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Abstract Information on corn ( Zea mays L.) residue removal and organic amendment additions to ameliorate removal effects on soil properties is limited. Thus, we compared impacts of corn residue removal at 59% and organic amendments (winter rye Secale cereale L.) cover crop and manure every other year at 24 Mg ha −1 on soil organic carbon (SOC) and physical properties after 10 years under irrigated no‐till continuous corn on a silt loam in the western US Corn Belt. We collected soil property data after 10 years and then compared it with earlier results from this experiment (3 and 6 years). Cover crop and manure amendments maintained SOC concentration, but no amelioration practice reduced SOC concentration (−15%) from 3 to 10 years when residues were annually removed in 0‐ to 5‐cm depth. Under residue retention, SOC concentration increased with time with largest increase (+41%) occurring under manure amelioration practice in the 0‐ to 5‐cm depth. Residue removal reduced soil wet aggregate stability by 34%, soil dry aggregate stability by 73%, bulk density by 6%, water content at −33 kPa matric potential by 14%, and plant available water by 17% after 10 years in the 0‐ to 5‐cm soil depth but did not affect infiltration rate. Cover crops increased wet aggregate stability (32%), but manure and cover crops had limited effects on other soil properties. Residue removal increased the susceptibility of the soil to erosion and reduced water retention and SOC after 3 years, but such effects were not fully offset by amendments.
Klopp et al. (Fri,) studied this question.