Preliminary investigations on the effects of no‐till corn production methods on specific soil mesofauna populations

Abstract

Moldboard plowing, chisel plowing and no-till methods were used to produce field corn (Z. mays) in an old grass sod. Grain yields were similar ranging between 13,100-14,186 kg/ha. The greatest spread in soil temperatures was only 2.1.degree. C with the plowed soil always being warmest. Mean soil organic matter levels of the surface soil ranged between 1.9% on the moldboard plowed plots and 3.3% on the no-till plots. Soil Collembola (10 spp.) were identified. Collembola and Acarina populations were concentrated in the surface 5 cm of soil and were present in greatest numbers in the no-till soil.