Cropping systems with perennial vegetation and livestock integration promote soil health

Soil health can differ across cropping systems because of variation in edaphic and management factors. We evaluated how biological indicators of soil health (soil organic matter [SOM], permanganate oxidizable carbon [POXC], mineralizable carbon [MinC], autoclaved-citrate-extractable [ACE] protein, and potentially mineralizable nitrogen [PMN]) compared across four common Wisconsin cropping systems: grazed cool-season pastures, forage-based rotations that included perennial legumes or grasses, annual rotations receiving manure, and annual rotations receiving synthetic fertilizers. Biological indicators of soil health were up to 195% greater in pastures than other cropping systems. MinC, POXC and PMN were 10%-90% greater in forage-based rotations than annual cropping systems, but only MinC and POXC were greater in annual systems with manure compared to those without manure by 35% and 7%, respectively. Perennial vegetation and livestock integration offer the greatest potential to increase biological indicators of soil health in agricultural lands.

Automated summary

Soil health can vary across different cropping systems. In Wisconsin, biological indicators of soil health were found to be significantly higher in grazed cool-season pastures compared to other cropping systems. Forage-based rotations showed higher levels of certain biological indicators compared to annual cropping systems, and the addition of manure in annual systems increased levels of other indicators. Perennial vegetation and livestock integration showed the greatest potential for improving soil health in agricultural lands.