Tag Archives: literature review

02Mar/20

Illinois study shows universally positive effect of cover crops on soil microbiome

March 2, 2020Soil Healthagriculture, cover crops, farmers, farming, literature review, meta-analysis, microbes, microbial communities, soil healthLeslie Johnson

A meta-analysis of current cover crop research was done by researchers at the University of Illinois. They found that microbial abundance was up 27%, activity was up 22%, and diversity increased 2.5% when using cover cropsRead More…

01May/18

Research demonstrates that animal manures can produce both environmental and productivity benefits over the commercial fertilizer it replaces.

Manure’s Impact on Yield, Nitrogen, and Carbon

May 1, 2018Manurecrops, environment, farmers, farming, literature review, manure benefits, manure value, nebraska, nitrogen loss, soil, soil amendments, soil organic matter, state of the science

Manure is often viewed by many as an environmental liability. However, if manure is applied at rates equal to or less than the nitrogen (N) requirement of a crop, can manure produce environmental benefits over commercial fertilizer? This was the focus of an Asian research group which summarized the results of 141 published studies from Asia, Europe, and the U.S. comparing manure substitution for fertilizer. This article summarizes the “Take Home Messages” from this research paper.

Soil quality impacts of agricultural and municipal biosolids applications

January 8, 2018Manure, Soil Healthagriculture, literature review, manure, manure and soil health, manure benefits, organic matter, research, science, soil, state of the scienceLeslie Johnson

Background Soil health management refers to the preservation and improvement in soil physical, chemical, and biological properties to maximize the productive capacity of soil. Cover crops and reduced tillage are promoted for improving soil health; however,Read More…