Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Responses of Soil Carbon Storage, Compaction, and Biological Properties Under No-Till and Conventional-Till Systems

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Conservation Agriculture: A Sustainable Approach for Soil Health and Food Security

Abstract

Conventional-till (CT) practices can reduce soil organic matter (SOM) and microbial activity and increase soil erosion and compaction. In contrast, no-till (NT) has emerged as a viable option for protecting the soil surface against erosion and degradation. The NT has a lot of advantages such as reduced equipment costs, runoff, and erosion, increased drought resistance of crops, and higher SOM and microbial activity compared to the CT systems. Under the NT system, maintenance of high surface soil cover has resulted in a significant change in soil properties such as bulk density, soil water retention, pore size distribution, infiltration, soil organic C, enzyme activity, and microbial communities. Soil microbial communities are the drivers of SOM decomposition and nutrient cycling including the most limited nutrients for crop growth, N and phosphorus. This chapter mainly focuses on the impact of NT on soil C storage, compaction, and biochemical and microbial activity as compared to the CT systems.

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

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 229.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 299.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 299.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Acosta-Martinez V, Mikha MM, Vigil MF (2007) Microbial communities and enzyme activities in soils under alternative crop rotations compared to wheat–fallow for the central Great Plains. Appl Soil Ecol 37:41–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aikins S, Afuakwa J (2012) Effect of four different tillage practices on soil physical properties under cowpea. Agric Biol J North Am 3:17–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Kaisi M (2018) Let’s talk no-till. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3518&context=cropnews

  • Al-Kaisi MM, Yin X (2005) Tillage and crop residue effects on soil carbon and carbon dioxide emission in corn–soybean rotations. J Environ Qual 34:437–445

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Allison FE (1968) Soil aggregation—some facts and fallacies as seen by a microbiologist. Soil Sci 106:136–143

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alvarez R (2005) A review of nitrogen fertilizer and conservation tillage effects on soil organic carbon storage. Soil Use Manag 21:38–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Álvaro-Fuentes J, Morell F, Madejón E, Lampurlanés J, Arrúe J, Cantero-Martínez C (2013) Soil biochemical properties in a semiarid Mediterranean agroecosystem as affected by long-term tillage and N fertilization. Soil Tillage Res 129:69–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrade DS, Colozzi-Filho A, Giller KE (2003) The soil microbial community and soil tillage. Soil Tillage Agroecosyst:51–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Anikwe M, Ubochi J (2007) Short-term changes in soil properties under tillage systems and their effect on sweet potato (Ipomea batatas L.) growth and yield in an Ultisol in South-Eastern Nigeria. Soil Res 45:351–358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Awale R, Emeson MA, Machado S (2017) Soil organic carbon pools as early indicators for soil organic matter stock changes under different tillage practices in Inland Pacific Northwest. Front Ecol Evol 5:96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aziz I, Mahmood T, Islam KR (2013) Effect of long term no-till and conventional tillage practices on soil quality. Soil Tillage Res 131:28–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Badalíková B (2010) Influence of soil tillage on soil compaction. In: Soil Engineering. Springer, New York, pp 19–30

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Balota EL, Colozzi-Filho A, Andrade DS, Dick RP (2003) Microbial biomass in soils under different tillage and crop rotation systems. Biol Fert Soils 38:15–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balota EL, Colozzi Filho A, Andrade DS, Dick RP (2004) Long-term tillage and crop rotation effects on microbial biomass and C and N mineralization in a Brazilian Oxisol. Soil Tillage Res 77:137–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer A, Black AL (1994) Quantification of the effect of soil organic matter content on soil productivity. Soil Sci Soc Am J 58(1):185–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer PJ, Frederick JR, Novak JM, Hunt PG (2006) Soil CO2 flux from a Norfolk loamy sand after 25 years of conventional and conservation tillage. Soil Tillage Res 90:205–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blanchart E, Albrecht A, Brown G, Decaens T, Duboisset A, Lavelle P, Mariani L, Roose E (2004) Effects of tropical endogeic earthworms on soil erosion. Agric Ecosyst Environ 104:303–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blankinship JC, Niklaus PA, Hungate BA (2011) A meta-analysis of responses of soil biota to global change. Oecologia 165:553–565

