Putting the soil health principles to the test in Iowa

McDaniel, M. D.; Middleton, T. A.

doi:10.1002/saj2.20761

Title: Putting the soil health principles to the test in Iowa

Journal Article · 23 September 2024 · Soil Science Society of America Journal

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20761 · OSTI ID:2448389

^[1];

^[2]

Iowa State University, Ames, IA (United States); CABBI
Iowa State University, Boone, IA (United States)

One of the most popular soil conservation campaigns is based on the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service's Soil Health Principles (NRCS-SHPs). The NRCS-SHP program identifies four principles—maximize presence of living roots, minimize disturbance, maximize soil cover, and maximize biodiversity—with the underlying assumption that the more principles one follows, the greater improvements in soil health. Despite the popularity of the NRCS-SHPs, this underlying assumption has not been rigorously tested. To do so, we used nine long-term experiments all located in central Iowa, but with varying degree of NRCS-SHP adoption, to determine if greater adoption increases three slow-changing (maximum water holding capacity, bulk density [BD], and soil organic carbon) and three dynamic (microbial biomass carbon [MBC], potentially mineralizable carbon [PMC], and permanganate oxidizable carbon [POXC]) soil health indicators. We regressed these indicators with a soil health principle score that can scale soil management based on adoption of the NRCS-SHPs. Of the slow-changing soil properties, increased adoption of NRCS-SHPs only decreased soil BD (R2 = 0.22, p = 0.024). On the other hand, increased adoption of NRCS-SHPs strongly predicted increases in both MBC and PMC and across two sampling dates (R2 > 0.23, p < 0.015); POXC, however, did not increase with greater adoption. The consistent increases in MBC and PMC with greater adoption of NRCS-SHPs supports their usefulness as sensitive indicators of positive soil health change. Our study provides scientific evidence to support the NRCS-SHPs concept, improving its usefulness as an extension campaign, and stands as a step toward evidence-based soil conservation.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Cite

Export

Save

Research Organization:: Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), Urbana, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0018420

OSTI ID:: 2448389

Journal Information:: Soil Science Society of America Journal, Journal Name: Soil Science Society of America Journal Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 88; ISSN 0361-5995

Publisher:: Alliance of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science SocietiesCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (75)

