Nitrogen and Carbon Dynamics in Long Term No-till Management.

While it is known that no-till farming results in improved soil quality though the protection of soil carbon and nitrogen in undisturbed aggregates, the mass retained is unclear and controversial. In order to quantify the amount of soil C and N preserved in the soil by no-till, a paired till and no-till management study was established in North Central Ohio in May 2015. The objective of this study was to compare nutrient release from a Centerburg silt loam that has been under long-term no-till production. Following the tillage treatments, nitrogen fertilizer was applied six different rates (0, 28, 56, 112, 224, and 448 kg N/ha). In addition to common crop growth measurements, crop nutrient sufficiency will be measured using a Minolta SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter and a Trimble Handheld GreenseekerTM crop sensor. Yield, crop growth, nutrient sufficiency, and economic optimal fertilizer rates will be calculated and presented. This study will analyze the fertility held by long-term no-till soils compared to tilled soils, and provide another argument in the case for conversion.