No-till annual wheat is better for soil health in California climate

From LEFT are researchers Brand Lundy, Kalyn Taylor And Taylor Becker, has THE time all In THE CU Davis Department of Factory Sciences, observe plots of wheatgrass. THE photo was taken In 2019, during THE second year of A Three years experience has compare THE benefits And disadvantages of perennial Wheatgrass with plowed annual wheat And no-till annual wheat In from California Central Valley. Photo: CU Davis Department of Factory Science

A more reason has adopt sustainable culture

California wheat Farmers could both maintain their yields And improve ground health by growth annual wheat without plow THE ground year After year.

This could be A more encouragement has Farmers has adopt A sustainable practical commonly called conservation plowing, no-till Or minimum up to cultivation, impactful how We to grow A grain that supplies about 20 percent of THE calories And protein For people around THE world.

A new study, by A team directed by Brand Lundy, University of California Cooperative Extension specialist In CU Davis Department of Factory Sciences, offers new preview For decades discussions around ground conservation, sustainable agriculture And global warming broadcasts related has growth OUR food. THE study has has been published In THE newspaper Ground And Plowing Research. For THE First of all time, researchers to have watch that annual wheat that East not plowed each year East better For hide carbon In THE ground that perennial wheatgrass, while always transferor more reframe In Central California.

Previous studies to have look at has annual wheat that East plowed each year, annual wheat that East not plowed, And A cousin species, perennial intermediate Wheatgrass (trademark Kernza), which Also East not plowed. But until NOW, No A has look at has all of THE benefits And compromise together. Most important, "No A has Never control For plowing," Monday said. "And, No A has compared with annual wheat has perennial intermediate Wheatgrass on several years In A Mediterranean climate, which East What We to have In California. »

HAS THE LEFT East perennial intermediate Wheatgrass (Kernza), And has THE RIGHT East no-till annual wheat In experimental plots West of CU Davis In June 2019. Photo courtesy: Kalyn Taylor

This study Also East unique because he search In THE Deeper question of What East going on In THE ground that discs THE different results For carbon there. Ground carbon reflects miscellaneous process related has factory activity And ground health. Measure THE different shapes of ground carbon can Also signal if A agriculture system East accumulate carbon In THE ground on time - A more For reduce global warming gases In THE atmosphere.

"Measure ground carbon East complex And nuanced,” said Kalyn Taylor, THE lead author on THE paper. "We begin This experience because We research has know if And how factory activity And plow Or not plow would be affect THE carbon history in the basement In from California climate. »

"When We begin This study, We thought THE reframe be perennial Or annual would be to drive THE differences In carbon storage In THE ground," Monday added. Specifically, they had expected perennial Wheatgrass would be lead has more carbon In THE ground because of It is Deeper, better established root system. "But It is not What We find," he went on. "What We find was, he was THE lack of plowing, more THE level of productivity of common annual wheat, that do THE difference In ground carbon here In California. »

Ground carbon In annual against. perennial grain

In 2017, Lundy, then a graduate student Taylor, CU Davis Teacher Skilled Kate Barge And others on THE team begin measure different shapes of ground carbon In test plots has Russell Ranch, West of Campus. Plots were plant with annual wheat that was plowed each spring, annual wheat that was not plowed And perennial intermediate Wheatgrass (Kernza) that Also was not plowed.

Each year, THE researchers measure THE carbon here In THE ground, THE Rising of ground organisms (which to have vs...