Rotation of Horticultural Crops On No-till and Conventional Plots and Buildup of Carbon and Plant Nutrients.

Conservation tillage (CT) methods have been widely studied and accepted on agronomic crops, but horticultural crops have not been studied as thoroughly as agronomic crops in CT research programs. Residue management has become an integral part of CT systems because surface residues help reduce erosion, influence microbial processes, benefit crop production, and improve soil physical and chemical properties. The effect of no-till (NT) and conventional systems (CS) on rate of residue decomposition, and carbon and nutrient buildup was tested for a crop rotation program with Memphis silt loam soil in a subtropical region. The cropping systems included a rotation of spring sweet corn (Zea mays var. Merit), summer watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. Crimson sweet), and winter hardy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth). The conventional and no-till plots received inorganic fertilizers equally, but the former received traditional cultural practices. The parameters studied include upper biomass development and soil physicochemical changes including percent canopy cover, stem diameter, crop residue, organic carbon, macro and micro elements, yield, and soil compaction, moisture, and temperature. Biomass development and buildup of micro and macro nutrients and organic carbon were significantly higher for all crops of no-till plots than crops of conventional plots.