Evolution of the Soil Health Movement Karlen, Douglas L.; De, Mriganka; McDaniel, Marshall D. Soil Health Series: Volume 1 Approaches to Soil Health Analysis https://doi.org/10.1002/9780891189817.ch2	book	July 2021
Soil health changes following transition from an annual cropping to perennial management‐intensive grazing agroecosystem Shawver, Casey J.; Ippolito, James A.; Brummer, Joe E. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment, Vol. 4, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20181	journal	January 2021
Combination of biological and chemical soil tests best predict maize nitrogen response McDaniel, M. D.; Walters, D. T.; Bundy, L. G. Agronomy Journal, Vol. 112, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20129	journal	February 2020
Introducing the North American project to evaluate soil health measurements Norris, Charlotte E.; Bean, G. Mac; Cappellazzi, Shannon B. Agronomy Journal, Vol. 112, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20234	journal	May 2020
Evaluating cool‐season grass species as potential perennial groundcover for maize production Chen, Allen; Fei, Shui‐zhang; Lenssen, Andrew William Agronomy Journal, Vol. 114, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21087	journal	June 2022
Assessment of USDA‐NRCS rangeland conservation programs: recommendation for an evidence‐based conservation platform Briske, D. D.; Bestelmeyer, B. T.; Brown, J. R. Ecological Applications, Vol. 27, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1414	journal	November 2016
Management of cover crops in temperate climates influences soil organic carbon stocks: a meta‐analysis McClelland, Shelby C.; Paustian, Keith; Schipanski, Meagan E. Ecological Applications, Vol. 31, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2278	journal	March 2021
Quantifying soil carbon change in a long‐term tillage and crop rotation study across Iowa landscapes Al‐Kaisi, Mahdi M.; Kwaw‐Mensah, David Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 84, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20003	journal	January 2020
Soil health recovery after grassland reestablishment on cropland: The effects of time and topographic position De, Mriganka; Riopel, Jason A.; Cihacek, Larry J. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 84, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20007	journal	March 2020
Relating four‐day soil respiration to corn nitrogen fertilizer needs across 49 U.S. Midwest fields Bean, G. Mac; Kitchen, Newell R.; Veum, Kristen S. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 84, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20091	journal	July 2020
Cover crop impacts on soil physical properties: A review Blanco‐Canqui, Humberto; Ruis, Sabrina J. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 84, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20129	journal	September 2020
Do soil health tests match farmer experience? Assessing biological, physical, and chemical indicators in the Upper Midwest United States O'Neill, Brendan; Sprunger, Christine D.; Robertson, G. Philip Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 85, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20233	journal	April 2021
Intensification of no‐till agricultural systems: An opportunity for carbon sequestration Nicoloso, Rodrigo S.; Rice, Charles W. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 85, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20260	journal	August 2021
Selecting soil hydraulic properties as indicators of soil health: Measurement response to management and site characteristics Bagnall, Dianna K.; Morgan, Cristine L. S.; Bean, G. Mac Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 86, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20428	journal	July 2022
Multi-year and Multi-site Establishment of the Perennial Biomass Crop Miscanthus × giganteus Using a Staggered Start Design to Elucidate N Response Tejera, Mauricio; Boersma, Nicholas; Vanloocke, Andy BioEnergy Research, Vol. 12, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-019-09985-6	journal	May 2019
Soil Health and Sustainability Doran, J. W.; Sarrantonio, M.; Liebig, M. A. Advances in Agronomy, p. 1-54 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2113(08)60178-9	book	January 1996
Soil carbon and nitrogen changes as influenced by tillage and cropping systems in some Iowa soils Al-Kaisi, Mahdi M.; Yin, Xinhua; Licht, Mark A. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Vol. 105, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2004.08.002	journal	March 2005
Controls over soil microbial biomass responses to carbon amendments in agricultural systems: A meta-analysis Kallenbach, Cynthia; Grandy, A. Stuart Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Vol. 144, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2011.08.020	journal	November 2011
Carbon sequestration in agricultural soils via cultivation of cover crops – A meta-analysis Poeplau, Christopher; Don, Axel Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Vol. 200 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2014.10.024	journal	February 2015
