Conservation Management Practices Benefit Physiological and Environment Responses of Agroecosystems.

Conservation practices to benefit soil health have benefits to all components of an agroecosystem and often we only consider the benefit to the soil. Linkages between changes in the soil derived from conservation practices and crop production or environmental quality provide the incentive for producers to begin to consider and adopt different management practices. There are a series of complex interactions which occur in the short- and long-term as a result of the implementation of conservation practices. Reduced tillage, increased crop residue, and crop diversity are components to conservation practices because they contribute to two key aspects related to soil health. First, a soil environment which promotes soil biology which in turn becomes very efficient at capturing carbon and increasing nutrient availability and second, a soil environment which alters the water balance. The physiological response of crop plants is modified in the short-term because of increased water availability and a cooler and wetter soil environment near the surface which supplies more root material for the soil biological system.  This allows the plant to maintain an efficient level of growth utilizing water, light, and nutrients at the greatest efficiency. In the long-term, increasing soil health increases water storage and water availability to the crop but also increases the rooting depth because of the presence of old root channels. This creates a situation in which the plant is more resistant to stress because it has access to all of the components necessary for high production levels. Environmental quality is enhanced with conservation management because the reduction in the movement of water reduces the potential for runoff or leaching. The capacity to improve the soil via conservation practices has positive benefits to the plant and the environment.