 25:374–384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olson KR, Ebelhar SA, Lang JM (2010) Cover crop effects on crop yields and soil organic carbon content. Soil Sci 175:89–98

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • OPVG Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers (2010) Tomatoes. p.84–110 in Information handbook OPVG, London, ON. 2010

  • Ouellette L, Voroney RP, Van Eerd LL (2016) DRIFT spectroscopy to assess cover crop and corn stover decomposition in lab-incubated soil. Soil Sci Soc Am J 80:284–293

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Poeplau C, Don A (2015) Carbon sequestration in agricultural soils via cultivation of cover crops- A meta-analysis. Agric Ecosyst Environ 200:33–41

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qi Y, Darilek JL, Huang B, Zhao Y, Sun W, Gu Z (2009) Evaluating soil quality indices in an agricultural region of Jiangsu Province, China. Geoderma 149:325–334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raffa WD, Bogdanski A, Tittonell P (2015) How does crop residue removal affect soil organic carbon and yield? A hierarchical analysis of management and environmental factors. Biomass Bioenergy 81:345–355

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roper WR, Osmond DL, Heitman JL, Wagger MG, Reberg-Horton SC (2017) Soil health indicators do not differentiate among agronomic management systems in North Carolina soils. Soil Sc Soc Am J 81:828–843. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2016.12.0400

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruis SJ, Blanco-Canqui H (2017) Cover crops could offset crop residue removal effects on soil carbon and other properties: A review. Agron J 109:1785–1805

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sainju UM, Singh BP, Whitehead WF (1998) Cover crop root distribution and its effects on soil nitrogen cycling. Agron J 90:511–518

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sainju UM, Singh BP, Whitehead WF (2000) Cover crops and nitrogen fertilization effects on soil carbon and nitrogen and tomato yield. Can J Soil Sci 80:523–532

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sainju UM, Singh BP, Whitehead WF (2001) Comparison of the effects of cover crops and nitrogen fertilization on tomato yield, root growth, and soil properties. Sci Hortic 91:201–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sainju UM, Singh BP, Whitehead WF (2002) Long-term effects of tillage, cover crops, and nitrogen fertilization on organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations in sandy loam soils in Georgia, USA. Soil Tillage Res 63:167–179

  • Sainju UM, Whitehead WF, Singh BP (2003) Cover crops and nitrogen fertilization effects on soil aggregation and carbon and nitrogen pools. Can J Soil Sci 83:155–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith WN, Grant BB, Campbell CA, McConkey BG, Desjardins RL, Krobel R, Malhi SS (2012) Crop residue removal effects on soil carbon: Measured and inter-model comparisons. Agric Ecosyst Environ 161:27–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snapp SS, Swinton SM, Labarta R (2005) Evaluating cover crops for benefits, costs and performance within cropping system niches. Agron J 97:322–332

    Google Scholar 

  • Stetson SJ, Osborne SL, Schumacher TE, Eynard A, Chilom G, Rice J, Nichols KA, Pikul Jr JA (2012) Corn residue removal impact on topsoil organic carbon in a corn-soybean rotation. Soil Sci Soc Am J 76:1399–1406

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart CE, Paustian K, Conant RT, Plante AF, Six J (2009) Soil carbon saturation: Implications for measurable carbon pool dynamics in long-term incubations. Soil Biol Biochem 41:357–366

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Summers CF, Park S, Dunn AR, Rong X, Everts KL, Meyer SLF, Rupprecht SM, Kleinhenz MD, Gardener B, Smart CD (2014) Single season effects of mixed species cover crops on tomato health (cultivar Celebrity) in multi-state field trials. Appl Soil Ecol 77:51–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teasdale JR, Mohler CL (1993) Light transmittance, soil temperature, and soil moisture under residue of hairy vetch and rye. Agron J 85:673–680

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tonnito C, David MB, Drinkwater LE (2006) Replacing bare fallows with cover crops in fertilizer-intensive cropping systems: A meta-analysis of crop yield and N dynamics. Agric Ecosyst Environ 112:58–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tu X (2016) Solvita and other measures as indicators of soil N availability in Minnesota soils. Masters Thesis. University of Minnesota pp: 25–35

  • Van Eerd LL, Congreves KA, Hayes A, Verhallen A, Hooker DC (2014) Long-term tillage and crop rotation effects on soil quality, organic carbon, and total nitrogen. Can J Soil Sci 94:303–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Eerd LL, Loewen SA, Vyn RJ (2015) Winter wheat straw management on subsequent processing tomato yield, quality, economics and nitrogen dynamics. Can J Plant Sci 95:273–283

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vyn TJ, Janovicek KJ, Miller MH, Beauchamp EG (1999) Soil nitrate accumulation and corn response to preceding small-grain fertilization and cover crops. Agron J 91:17–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Q, Klassen W, Li Y, Codallo M, Abdul-Baki AA (2005) Influence of cover crops and irrigation rates on tomato yields and quality in a subtropical region. Hortscience 40:2125–2131

    Google Scholar 

  • Wortman SE, Francis CA, Bernards ML, Drijber RA, Lindquist JL (2012) Optimizing cover crop benefits with diverse mixtures and an alternative termination method. Agron J 104:1425–1435

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu L, Van Eerd LL, O'Halloran I, Sikkema PH, Robinson DE (2015) Response of four fall-seeded cover crops to residues of selected herbicides. Crop Prot 75:11–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou X, Chen C, Wu H, Xu Z (2012) Dynamics of soil extractable organic carbon and nitrogen under different cover crop residues. J Soils Sediments 12:844–853

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zornoza R, Acosta JA, Bastida F, Dominguez SG, Toledo DM, Faz A (2015) Identification of sensitive indicators to assess the interrelationship between soil quality, management practices and human health. Soil 1:173–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zvomuya F, Janzen HH, Larney FJ, Olson BM (2008) A long-term field bioassay of soil quality indicators in a semiarid environment. Soil Sci Soc Am J 72:683–692

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers, Grain Farmers of Ontario, and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and University of Guelph Partnership. Transplants were generously donated by Mr. Steve Lamoure of Sun-Brite Foods Inc. The authors would like to thank students and Mr. Mike Zink for his technical expertise.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, Ridgetown, Ontario, N0P2C0, Canada

    I. Chahal & L. L. Van Eerd

Authors
  1. I. Chahal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. L. Van Eerd
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to L. L. Van Eerd.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Zucong Cai

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chahal, I., Van Eerd, L.L. Evaluation of commercial soil health tests using a medium-term cover crop experiment in a humid, temperate climate. Plant Soil 427, 351–367 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3653-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3653-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation