Belowground Dynamics Influence Nitrogen Cycling and Crop Productivity in Diversified Corn Systems

Ecological nutrient management is a strategy that can help create resilient cropping systems and reduce the negative impact agricultural have on environment. enhances plant-soil-microbial interactions optimizes crop production while providing key ecosystem services. Incorporating perennial legumes into rotations implementing no-till to enhance organic nitrogen (N) soil pools could need for inorganic N fertilizer inputs lead improved health. Plant be further quantified understand how health across range of agroecosystems. This paper aims quantify plant in contrasting perenniality (corn–corn, corn–soy, corn–forage–forage) tillage intensity (chisel till vs. no-till). Key plant, soil, organismal metrics cycling were measured including fine root production, N-Acetyl-B-Gulcosaminidase (NAG) enzyme activity, protein, nematode enrichment opportunist (fungal bacterial feeding nematodes) Enrichment Index. Fine was determined using in-growth mesh cores. Findings reveal monoculture with reduced had significantly greater (FRN), protein NAG activity ( p < 0.05) relative corn-soy. Additionally, bacterivore opportunists b 1) corn-corn when compared all other rotation systems. Correlation analyses indicated positive significant relationships between FRN 0.05). These results demonstrate lengthening incorporating increase inputs, mineralization rates, storage. Such ecological approaches potential increasing long-term productivity.