Seems that the less you do to "improve" your cropland, the better the soil gets. From Eureka Alert:
Organic crop practices affect long-term soil health
Prior organic farming practices and plantings can have lasting outcomes for future soil health, weeds and crop yields, according to new Cornell University research.
The study recently published in the journal Agriculture Systems also breaks down how specific components of soil health - such as the abundance and activity of soil animals and soil stability - affect crop productivity.
"With growing interest from farmers in being able to harness and exploit soil health, this research really helps us to get to the point of being more and more prescriptive about it," said Kyle Wickings, associate professor of entomology and co-author of the study.
Looks like a well-run study - they started in 2005 and used four different techniques on four different plots. In 2017, they plowed everything under and planted a standardized sorghum and measured the cropping rates in each plot.
Less tillage (plowing) and less weed "management" (sprays) resulted in better soil health. DUH...
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