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bossuyt H, Six J, Hendrix PF (2002) Aggregate-protected carbon in no-tillage and conventional tillage agroecosystems using carbon-14 labeled plant residue. Soil Sci Soc Am J 66:1965–1973

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brouder SM, Gomez-Macpherson H (2014) The impact of conservation agriculture on smallholder agricultural yields: a scoping review of the evidence. Agric Ecosyst Environ 187:11–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buckling A, Kassen R, Bell G, Rainey PB (2000) Disturbance and diversity in experimental microcosms. Nature 408:961

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Busari MA, Salako FK (2012) Effect of tillage and poultry manure application on soil infiltration rate and maize root growth in a sandy Alfisol. Agro-Science 11:24–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Busari MA, Kukal SS, Kaur A, Bhatt R, Dulazi AA (2015) Conservation tillage impacts on soil, crop and the environment. Int Soil Water Conserv Res 3:119–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calderon FJ, Nielsen D, Acosta-Martinez V, Vigil MF, Drew L (2016) Cover crop and irrigation effects on soil microbial communities and enzymes in semiarid agroecosystems of the Central Great Plains of North America. Pedosphere 26:192–205

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter-Boggs L, Stahl PD, Lindstrom MJ, Schumacher TE (2003) Soil microbial properties under permanent grass, conventional tillage, and no-till management in South Dakota. Soil Tillage Res 71:15–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carter M, Gregorich E, Angers D, Beare M, Sparling G, Wardle D, Voroney R (1999) Interpretation of microbial biomass measurements for soil quality assessment in humid temperate regions. Can J Soil Sci 79:507–520

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Causarano HJ, Franzluebbers AJ, Shaw JN, Reeves DW, Raper RL, Wood C (2008) Soil organic carbon fractions and aggregation in the southern Piedmont and coastal plain. Soil Sci Soc Am J 72:221–230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ceja-Navarro JA, Rivera-Orduna FN, Patino-Zúniga L, Vila-Sanjurjo A, Crossa J, Govaerts B, Dendooven L (2010a) Phylogenetic and multivariate analyses to determine the effects of different tillage and residue management practices on soil bacterial communities. Appl Environ Microbiol 76:3685–3691

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ceja-Navarro JA, Rivera FN, Patiño-Zúñiga L, Govaerts B, Marsch R, Vila-Sanjurjo A, Dendooven L (2010b) Molecular characterization of soil bacterial communities in contrasting zero tillage systems. Plant Soil 329:127–137

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Celik I (2011) Effects of tillage methods on penetration resistance, bulk density and saturated hydraulic conductivity in a clayey soil conditions. Tarim Bilimleri Dergisi 17:143–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chamen WT, Moxey AP, Towers W, Balana B, Hallett PD (2015) Mitigating arable soil compaction: a review and analysis of available cost and benefit data. Soil Tillage Res 146:10–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan K (2001) An overview of some tillage impacts on earthworm population abundance and diversity—implications for functioning in soils. Soil Tillage Res 146(57):179–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choudhury SG, Srivastava S, Singh R, Chaudhari S, Sharma D, Singh S, Sarkar D (2014) Tillage and residue management effects on soil aggregation, organic carbon dynamics and yield attribute in rice–wheat cropping system under reclaimed sodic soil. Soil Tillage Res 146(136):76–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins H, Elliott E, Paustian K, Bundy L, Dick W, Huggins D, Smucker A, Paul E (2000) Soil carbon pools and fluxes in long-term corn belt agroecosystems. Soil Biol Biochem 32:157–168

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Corsi S, Friedrich T, Kassam A, Pisante M, Sà JDM (2012) Soil organic carbon accumulation and greenhouse gas emission reductions from conservation agriculture: a literature review Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). FAO, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • DeBruyn JM, Nixon LT, Fawaz MN, Johnson AM, Radosevich M (2011) Global biogeography and quantitative seasonal dynamics of Gemmatimonadetes in soil. Appl Environ Microbiol 77:6295–6300

