Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-vvkck Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T08:21:08.147Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The influence of organic transition strategy on chemical and biological soil tests

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2012

Carmen M. Ugarte  and
Michelle M. Wander
Carmen M. Ugarte*
Affiliation:
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
Michelle M. Wander
Affiliation:
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
*
*Corresponding author: cugarte@illinois.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Soil testing strategies that include biologically based indicators in organic and alternative farming systems are needed in order to improve recommendations that balance production and environmental goals. In this study, soil samples were collected before and after soils were transitioned from conventional row crop production to organic management using rotations that varied in both their inputs and tillage intensity. Ley-, row crop- and vegetable-based farming systems were implemented using locally specific production practices. Subplots were imposed within each system to allow comparison of farming systems without amendment and with dairy manure- and compost-amendment. Soil analyses included standard chemical tests (0–15 cm) for available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, calcium, magnesium, pH, total organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN). Biological assays (0–15 and 15–30 cm) included particulate organic matter-C and -N (POM-C, POM-N), soil and POM C:N ratios, fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis, potentially mineralizable N (PMN) and hydrolysable amino-N + NH4 (IL-N). Even though cropping and tillage intensity varied among systems (ley < row crop < vegetable), organic matter and nutrient reserves were not statistically different. Nutrient concentrations tested medium to high, even without compost or manure application. Labile fractions of soil organic matter were more enriched in the deeper sampling depth; whereby, POM stocks within the 15–30 cm depth increased by 20% on average compared to roughly 6% in the surface depth. This and observed changes in other properties demonstrate the multiple benefits derived from use of winter annual or perennial crops. Results from our analyses suggested PMN and POM have particular promise as metrics of change in commercial soil testing facilities to assist recommendations for amendments to balance production and environmental goals.

Keywords

soil testingbiological indicatorsorganic farming systemsorganic transitionsoil organic matterlabile soil organic matterscoring functions
Type
Research Papers
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 28 , Issue 1 , March 2013 , pp. 17 - 31
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1USDA. 2000. ‘National Organic Program; Final Rule, 7 CFR Part 205,’ Federal Register, December 21, http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-tdx?c=ecfr&sid=5a8dc602e6a7f29...) (verified August 30, 2009).Google Scholar
2Scow, K.M., Somasco, O., Gunapala, N., Lau, S., Venette, R., Ferris, H., Miller, R., and Shennan, C. 1994. Transition from conventional to low input agriculture changes soil fertility and biology. California Agriculture 48:20–26.Google Scholar
3Wander, M.M. 2004. Soil organic matter fractions and their relevance to soil function. In Magdoff, F. and Weil, R.R. (eds). Soil Organic Matter in Sustainable Agriculture. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, Florida. p. 67–102.Google Scholar
4Drinkwater, L.E., Letourneau, D.K., Workneh, F., van Bruggen, A.H.C., and Shennan, S. 1995. Fundamental differences between conventional and organic tomato agroecosystems in California. Ecological Applications 5:1098–1112.Google Scholar
5Mäder, P., Flieβbach, A., Dubois, D., Gunst, L., Fried, P., and Niggli, U. 2002. Soil fertility and biodiversity in organic farming. Science 296:1694–1697.Google Scholar
