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The effect of cultivation on structure in soils affected by opencast mining for coal
Author(s) -
Scullion John,
Mohammed Abdul R A,
Ramshaw Geoff A
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740550302
Subject(s) - tillage , environmental science , coal mining , soil water , organic matter , coal , soil structure , aggregate (composite) , soil science , porosity , agronomy , chemistry , geology , ecology , geotechnical engineering , biology , materials science , organic chemistry , composite material
Two grassland sites, reinstated after opencast mining for coal, were used to assess the effect of cultivation on structure rehabilitation. In general, cultivation had an adverse effect over a range of porosity and aggregate stability indices. This effect tended to be more marked in macro‐ rather than micro‐aggregate stability, in the upper rather than the lower half of the tillage layer and at higher intensities of cultivation. Some tillage responses persisted after two years. Cultivation effects were partly explained by mixing of soil within the tilled layer. However, results indicated some direct physical destruction of aggregates and a large reduction in aggregate stability. Data available did not point to any clear cause of this reduction in stability. Nevertheless, there was some evidence that cultivation may have disrupted the stabilisation of aggregates by organic matter, without influencing overall organic content. Net structural responses to cultivation are a balance of adverse and beneficial effects. In replaced soils this balance is negative. For this reason, tillage should be restricted where structure rehabilitation is a priority.