Due to increasing land-use pressures, soil-quality assessment is in growing demand, thus a standard set of procedures to assign a soil quality index (SQI) would be beneficial. In this study, the effectiveness of different managements in upholding soil quality (for crop productivity) was compared using soil quality indicators incorporated systematically to determine a SQI. The managements includ...

ABSTRACT Eyespot of wheat is caused by the discomycete fungi Tapesia yallundae and T. acuformis. T. yallundae is considered the most important causal agent of the disease in this region but no apothecia of either species have been found in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW). Two compatible isolates of T. yallundae from the PNW were used to inoculate a field plot in the fall of 1998 and apothecia ...

The N available after legumes is sufficient for maximum crop yields in many cropping systems. Fertilizing without accounting for the "extra" N mineralized from legume residues can contribute to high nitrate-N concentrations in the soil during crop production and increase nitrate-N leaching potential. Tillage practices also affect the physical, biological, and chemical nature of the soil, changi...