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Defossez P, Richard G (2002) Models of soil compaction due to traffic and their evaluation. Soil Tillage Res 67:41–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dilly O, Blume HP, Sehy U, Jimenez M, Munch JC (2003) Variation of stabilised, microbial and biologically active carbon and nitrogen in soil under contrasting land use and agricultural management practices. Chemosphere 52:557–569

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Doran JW (1980) Soil microbial and biochemical changes associated with reduced tillage 1. Soil Sci Soc Am J 44:765–771

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dorr de Quadros P, Zhalnina K, Davis-Richardson A, Fagen JR, Drew J, Bayer C, Camargo FA, Triplett EW (2012) The effect of tillage system and crop rotation on soil microbial diversity and composition in a subtropical acrisol. Diversity 4:375–395

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dou F, Hons FM (2006) Tillage and nitrogen effects on soil organic matter fractions in wheat-based systems. Soil Sci Soc Am J 70:1896–1905

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ekenler M, Tabatabai M (2003) Responses of phosphatases and arylsulfatase in soils to liming and tillage systems. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 166:281–290

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Etana A, Larsbo M, Keller T, Arvidsson J, Schjønning P, Forkman J, Jarvis N (2013) Persistent subsoil compaction and its effects on preferential flow patterns in a loamy till soil. Geoderma 192:430–436

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feng Y, Balkcom KS (2017) Nutrient cycling and soil biology in row crop systems under intensive tillage. In: Soil health and intensification of agroecosytems. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 231–255

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Feng Y, Motta A, Burmester C, Reeves D, Van Santen E, Osborne J (2002) Effects of tillage systems on soil microbial community structure under a continuous cotton cropping system. In: Making conservation tillage conventional: building a future on 25 years of research. Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University, Auburn, pp 222–226

    Google Scholar 

  • Finn D, Kopittke PM, Dennis PG, Dalal RC (2017) Microbial energy and matter transformation in agricultural soils. Soil Biol Biochem 111:176–192

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Franzluebbers AJ, Stuedemann JA (2008) Early response of soil organic fractions to tillage and integrated crop–livestock production. Soil Sci Soc Am J 72:613–625

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Friedrich T, Derpsch R, Kassam A (2012a) Overview of the global spread of conservation agriculture. Field Actions Science Reports. J Field Actions 6

    Google Scholar 

  • García-Orenes F, Guerrero C, Roldán A, Mataix-Solera J, Cerdà A, Campoy M, Zornoza R, Bárcenas G, Caravaca F (2010) Soil microbial biomass and activity under different agricultural management systems in a semiarid Mediterranean agroecosystem. Soil Tillage Res 109:110–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • García-Orenes F, Morugán-Coronado A, Zornoza R, Scow K (2013) Changes in soil microbial community structure influenced by agricultural management practices in a Mediterranean agro-ecosystem. PLoS One 8:e80522

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • García-Orenes F, Morugán-Coronado A, Zornoza R, Cerdà A, Scow K (2016) Correction: Changes in soil microbial community structure influenced by agricultural management practices in a Mediterranean agro-ecosystem. PLoS One 11:e0152958

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gozubuyuk Z, Sahin U, Ozturk I, Celik A, Adiguzel MC (2014) Tillage effects on certain physical and hydraulic properties of a loamy soil under a crop rotation in a semi-arid region with a cool climate. Catena 118:195–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Günal H, Korucu T, Birkas M, Özgöz E, Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir R (2015) Threats to sustainability of soil functions in central and southeast Europe. Sustainability 7:2161–2188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Håkansson I, Reeder RC (1994) Subsoil compaction by vehicles with high axle load—extent, persistence and crop response. Soil Tillage Res 29:277–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heidari G, Mohammadi K, Sohrabi Y (2016) Responses of soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities to tillage and fertilization systems in soybean (Glycine max L.) production. Front Plant Sci 7:1730

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Helgason BL, Walley FL, Germida JJ (2009) Fungal and bacterial abundance in long-term no-till and intensive-till soils of the Northern Great Plains. Soil Sci Soc Am J 73:120–127

