In the context of sustainable agriculture, discuss the fundamental definition of conservation tillage with residual retention, elucidate its impact on water stable aggregates ?
This material is most derived from the Ohio State University and their extension department.
So the interpreation of the graphic is organic carbon is the loss of weight by ignition process.
Over have about two thirds of carbon in the soil is really oxidizable this is called the passive fraction.
5 to 20 percent is available of very important microbial action or activity of the soil this say 10% component is what feeds microbes and the crop and is determined by permanganate oxidation.
For critical soil health microbes and their activities are critically important.
If we believe as I do that our issues with AGW anthropogenic activities are of get importance the Passive and slowly active carbon is important because it is working to increase structure and also water infliltration and aeration while is taking sizable amounts of Carbon and Nitrogen from the air to the soil in a sequestered form.
Also it should be noted that as the total carbon reserve increases the critical active permanganate oxidized active fraction also increases.
The short tem increase in oxidizable carbon is also an excellent predictor for the long term increase in the passive slowly available forms of carbon also.
The bottomline is we we design agriculture systems withe stimulate soil microbial activity the end result is a long term increase in the overall storage of carbon in the soil this can counteract the AGW issues and make the soil more productive.
The structural chemical and biological activity of soils are all important in their understanding and management.
While chemical approach only suggested we need to only feed the plants and agrichemistry is the game the largely benefits can be accrued by feeding the soil its microbes and the plants will build the soil.
A solely soil or plant or microbe approach is not reflective of how the system works. As Dr. Dodge a person who elucidated the genetics of bread molds said When the last plant and the last animal dies there may well be a fungus to decay their remains.
In a complex system such as agriculture the need for holistic underatanding is greater than ever.