6Bending, G.D., Turner, M.K., and Jones, J.E. 2002. Interactions between crop residue and soil organic matter quality and the functional diversity of soil microbial communities. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 34:1073–1082.Google Scholar
7Marriott, E.E. and Wander, M.M. 2006. Total and labile soil organic matter in organic and conventional farming systems. Soil Science Society of America Journal 70: 950–959.Google Scholar
8Melero, S., Madejon, E., Herencia, J.F., and Ruiz, J.C. 2008. Effect of implementing organic farming on chemical and biochemical properties of an irrigated loam soil. Agronomy Journal 100:136–144.Google Scholar
9Bulluck, L.R., Barker, K.R., and Ristaino, J.B. 2002. Influences of organic and synthetic soil fertility amendments on nematode trophic groups and community dynamics under tomatoes. Applied Soil Ecology 21:233–250.Google Scholar
10Watson, C.A., Atkinson, D., Gosling, P., Jackson, L.R., and Rayns, F.W. 2002. Managing soil fertility in organic farming systems. Soil Use and Management 18:239–247.Google Scholar
11Nelson, K.L., Lynch, D.H., and Boiteau, G. 2009. Assessment of changes in soil health throughout organic potato rotation sequences. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 131:220–228.Google Scholar
12Briar, S.S., Miller, S.A., Stinner, D., Kleinhenz, M.D., and Grewal, P.S. 2011. Effects of organic transition strategies for peri-urban vegetable production on soil properties, nematode community, and tomato yield. Applied Soil Ecology 47:84–91.Google Scholar
13Knight, J.D., Buhler, R., Leeson, J.Y., and Shirtliffe, S.J. 2010. Classification and fertility status of organically managed fields across Saskatchewan, Canada. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 90:667–678.Google Scholar
14Salmeron, M., Cavero, J., Quilez, D., and Isla, R. 2010. Winter cover crops affect monoculture maize yield and nitrogen leaching under irrigated Mediterranean conditions. Agronomy Journal 102:1700–1709.Google Scholar
15Sydorovych, O., Raczkowski, C.W., Wossink, A., Mueller, J.P., Creamer, N.G., Hu, S.J., Bell, M., and Tu, C. 2009. A technique for assessing environmental impact risks of agricultural systems. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 24:234–243.Google Scholar
16Black, C.A. 1993. Soil fertility Evaluation and Control. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton.Google Scholar
17Havlin, J., Tisdale, S.L., and Nelson, W.L. 2005. Soil Fertility and Fertilizers: An Introduction to Nutrient Management. Pearson Prentice-Hall Publishers, Upper Suddle River, NJ.Google Scholar
18Brown, J.R. 1998. Recommended Chemical Soil Test Procedures for the North Central Region. The Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station, Columbia, MO.Google Scholar
19Sequeira, C.H., Alley, M.M., and Jones, B.P. 2011. Evaluation of potentially labile soil organic carbon and nitrogen fractionation procedures. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 43:438–444.Google Scholar
20VandenBygaart, A.J., Gregorich, E.G., Angers, D.A., and McConkey, B.G. 2007. Assessment of the lateral and vertical variability of soil organic carbon. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 87:433–444.Google Scholar
21Franzluebbers, A. 2002. Soil organic matter stratification ratio as an indicator of soil quality. Soil Tillage and Research 66:95–106.Google Scholar
22Nissen, T.M. and Wander, M.M. 2003. Management and soil-quality effects on fertilizer-use efficiency and leaching. Soil Science Society of America Journal 67: 1524–1532.Google Scholar
23Edmeades, D.C. 2003. The long-term effects of manures and fertilizers on soil productivity and quality: A review. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 66:165–180.Google Scholar
24Snyder, C.S. and Leep, R.H. 2007. Fertilization. In Barnes, R.F. et al. (eds). Forages: The Science of Grassland Agriculture. Vol II. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA. p. 355–378.Google Scholar