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hevia GG, Mendez M, Buschiazzo DE (2007) Tillage affects soil aggregation parameters linked with wind erosion. Geoderma 140:90–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hillel D, Hatfield JL (2005) Encyclopedia of soils in the environment. Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobbs PR, Sayre K, Gupta R (2007) The role of conservation agriculture in sustainable agriculture. Philos Trans R Soc B Biol Sci 363:543–555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoorman JJ, de Moraes Sá JC, Reeder R (2009) The biology of soil compaction. Columbus, OH, Agriculture and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University

    Google Scholar 

  • Horn R, Domżżał H, Słowińska-Jurkiewicz A, Van Ouwerkerk C (1995) Soil compaction processes and their effects on the structure of arable soils and the environment. Soil Tillage Res 35:23–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hubbard RK, Strickland TC, Phatak S (2013) Effects of cover crop systems on soil physical properties and carbon/nitrogen relationships in the coastal plain of southeastern USA. Soil Tillage Res 126:276–283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Indoria AK, Srinivasa Rao C, Sharma KL, Sammi Reddy K (2017) Conservation agriculture – a panacea to improve soil physical health. Curr Sci 112:52–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jastrow J, Miller R (1997) Soil aggregate stabilization and carbon sequestration: feedbacks through organomineral associations. Soil Process Carbon Cycle 11:207

    Google Scholar 

  • Jat H, Datta A, Sharma P, Kumar V, Yadav A, Choudhary M, Choudhary V, Gathala M, Sharma D, Jat M (2018) Assessing soil properties and nutrient availability under conservation agriculture practices in a reclaimed sodic soil in cereal-based systems of North-West India. Arch Agron Soil Sci 64:531–545

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jat H, Datta A, Choudhary M, Yadav A, Choudhary V, Sharma P, Gathala M, Jat M, McDonald A (2019) Effects of tillage, crop establishment and diversification on soil organic carbon, aggregation, aggregate associated carbon and productivity in cereal systems of semi-arid Northwest India. Soil Tillage Res 190:128–138

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kabiri V, Raiesi F, Ghazavi MA (2016) Tillage effects on soil microbial biomass, SOM mineralization and enzyme activity in a semi-arid Calcixerepts. Agric Ecosyst Environ 232:73–84

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kandeler E, Tscherko D, Spiegel H (1999) Long-term monitoring of microbial biomass, N mineralisation and enzyme activities of a Chernozem under different tillage management. Biol Fertil Soils 28:343–351

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kassam A, Friedrich T, Shaxson F, Bartz H, Mello I, Kienzle J, Pretty J (2014) The spread of conservation agriculture: policy and institutional support for adoption and uptake. Field Actions Sci Rep 7

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuht J, Reintam E, Edesi L, Nugis E (2012) Influence of subsoil compaction on soil physical properties and on growing conditions of barley. Agron Res 10:329–334

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar N, Nath CP (2019) Impact of zero-till residue management and crop diversification with legumes on soil aggregation and carbon sequestration. Soil Tillage Res 189:158–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lal R (1997) Long-term tillage and maize monoculture effects on a tropical Alfisol in western Nigeria. I. Crop yield and soil physical properties. Soil Tillage Res 42:145–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lal R (2004) Soil carbon sequestration impacts on global climate change and food security. Science 304:1623–1627

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lal R (2008) Carbon sequestration. Philos Trans R Soc B 363:815–830

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lampurlanés J, Cantero-Martinez C (2003) Soil bulk density and penetration resistance under different tillage and crop management systems and their relationship with barley root growth. Agron J 95:526–536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lavelle P, Bignell D, Lepage M, Wolters V, Roger PA, Ineson P, Heal OW, Dhillion S (1997) Soil function in a changing world: the role of invertebrate ecosystem engineers. Eur J Soil Biol 33(4):159–193

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Logsdon SD, Karlen DL (2004) Bulk density as a soil quality indicator during conversion to no-tillage. Soil Tillage Res 78:143–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenz K, Lal R (2005) The depth distribution of soil organic carbon in relation to land use and management and the potential of carbon sequestration in subsoil horizons. Adv Agron 88:35–66

