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9.1: Cropping Systems and Soil Quality

  • Page ID
    48506
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    Introduction

    Plants and soil interact; soil provides water and nutrients to plants, and plant roots contribute organic matter to the soil, can promote soil structure, and support soil organisms. Above ground crop residues (non-harvested plants parts such as stems and leaves) can also protect the soil from erosion and return organic matter to the soil. But soil tillage can make soil vulnerable to erosion, alter soil physical properties and soil biological activity. In Module 7.1, you will learn what is meant by soil health for agricultural production and explore how crop types and cropping systems can impact the soil.


    This page titled 9.1: Cropping Systems and Soil Quality is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Heather Karsten & Steven Vanek (John A. Dutton: e-Education Institute) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.