25Karlen, D.L. and Stott, D.E. 1994. A framework for evaluating physical and chemical indicators of soil quality. In Doran, J.W., Coleman, D.C., Bezdicek, D.F., and Stewart, B.A. (eds). Defining Soil Quality for a Sustainable Environment. SSSA Special Publication No. 35. SSSA, Madison, WI. p. 53–72.Google Scholar
26Norgaard, R.B. 1994. Ecology, politics, and economics: Finding the common ground for decision making in conservation. In Meffe, G.K. and Carroll, C.R. (eds). Principles of Conservation Biology. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA. p. 439–465.Google Scholar
27Yakowitz, D.S., Stone, J.J., Lane, L.J., Heilman, P., Masterson, J., Abolt, J., and Imam, B. 1993. A decision support system for evaluating the effect of alternative farm management systems on water quality and economics. Water Science and Technology 28:47–54.Google Scholar
28Wymore, A.W. 1993. Model-based Systems Engineering: An Introduction to the Mathematical Theory of Discrete Systems and to the Tricotyledon Theory of System Design. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA.Google Scholar
29Andrews, S., Karlen, D., and Cambardella, C. 2004. The soil management assessment framework: A quantitative soil quality evaluation method. Soil Science Society of America Journal 68:1945–1962.Google Scholar
30Chung, H., Ngo, K.J., Plante, A.F., and Six, J. 2010. Evidence of carbon saturation in a highly structured and organic-matter-rich soil. Soil Science Society of America Journal 74:130–138.Google Scholar
31Seiter, S. and Horwath, W.R. 2004. Strategies for managing soil organic matter to supply plant nutrients. In Magdoff, F. and Weil, R.R. (eds). Soil Organic Matter and Sustainable Agriculture. CRC Press, New York. p. 269–293.Google Scholar
32Nelson, N.O. and Janke, R.R. 2007. Phosphorus sources and management in organic production systems. HortTechnology 17:442–454.Google Scholar
33Andrist-Rangel, Y., Edwards, A.C., Hillier, S., and Oborn, I. 2007. Long-term K dynamics in organic and conventional mixed cropping systems as related to management and soil properties. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 122:413–426.Google Scholar
34Gosling, P. and Shepherd, M. 2005. Long-term changes in soil fertility in organic arable farming systems in England, with particular reference to phosphorus and potassium. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 105: 425–432.Google Scholar
35Sparling, G.P., Schipper, L.A., Bettjeman, W., and Hill, R. 2004. Soil quality monitoring in New Zealand: Practical lessons from a 6-year trial. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 104:523–534.Google Scholar
36Andrews, S.S. and Carroll, C.R. 2001. Designing a soil quality assessment tool for sustainable agroecosystem management. Ecological Applications 11:1573–1585.Google Scholar
37IFOAM. 2002. Regulations in the EU and the USA for organic agriculture. USA/EU.Google Scholar
38Bray, R.H. and Kurtz, L.T. 1945. Determination of total, organic, and available forms of phosphorus in soils. Soil Science 59:39–45.Google Scholar
39Schnurer, J. and Rosswall, T. 1982. Fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis as a measure of total microbial activity in soil and litter. Applied Environmental Microbiology. 43: 1256–1261.Google Scholar
40Adam, G. and Duncan, H. 2001. Development of sensitive and rapid method for the measurement of total microbial activity using fluorescein diacetate (FDA) in a range of soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 33:943–951.Google Scholar
41Green, V.S., Stott, D.E., and Diack, M. 2006. Assay for fluorescein diacetate hydrolytic activity: Optimization for soil samples. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 38:693–701.Google Scholar
42Drinkwater, L.E., Cambardella, C.A., Reeder, J.D., and Rice, C.W. 1996. Potentially mineralizable nitrogen as an indicator of biologically active soil nitrogen. In Doran, J.W. and Jones, J.E. (eds). Methods for Assessing Soil Quality, Vol. 49. SSSA, Inc., Madison, WI. p. 217–229.Google Scholar