The response of soil physical quality parameters to a perennial grain crop Daly, E. J.; Kim, K.; Hernandez-Ramirez, G. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Vol. 343 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2022.108265	journal	February 2023
Evaluation of the CO2 flush as a soil health indicator Laffely, Audrey; Erich, M. Susan; Mallory, Ellen B. Applied Soil Ecology, Vol. 154 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2020.103594	journal	October 2020
Assessing biological soil health through decomposition of inexpensive household items Middleton, Teresa E.; McCombs, Audrey L.; Gailans, Stefan R. Applied Soil Ecology, Vol. 168 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2021.104099	journal	December 2021
Corn and soil response to biochar application and stover harvest Rogovska, Natalia; Laird, David A.; Karlen, Douglas L. Field Crops Research, Vol. 187 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2015.12.013	journal	February 2016
Effects of long-term organic and mineral fertilizers on bulk density and penetration resistance in semi-arid Mediterranean soil conditions Celik, Ismail; Gunal, Hikmet; Budak, Mesut Geoderma, Vol. 160, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.09.028	journal	December 2010
Linking soils to ecosystem services — A global review Adhikari, Kabindra; Hartemink, Alfred E. Geoderma, Vol. 262 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.08.009	journal	January 2016
Long-term effects of conventional and reduced tillage on soil structure, soil ecological and soil hydraulic properties Schlüter, Steffen; Großmann, Caroline; Diel, Julius Geoderma, Vol. 332 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.07.001	journal	December 2018
Assessing the sensitivity and repeatability of permanganate oxidizable carbon as a soil health metric: An interlab comparison across soils Wade, Jordon; Maltais-Landry, Gabriel; Lucas, Dawn E. Geoderma, Vol. 366 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2020.114235	journal	May 2020
Cover cropping enhances soil microbial biomass and affects microbial community structure: A meta-analysis Muhammad, Ihsan; Wang, Jun; Sainju, Upendra M. Geoderma, Vol. 381 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2020.114696 114696	journal	January 2021
Potential carbon mineralization assays are confounded by different soil drying temperatures Leeford, Matthew; Singh Mavi, Manpreet; Liptzin, Daniel Geoderma, Vol. 437 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2023.116596	journal	September 2023
Meta-analysis approach to assess effect of tillage on microbial biomass and enzyme activities Zuber, Stacy M.; Villamil, María B. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 97 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2016.03.011	journal	June 2016
Conservation agriculture practices increase soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen in agricultural soils: A global meta-analysis Li, Yuan; Chang, Scott X.; Tian, Lihua Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 121 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.02.024	journal	June 2018
Do cover crops benefit soil microbiome? A meta-analysis of current research Kim, Nakian; Zabaloy, María C.; Guan, Kaiyu Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 142 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2019.107701	journal	March 2020
A minimum suite of soil health indicators for North American agriculture Bagnall, Dianna K.; Rieke, Elizabeth L.; Morgan, Cristine L. S. Soil Security, Vol. 10 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soisec.2023.100084	journal	March 2023
Erosional impact on organic matter content and productivity of selected Iowa soils Fenton, T.; Kazemi, M.; Lauterbachbarrett, M. Soil and Tillage Research, Vol. 81, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2004.09.005	journal	April 2005
Soil quality response to long-term tillage and crop rotation practices Karlen, Douglas L.; Cambardella, Cynthia A.; Kovar, John L. Soil and Tillage Research, Vol. 133 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2013.05.013	journal	October 2013
Farmer perceptions of soil quality and their relationship to management-sensitive soil parameters Gruver, J. B.; Weil, R. R. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, Vol. 22, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742170507001834	journal	December 2007
Recent Rapid Increase of Cover Crop Adoption Across the U.S. Midwest Detected by Fusing Multi‐Source Satellite Data Zhou, Qu; Guan, Kaiyu; Wang, Sheng Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 49, Issue 22 https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL100249	journal	November 2022
Soil erosion and agricultural sustainability Montgomery, D. R. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 104, Issue 33 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0611508104	journal	August 2007
Soil carbon debt of 12,000 years of human land use Sanderman, Jonathan; Hengl, Tomislav; Fiske, Gregory J. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 114, Issue 36 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1706103114	journal	August 2017
