Earthworm populations under different tillage systems in organic farming

To understand how earthworms could improve soil porosity in no-tillage organic farming systems, the aim of our study was to compare the effect of different tillage systems on earthworm populations, from conventional (traditional mouldboard ploughing, MP and shallow mouldboard ploughing, SMP) to cons...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Soil & tillage research Vol. 104; no. 2; pp. 207 - 214
Main Authors:	Peigné, J., Cannavac iuolo, M., Gautronneau, Y., Aveline, A., Giteau, J.L., Cluzeau, D.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-07-2009 [Amsterdam]: Elsevier Science Elsevier
Subjects:	Abundance Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions arable soils Biochemistry and biology Biological and medical sciences Biomass Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties Conservation tillage Continental interfaces, environment crop rotation cropping systems Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage direct seeding Earthworms Environmental Sciences Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology General agronomy. Plant production Global Changes no-tillage Organic farming organic production Physical properties Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils plowing population size porosity reduced tillage Sciences of the Universe Soil erosion, conservation, land management and development Soil science Soil structure Soil tillage species diversity Structure, texture, density, mechanical behavior. Heat and gas exchanges Tillage. Tending. Growth control Zoology (interactions between soil fauna and agricultural or forest soils) France Soil structure Abundance Organic farming Biomass Earthworms Conservation tillage Soil tillage Fauna Annelida Oligochaeta Earthworm Organic agriculture Macrofauna Population Soil science Invertebrata
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Summary:	To understand how earthworms could improve soil porosity in no-tillage organic farming systems, the aim of our study was to compare the effect of different tillage systems on earthworm populations, from conventional (traditional mouldboard ploughing, MP and shallow mouldboard ploughing, SMP) to conservation tillage (reduced tillage, RT, direct drilling or very superficial tillage, NT) in three organic arable systems in France (sites A–C). In a second stage, the effect of earthworm activity on soil porosity under the four tillage systems was assessed at sites A and B. Earthworm abundance, biomass and diversity were measured over a 2–3-year period at the 3 sites. During the same period, soil structure (soil profile description and soil bulk density) and open worm burrows in the soil were assessed at sites A and B. After 3 years of experiments, it was found that at 2 sites earthworm abundance and biomass were higher in NT than with ploughing or reduced tillage. The increase of earthworms in NT is mainly due to anecic species increase. Earthworm abundance and biomass tend to decrease regardless of the tillage techniques employed at sites with a ley, and conversely, tend to increase in NT and RT at sites initially ploughed. In the short term, the increase of anecic species in NT has no effect on soil porosity evolution: NT soils were more compacted than those which were ploughed. A long-term experiment is required to assess the effect of biological activity on the physical components of soil in organic farming.
Bibliography:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2009.02.011 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0167-1987 1879-3444
DOI:	10.1016/j.still.2009.02.011