The definitive version is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00489697
During decades, in semiarid rainfed Aragon, intensive soil tillage and low crop residue input have led to the loss of soil structure and soil degradation. Conservation tillage and cropping intensification can improve soil structure in these areas. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of three different tillage systems (traditional tillage, reduced tillage and no-tillage) under two cropping systems (fallow-barley rotation and barley monoculture) on soil aggregation dynamics during a cropping season. A decrease in tillage intensity resulted in a higher mean size of dry aggregates and a greater water aggregate stability in both cropping systems particularly under no-tillage.
Financial support of the Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología of Spain (Grants AGL2001-2238-CO2-01 y AGL 2004-07763-C02-02) and the European Union (FEDER funds) is gratefully acknowledged. The first author was awarded a FPI fellowship by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education.
Peer reviewed