Persistent soil carbon enhanced in Mollisols by well-managed grasslands but not annual grain or dairy forage cropping systems Rui, Yichao; Jackson, Randall D.; Cotrufo, M. Francesca Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 119, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2118931119	journal	February 2022
Estimating active carbon for soil quality assessment: A simplified method for laboratory and field use Islam, K. R.; Stine, M. A.; Gruver, J. B. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, Vol. 18, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1079/AJAA2003003	journal	March 2003
Comparison of Low-Cost Methods for Soil Water Holding Capacity Govindasamy, Prabhu; Mahawer, Sonu Kumar; Mowrer, Jake Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, Vol. 54, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2022.2112216	journal	August 2022
A Simple, Affordable, Do-It-Yourself Method for Measuring Soil Maximum Water Holding Capacity Nelson, Jessica T.; Adjuik, Toby A.; Moore, E. Britt Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, Vol. 55, Issue 8, p. 1190-1204 https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2023.2296988	journal	December 2023
External Costs of Agricultural Production in the United States Tegtmeier, Erin M.; Duffy, Michael D. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, Vol. 2, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2004.9684563	journal	January 2004
Comprehensive impacts of diversified cropping on soil health and sustainability Baldwin-Kordick, Rebecca; De, Mriganka; Lopez, Miriam D. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, Vol. 46, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2021.2019167	journal	January 2022
Soil health in agricultural systems Kibblewhite, M. G.; Ritz, K.; Swift, M. J. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Vol. 363, Issue 1492 https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2007.2178	journal	September 2007
Environmental Externalities from Agriculture: Evidence from Water Quality in the United States Paudel, Jayash; Crago, Christine L. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 103, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1111/ajae.12130	journal	September 2020
Microbes drive global soil nitrogen mineralization and availability Li, Zhaolei; Tian, Dashuan; Wang, Bingxue Global Change Biology, Vol. 25, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14557	journal	January 2019
How to measure, report and verify soil carbon change to realize the potential of soil carbon sequestration for atmospheric greenhouse gas removal Smith, Pete; Soussana, Jean‐Francois; Angers, Denis Global Change Biology, Vol. 26, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14815	journal	October 2019
Trade-offs among agronomic, energetic, and environmental performance characteristics of corn and prairie bioenergy cropping systems Jarchow, Meghann E.; Liebman, Matt; Dhungel, Shashi GCB Bioenergy, Vol. 7, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12096	journal	January 2014
Mechanisms of soil carbon accrual and storage in bioenergy cropping systems Tiemann, Lisa K.; Grandy, A. Stuart GCB Bioenergy, Vol. 7, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12126	journal	March 2014
Soil net nitrogen mineralization and leaching under Miscanthus × giganteus and Zea mays Studt, Jacob E.; McDaniel, Marshall D.; Tejera, Mauricio D. GCB Bioenergy, Vol. 13, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12875	journal	July 2021
Money for Nothing? A Call for Empirical Evaluation of Biodiversity Conservation Investments Ferraro, Paul J.; Pattanayak, Subhrendu K. PLoS Biology, Vol. 4, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0040105	journal	April 2006
Organic farming enhances soil microbial abundance and activity—A meta-analysis and meta-regression Lori, Martina; Symnaczik, Sarah; Mäder, Paul PLOS ONE, Vol. 12, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180442	journal	July 2017
What We Talk about When We Talk about Soil Health Stewart, Ryan D.; Jian, Jinshi; Gyawali, Ayush J. Agricultural & Environmental Letters, Vol. 3, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.2134/ael2018.06.0033	journal	January 2018
Tillage and Crop Rotation Effects on Corn Agronomic Response and Economic Return at Seven Iowa Locations Al-Kaisi, Mahdi M.; Archontoulis, Sotirios V.; Kwaw-Mensah, David Agronomy Journal, Vol. 107, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj14.0470	journal	July 2015
Agroecosystem Performance during Transition to Certified Organic Grain Production Delate, Kathleen; Cambardella, Cynthia A. Agronomy Journal, Vol. 96, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2004.1288	journal	September 2004
Agronomic and Economic Performance Characteristics of Conventional and Low‐External‐Input Cropping Systems in the Central Corn Belt Liebman, Matt; Gibson, Lance R.; Sundberg, David N. Agronomy Journal, Vol. 100, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2007.0222	journal	May 2008
Short- and Long-Term Labile Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics Reflect Management and Predict Corn Agronomic Performance Culman, Steve W.; Snapp, Sieglinde S.; Green, John M. Agronomy Journal, Vol. 105, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2012.0382	journal	January 2013