43Rhine, E.D., Sims, G.K., Mulvaney, R.L., and Pratt, E.J. 1998. Improving the Berthelot reaction for determining ammonium in soil extracts and water. Soil Science Society of America Journal 62:473–480.Google Scholar
44Khan, S.A., Mulvaney, R.L., and Hoeft, R.G. 2001. A simple soil test for detecting sites that are nonresponsive to nitrogen fertilization. Soil Science Society of America Journal 65:1751–1760.Google Scholar
45SAS Institute. 2001. SAS user's guide. SAS Institute, Cary, NC.Google Scholar
46Yang, X.M., Drury, C.F., Wander, M.M., and Kay, B.D. 2008. Evaluating the effect of tillage on carbon sequestration using the minimum detectable difference concept. Pedosphere 18:421–430.Google Scholar
47Stroup, W.W. 2002. Power analysis based on spatial effects mixed models: A tool for comparing design and analysis strategies in the presence of spatial variability. Journal of Agricultural Biological and Environmental Statistics 7:491–511.Google Scholar
48Lide, D.R. 2000. CRC handbook of Chemistry and Physics. 80th ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.Google Scholar
49Egel, D., Weinzierl, R., Taber, H., Bauernfeind, R., Hutchison, B., and Gu, S. 2010. Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers, BU-7094-S. Regional publication: (MN, IN, IL, IA, MO; IN), 167 pp. Available at Web site http://www.btny.purdue.edu/Pubs/ID/ID-56/) (accessed December 9, 2011).Google Scholar
50Hoeft, R.G. and Peck, T.R. 2002. Soil testing and fertility. In Picklesimer, P. (ed.). Illinois Agronomy Handbook. 23rd ed. Illinois State Coop. Ext. Serv., University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. p. 91–131.Google Scholar
51Delate, K. and Cambardella, C.A. 2004. Agroecosystem performance during transition to certified organic grain production. Agronomy Journal 96:1288–1298.Google Scholar
52Clark, M.S., Howarth, W.R., Shennan, C., and Scow, K.M. 1998. Changes in soil chemical properties resulting from organic and low-input farming practices. Agronomy Journal 90:662–671.Google Scholar
53Oehl, F., Oberson, A., Tagmann, H.U., Besson, J.M., Dubois, D., Mäder, P., Roth, H.R., and Frossard, E. 2002. Phosphorus budget and phosphorus availability in soils under organic and conventional farming. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 62:25–35.Google Scholar
54Smukler, S.M., Jackson, L.E., Murphree, L., Yokota, R., Koike, S.T., and Smith, R.F. 2008. Transition to large-scale organic vegetable production in the Salinas Valley, California. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 126:168–188.Google Scholar
55Richardson, A.E., Barea, J.M., McNeill, A.M., and Prigent-Combaret, C. 2009. Acquisition of phosphorus and nitrogen in the rhizosphere and plant growth promotion by microorganisms. Plant and Soil 321:305–339.Google Scholar
56Krey, T., Caus, M., Baum, C., Ruppel, S., and Eichler-Lobermann, B. 2011. Interactive effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and organic fertilization on P nutrition of Zea mays L. and Brassica napus L. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 174:602–613.Google Scholar
57Thorup-Kristensen, K., Magid, J., and Jensen, L.S. 2003. Catch crops and green manures as biological tools in nitrogen management in temperate zones. Advances in Agronomy 79:227–302.Google Scholar
58Thorup-Kristensen, K., Cortasa, M.S., and Loges, R. 2009. Winter wheat roots grow twice as deep as spring wheat roots, is this important for N uptake and N leaching losses? Plant and Soil 322:101–114.Google Scholar
59Kone, A.W., Tondoh, J.E., Angui, P.K.T., Bernhard-Reversat, F., Loranger-Merciris, G., Brunet, D., and Bredoumi, S.T.K. 2008. Is soil quality improvement by legume cover crops a function of the initial soil chemical characteristics? Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 82:89–105.Google Scholar
60Crews, T.E. 2005. Perennial crops and endogenous nutrient supplies. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 20:25–37.Google Scholar
61Wander, M., Traina, S., Stinner, B., and Peters, S. 1994. Organic and conventional management effects on biologically-active soil organic matter pools. Soil Science Society of America Journal 58:1130–1139.Google Scholar
