Connections Between Roots and Soil Health Across Agriculture Management Practices
Academic Article
Overview
Overview
Abstract
Background and Aims: Farmers are increasingly interested in regenerating soil health after centuries of soil-degrading practices. The most effective soil health regenerating practices (SHRP) and underlying mechanisms that regenerate soil health, however, remain unclear. Our objectives were to determine: (i) how land use, hillslope position, and their interactions affect soil health and root characteristics, and (ii) if a land-use gradient and two hillslope positions could quantify a relationship between soil health and plant roots. Methods: Soil and plant root samples were collected from 0 to 120-cm under three land uses: conventional maize-soybean rotation (Row Crop), cattle-grazed pasture (Pasture), and restored grassland (Grassland). Soil health indicators (SHIs) that are responsive to management differences: soil organic carbon, potentially mineralizable carbon, total nitrogen, permanganate oxidizable carbon, beta-glucosidase activity, and autoclaved citrate extractable protein were measured, along with root mass, root mean diameter (RMD), and root length density (RLD). A machine learning tool was used to explore relationships between root characteristics and salient soil properties. Results: Overall SHIs for Pasture and Grassland increased by an average of 54% and 41%, respectively, when compared to Row Crop. Pasture and Grassland management also had twice as much root mass as the Row Crop systems. Pasture had the greatest proportion of very fine roots (Conclusion: Soil health regenerating practices that increase total root mass and fine roots in particular (i.e., Pasture and Grassland), can lead to vast improvements in soil health regardless of hillslope position.