Soil Organic Carbon Storage under Biofuel Cropping Systems in a Humid, Continental Climate Ibrahim, Mostafa A.; Chua‐Ona, Teresita; Liebman, Matt Agronomy Journal, Vol. 110, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2018.03.0204	journal	September 2018
Nitrate-Nitrogen Losses through Subsurface Drainage under Various Agricultural Land Covers Qi, Zhiming; Helmers, Matthew J.; Christianson, Reid D. Journal of Environmental Quality, Vol. 40, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2011.0151	journal	September 2011
Total Carbon, Organic Carbon, and Organic Matter Nelson, D. W.; Sommers, L. E. SSSA Book Series https://doi.org/10.2136/sssabookser5.3.c34	book	January 1996
Saturated Zones and Soil Morphology in a Mollisol Catena of Central Iowa Khan, F. A.; Fenton, T. E. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 58, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1994.03615995005800050026x	journal	September 1994
Acid fumigation of soils to remove carbonates prior to total organic carbon or CARBON-13 isotopic analysis Harris, David; Horwáth, William R.; van Kessel, Chris Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 65, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2001.1853	journal	January 2001
Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration Rates by Tillage and Crop Rotation West, Tristram O.; Post, Wilfred M. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 66, Issue 6, p. 1930-1946 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2002.1930	journal	January 2002
Assessing the Reliability of Permanganate-Oxidizable Carbon as an Index of Soil Labile Carbon Tirol-Padre, A.; Ladha, J. K. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 68, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2004.9690	journal	May 2004
Permanganate Oxidizable Carbon Reflects a Processed Soil Fraction that is Sensitive to Management Culman, Steven W.; Snapp, Sieglinde S.; Freeman, Mark A. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 76, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2011.0286	journal	January 2012
Rye Cover Crop Effects on Soil Quality in No-Till Corn Silage-Soybean Cropping Systems Moore, E. B.; Wiedenhoeft, M. H.; Kaspar, T. C. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 78, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2013.09.0401	journal	May 2014
Comparison of Permanganate-Oxidizable Carbon and Mineralizable Carbon for Assessment of Organic Matter Stabilization and Mineralization Hurisso, Tunsisa T.; Culman, Steve W.; Horwath, William R. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 80, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2016.04.0106	journal	September 2016
Sources of Variability that Compromise Mineralizable Carbon as a Soil Health Indicator Wade, Jordon; Culman, Steven W.; Hurisso, Tunsisa T. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 82, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2017.03.0105	journal	January 2018
Soil-Test Biological Activity with the Flush of CO₂: I. C and N Characteristics of Soils in Corn Production Franzluebbers, Alan J.; Pershing, Mary R.; Crozier, Carl Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 82, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2017.12.0433	journal	May 2018
Soil-Test Biological Activity with the Flush of CO₂: III. Corn Yield Responses to Applied Nitrogen Franzluebbers, Alan J. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 82, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2018.01.0029	journal	May 2018
Cover crop adoption in Iowa: The role of perceived practice characteristics Arbuckle, J. G.; Roesch-McNally, G. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Vol. 70, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.70.6.418	journal	November 2015
Evaluation of the Haney Soil Health Tool for corn nitrogen recommendations across eight Midwest states Yost, M. A.; Veum, K. S.; Kitchen, N. R. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Vol. 73, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.73.5.587	journal	January 2018
Soil Health Assessment and Management: Recent Development in Science and Practices Guo, Mingxin Soil Systems, Vol. 5, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems5040061	journal	October 2021

Similar Records

Systems with greater perenniality and crop diversity enhance soil biological health

Journal Article · 2019 · Agricultural & Environmental Letters · OSTI ID:1669188

Sprunger, Christine D.; Martin, Tvisha; Mann, Meredith

Sensitive Measures of Soil Health Reveal Carbon Stability Across a Management Intensity and Plant Biodiversity Gradient

Journal Article · 2022 · Frontiers in Soil Science · OSTI ID:1876129

Martin, Tvisha; Sprunger, Christine D.

Field experiments show no consistent reductions in soil microbial carbon in response to warming

Journal Article · 2024 · Nature Communications · OSTI ID:2322503

Yue, Chao; Jian, Jinshi; Ciais, Philippe; +7 more

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES

Title: Putting the soil health principles to the test in Iowa

Citation Formats

References (75)

Similar Records

Related Subjects