62Haynes, R.J. 2005. Labile organic matter fractions as central components of the quality of agricultural soils: An overview. Advances in Agronomy 85:221–268.Google Scholar
63Koutika, L.S., Hauser, S., and Henrot, J. 2001. Soil organic matter assessment in natural regrowth, Pueraria phaseoloides and Mucuna pruriens fallow. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 33:1095–1101.Google Scholar
64Spargo, J.T., Alley, M.M., Thomason, W.E., and Nagle, S.M. 2009. Illinois soil nitrogen test for prediction of fertilizer nitrogen needs of corn in Virginia. Soil Science Society of America Journal 73:434–442.Google Scholar
65Kwon, H.Y., Hudson, R.J.M., and Mulvaney, R.L. 2009. Characterization of the organic nitrogen fraction determined by the Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test. Soil Science Society of America Journal 73:1033–1043.Google Scholar
66Teasdale, J.R., Coffman, C.B., and Mangum, R.W. 2007. Potential long-term benefits of no-tillage and organic cropping systems for grain production and soil improvement. Agronomy Journal 99:1297–1305.Google Scholar
67Wander, M., Yun, W., Goldstein, W., Aref, S., and Khan, S. 2007. Organic N and particulate organic matter fractions in organic and conventional farming systems with a history of manure application. Plant and Soil 291:311–321.Google Scholar
68Kong, A.Y.Y. and Six, J. 2010. Tracing root vs. residue carbon into soils from conventional and alternative cropping systems. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 74:1201–1210.Google Scholar
69Bodner, G., Himmelbauer, M., Loiskandl, W., and Kaul, H.P. 2010. Improved evaluation of cover crop species by growth and root factors. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 30:455–464.Google Scholar
70Morgan, J.A.W., Bending, G.D., and White, P.J. 2005. Biological costs and benefits to plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere. The Journal of Experimental Botany 56:1729–1739.Google Scholar
71Verbruggen, E., Roling, W.F.M., Gamper, H.A., Kowalchuk, G.A., Verhoef, H.A., and van der Heijden, M.G.A. 2010. Positive effects of organic farming on below-ground mutualists: Large-scale comparison of mycorrhizal fungal communities in agricultural soils. New Phytologist 186:968–979.Google Scholar
72Six, J., Conant, T.R., Paul, E.A., and Paustian, K. 2002. Stabilization mechanisms of soil organic matter: Implications for C-saturation of soils. Plant and Soil 241:155–176.Google Scholar
73Henriksen, T.M. and Breland, T.A. 1999. Nitrogen availability effects on carbon mineralization, fungal and bacterial growth, and enzyme activities during decomposition of wheat straw in soil. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 31:1121–1134.Google Scholar
74Frank, D.A. and Groffman, P.M. 2009. Plant rhizospheric N processes: What we don't know and why we should care. Ecology 90:1512–1519.Google Scholar
75Kuzyakov, Y., Friedel, J.K., and Stahr, K. 2000. Review of mechanisms and quantification of priming effects. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 32:1485–1498.Google Scholar
76Angers, D.A., Chantigny, M.H., MacDonald, J.D., Rochette, P., and Cote, D. 2010. Differential retention of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in grassland soil profiles with long-term manure application. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 86:225–229.Google Scholar
77Shen, J. and Bartha, R. 1997. Priming effect of glucose polymers in soil-based biodegradation tests. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 29:1195–1198.Google Scholar
78Gerzabek, M.H., Pichlmayer, F., Kirchmann, H., and Haberhauer, G. 1997. The response of soil organic matter to manure amendments in a long-term experiment at Ultuna, Sweden. European Journal of Soil Science 48:273–282.Google Scholar
79Bol, R., Ostle, N.J., Friedrich, C., Amelung, W., and Sanders, I. 1999. The influence of dung amendments on dissolved organic matter in grassland soil leachates—preliminary results from a lysimeter study. Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies 35:97–109.Google Scholar
