Crop rotation effects on soil carbon and physical fertility of two Australian soils

Published source details Blair N. & Crocker G.J. (2000) Crop rotation effects on soil carbon and physical fertility of two Australian soils. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 38, 71-84.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

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Use crop rotation

An experiment in 1997 on clay soils in New South Wales, Australia (Blair & Crocker 2000) found that crop rotation decreased soil organic carbon across all crop rotations (in two soil types) up to 71% compared to un-cropped controls. Including legumes like clover Trifolium subterraneum and lucerne Medicago sativa in rotations increased soil organic carbon levels by 41% and 32% respectively compared to wheat Triticum aestivum and long fallow controls, and 25% more than when grain legumes were included. Stability of soil aggregates was higher in continuous wheat than in rotations including lucerne, clover, and snail medic Medicago scutellata. A long-term rotation started in 1966 included six rotation treatments with three phases arranged in a 6 x 6 m plot (size/replication not specified). (1): lucerne followed by wheat. (2): lucerne or sorghum Sorghum bicolor on three plots, and a chickpea Cicer arietinum-wheat rotation, a wheat-long fallow rotation and continuous wheat on the remaining three. (3): cowpea Vigna unguiculata, clover or snail medic on three plots, and the same wheat rotations as for (2). Soil porosity was measured and soil samples were taken.