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Tillage practices affect soil microbe populations

The decreasing use of tillage has led to an increasing population of beneficial soil microbes.  The more soil microbes, the better it is for crops, according to Stacy Zuber, doctoral student at the University of Illinois.

“Microbes are really important for releasing these plant-available nutrients so that the plant and our crops can access them and be productive,” Zuber told Brownfield Ag News.

Soil microbes break down crop residues and release nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients back into the soil, said Zuber. She’s analyzed data from 62 studies worldwide on how tillage affects soil microbe populations.

“That, in turn, is going to affect how much nutrients are available, what form the nutrients are in, what the soil organic matter is in the soil,” she said, “and that’s going to, in turn, affect how well our soils are going to support our crop production.”

When tillage is used the type of tillage equipment matters, said Zuber. Chisel plows result in greater soil microbe populations than when moldboard plows or discs are used.

AUDIO: Stacy Zuber (5 min. MP3)