80Van Lauwe, B., Dendooven, L., and Merckx, R. 1994. Residue fractionation and decomposition—the significance of the active fraction. Plant and Soil 158:263–274.Google Scholar
81Blagodatsky, S.A., Yevdokimov, I.V., Larionova, A.A., and Richter, O. 1998. Microbial growth in soil and nitrogen turnover: Model calibration with laboratory data. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 30:1757–1764.Google Scholar
82Khan, S.A., Mulvaney, R.L., Ellsworth, T.R., and Boast, C.W. 2007. The myth of nitrogen fertilization for soil carbon sequestration. Journal of Environmental Quality 36:1821–1832.Google Scholar
83Wander, M.M. and Bollero, G.A. 1999. Soil quality assessment of tillage impacts in Illinois. Soil Science Society of America Journal 63:961–971.Google Scholar
84Needelman, B.A., Wander, M.M., Bollero, G.A., Boast, C.W., Sims, G.K., and Bullock, D.G. 1999. Interaction of tillage and soil texture: Biologically active soil organic matter in Illinois. Soil Science Society of America Journal 63:1326–1334.Google Scholar
85Poudel, D.D., Howarth, W.R., Mitchell, J.P., and Temple, S.R. 2001. Impacts of cropping systems on soil nitrogen storage and loss. Agricultural Systems 68:253–268.Google Scholar
86Maughan, M.W., Flores, J.P.C., Anghinoni, I., Bollero, G., Fernandez, F.G., and Tracy, B.F. 2009. Soil quality and corn yield under crop-livestock integration in Illinois. Agronomy Journal 101:1503–1510.Google Scholar
87Varvel, G.E. and Wilhelm, W.W. 2010. Long-term soil organic carbon as affected by tillage and cropping systems. Soil Science Society of America Journal 74:915–921.Google Scholar
88Mirsky, S.B., Lanyon, L.E., and Needelman, B.A. 2008. Evaluating soil management using particulate and chemically labile soil organic matter fractions. Soil Science Society of America Journal 72:180–185.Google Scholar
89Coulter, J.A., Nafziger, E.D., and Wander, M.M. 2009. Soil organic matter response to cropping system and nitrogen fertilization. Agronomy Journal 101:592–599.Google Scholar
90Hernandez-Ramirez, G., Brouder, S.M., Smith, D.R., and Van Scoyoc, G.E. 2009. Carbon and nitrogen dynamics in an Eastern Corn Belt soil: Nitrogen source and rotation. Soil Science Society of America Journal 73:128–137.Google Scholar
91Workneh, F. and van Bruggen, A.H.C. 1994. Suppression of corky root of tomatoes in soils from organic farms associated with microbial activity and nitrogen status of soil and tomato tissue. Phytopathology 84:688–694.Google Scholar
92van Bruggen, A.H.C. 1995. Plant-disease severity in high-input compared to reduced-input and organic farming systems. Plant Disease 79:976–984.Google Scholar
93Mendes, I.C., Bandick, A.K., Dick, R.P., and Bottomley, P.J. 1999. Microbial biomass and activities in soil aggregates affected by winter cover crops. Soil Science Society of America Journal 63:873–881.Google Scholar
94Darby, H.M., Stone, A.G., and Dick, R.P. 2006. Compost and manure mediated impacts on soilborne pathogens and soil quality. Soil Science Society of America Journal 70:347–358.Google Scholar
95Ruffo, M.L., Bollero, G.A., Hoeft, R.G., and Bullock, D.G. 2005. Spatial variability of the Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test: Implications for soil sampling. Agronomy Journal 97:1485–1492.Google Scholar
96Clark, M.S., Horwath, W.R., Shennan, C., Scow, K.M., Lantni, W.T., and Ferris, H. 1999. Nitrogen, weeds and water as yield-limiting factors in conventional, low-input, and organic tomato systems. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 73:257–270.Google Scholar
97Liebig, M.A. and Doran, J.W. 1999. Impact of organic production practices on soil quality indicators. Journal of Environmental Quality 28:1601–1609.Google Scholar
98Idowu, O.J., Es, H.M.V., Abawi, G.S., Wolfe, D.W., Schindelbeck, R.R., Moebius-Clune, B.N., and Gugino, B.K. 2009. Use of an integrative soil health test for evaluation of soil management impacts. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 24:214–224.Google Scholar