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mando A, Miedema R (1997) Termite-induced change in soil structure after mulching degraded (crusted) soil in the Sahel. Appl Soil Ecol 6:241–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathew RP, Feng Y, Githinji L, Ankumah R, Balkcom KS (2012) Impact of no-tillage and conventional tillage systems on soil microbial communities. Appl Environ Soil Sci 2012:548620

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mbuthia LW, Acosta-Martínez V, DeBruyn J, Schaeffer S, Tyler D, Odoi E, Mpheshea M, Walker F, Eash N (2015) Long term tillage, cover crop, and fertilization effects on microbial community structure, activity: implications for soil quality. Soil Biol Biochem 89:24–34

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mohammadi K, Heidari G, Javaheri M, Karimi Nezhad MT (2013) Soil microbial response to tillage systems and fertilization in a sunflower rhizosphere. Arch Agron Soil Sci 59:899–910

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nachimuthu G, Hulugalle N (2016) On-farm gains and losses of soil organic carbon in terrestrial hydrological pathways: a review of empirical research. Int Soil Water Conserv Res 4:245–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nandan R, Singh V, Singh SS, Kumar V, Hazra KK, Nath CP, Poonia SP, Malik RK, Bhattacharyya R, McDonald A (2019) Impact of conservation tillage in rice–based cropping systems on soil aggregation, carbon pools and nutrients. Geoderma 340:104–114

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Nkakini S, Fubara-Manuel I (2012) The effects of tillage methods on soil penetration resistance, porosity and okra yield. Res J Appl Sci Eng Technol 4:387–392

    Google Scholar 

  • Nogueira M, Albino U, Brandão-Junior O, Braun G, Cruz M, Dias B, Duarte R, Gioppo N, Menna P, Orlandi J (2006) Promising indicators for assessment of agroecosystems alteration among natural, reforested and agricultural land use in southern Brazil. Agric Ecosyst Environ 115:237–247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Novak J, Bauer P, Hunt P (2007) Carbon dynamics under long-term conservation and disk tillage management in a Norfolk loamy sand. Soil Sci Soc Am J 71:453–456

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olaoye J (2002) Influence of tillage on crop residue cover, soil properties and yield components of cowpea in derived savannah ectones of Nigeria. Soil Tillage Res 64:179–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ontl TA, Schulte LA (2012) Soil carbon storage. Nat Educ Knowl 3(10):35

    Google Scholar 

  • Ouédraogo E, Mando A, Stroosnijder L (2006) Effects of tillage, organic resources and nitrogen fertiliser on soil carbon dynamics and crop nitrogen uptake in semi-arid West Africa. Soil Tillage Res 91:57–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quiroga A, Fernández R, Noellemeyer E (2009) Grazing effect on soil properties in conventional and no-till systems. Soil Tillage Res 105:164–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romaneckas K, Romaneckien R, Šarauskis E, Pilipaviius V, Sakalauskas A (2009) The effect of conservation primary and zero tillage on soil bulk density, water content, sugar beet growth and weed infestation. Agron Res 7:73–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Rusinamhodzi L (2015) Crop rotations and residue management in conservation agriculture. In: Conservation agriculture. Springer, New York, pp 21–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Sainju UM, Senwo ZN, Nyakatawa EZ, Tazisong IA, Reddy KC (2008) Tillage, cropping systems, and nitrogen fertilizer source effects on soil carbon sequestration and fractions. J Environ Qual 37:880–888

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Saviozzi A, Levi-Minzi R, Cardelli R, Riffaldi R (2001) A comparison of soil quality in adjacent cultivated, forest and native grassland soils. Plant Soil 233:251–259

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt R, Gravuer K, Bossange AV, Mitchell J, Scow K (2018) Long-term use of cover crops and no-till shift soil microbial community life strategies in agricultural soil. PLoS One 13:e0192953

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schnepf M, Cox C (2006) Environmental benefits of conservation on cropland: the status of our knowledge. Soil and Water Conservation Society, Ankeny, IA

    Google Scholar 

  • Sekaran U, McCoy C, Kumar S, Subramanian S (2018) Soil microbial community structure and enzymatic activity responses to nitrogen management and landscape positions in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). GCB Bioenergy 11:836–851. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12591

