Articles | Volume 12, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-733-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-733-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Original research article
| 
03 Jul 2026
Original research article |
| 03 Jul 2026
| 03 Jul 2026
Non-inversion tillage benefits soil N retention during bare soil period coinciding with wet spell
Annelie Holzkämper
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Agroscope, Division Agroecology and Environment, Reckenholzstr. 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
Ernst Spiess
Agroscope, Division Agroecology and Environment, Reckenholzstr. 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
Clay Humphrys
Agroscope, Division Agroecology and Environment, Reckenholzstr. 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
Karin Meier-Zimmermann
Agroscope, Division Agroecology and Environment, Reckenholzstr. 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
Olivier Heller
Agroscope, Division Agroecology and Environment, Reckenholzstr. 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
Thomas Keller
Agroscope, Division Agroecology and Environment, Reckenholzstr. 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
Volker Prasuhn
Agroscope, Division Agroecology and Environment, Reckenholzstr. 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
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Short summary
We studied whether reduced soil disturbance can lower nitrate losses from farmland in Switzerland. In a large lysimeter experiment, we compared chisel ploughing with conventional ploughing.
Reduced tillage lowered nitrate leaching by up to 42 percent in some soils during a very rainy period without crop cover. The results suggest that reduced soil management could help protect water quality under future climate conditions with wetter winter and spring conditions.
We studied whether reduced soil disturbance can lower nitrate losses from farmland in...