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sekwakwa O, Dikinya O (2012) Tillage-induced compaction: effects on physical properties of agricultural loamy soils. Sci Res Essays 7:1584–1591

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheehy J, Regina K, Alakukku L, Six J (2015) Impact of no-till and reduced tillage on aggregation and aggregate-associated carbon in northern European agroecosystems. Soil Tillage Res 150:107–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sithole NJ, Magwaza LS, Thibaud GR (2019) Long-term impact of no-till conservation agriculture and N-fertilizer on soil aggregate stability, infiltration and distribution of C in different size fractions. Soil Tillage Res 190:147–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Six J, Elliott E, Paustian K (2000) Soil macroaggregate turnover and microaggregate formation: a mechanism for C sequestration under no-tillage agriculture. Soil Biol Biochem 32:2099–2103

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Skiba U (2008) Denitrification. In: Jorgensen SE, Fath BD (eds) Encyclopedia of ecology. Elsevier, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • So H, Grabski A, Desborough P (2009) The impact of 14 years of conventional and no-till cultivation on the physical properties and crop yields of a loam soil at Grafton NSW, Australia. Soil Tillage Res 104:180–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Souza RC, Hungria M, Cantão ME, Vasconcelos ATR, Nogueira MA, Vicente VA (2015) Metagenomic analysis reveals microbial functional redundancies and specificities in a soil under different tillage and crop-management regimes. Appl Soil Ecol 86:106–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spargo JT, Alley MM, Follett RF, Wallace JV (2008) Soil carbon sequestration with continuous no-till management of grain cropping systems in the Virginia coastal plain. Soil Tillage Res 100:133–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strudley MW, Green TR, Ascough JC II (2008) Tillage effects on soil hydraulic properties in space and time: state of the science. Soil Tillage Res 99:4–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas G, Dalal RC, Standley J (2007) No-till effects on organic matter, pH, cation exchange capacity and nutrient distribution in a Luvisol in the semi-arid subtropics. Soil Tillage Res 94:295–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tian Q, Taniguchi T, Shi WY, Li G, Yamanaka N, Du S (2017) Land-use types and soil chemical properties influence soil microbial communities in the semiarid Loess Plateau region in China. Sci Rep 7:45289

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Torres-Sallan G, Schulte RP, Lanigan GJ, Byrne KA, Reidy B, Simó I, Six J, Creamer RE (2017) Clay illuviation provides a long-term sink for C sequestration in subsoils. Sci Rep 7:45635

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • White PM, Rice CW (2009) Tillage effects on microbial and carbon dynamics during plant residue decomposition. Soil Sci Soc Am J 73:138–145

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wright SF, Upadhyaya A (1996) Extraction of an abundant and unusual protein from soil and comparison with hyphal protein of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Soil Sci 161:575–586

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Young IM, Ritz K (2000) Tillage, habitat space and function of soil microbes. Soil Tillage Res 53(3–4):201–213

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

Financial support for this work was provided by the US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (grant no. G17AC00337). We thank the US Geological Survey and South Dakota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit for administrative assistance with the research work order (RWO 116) at South Dakota State University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Sciences, EDISTO Research and Education Center, Clemson University, Blackville, SC, USA

    Udayakumar Sekaran

  2. Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA

    Sandeep Kumar

Authors
  1. Udayakumar Sekaran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sandeep Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Udayakumar Sekaran .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Soil Physics, ICAR-Indian Institute Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

    Somasundaram Jayaraman

  2. School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Ram C. Dalal

  3. ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

    Ashok K. Patra

  4. DDG, Natural Resource Management, Indian Council of Agriculture Research, KAB-II, New Delhi, India

    Suresh K. Chaudhari

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Sekaran, U., Kumar, S. (2021). Responses of Soil Carbon Storage, Compaction, and Biological Properties Under No-Till and Conventional-Till Systems. In: Jayaraman, S., Dalal, R.C., Patra, A.K., Chaudhari, S.K. (eds) Conservation Agriculture: A Sustainable Approach for Soil Health and Food Security . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0827-8_17

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation