Effect of crop residue management in temperate agroecosystems. Soil biological and chemical (phosphorus and nitrogen) properties. A review.

Introduction. Biological processes that participate in soil functions, organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling are supported by interacting soil organisms. In agriculture, earthworms and microorganisms provide a range of beneficial roles, including increased organic matter mineralization, nutrient cycling and stabilization of soil structure . Literature. This paper focuses on some aspects of the effects of crop residue management on (i) the composition and structure of earthworm communities (ii) soil microbial communities, (iii) the availability and distribution of phosphorus and nitrogen elements and their distribution in the soil profile. Conventional tillage (plowing) is often reported to generate a decrease in the biological abundance and diversity of soil organisms, mainly earthworms and microorganisms as well as a uniform distribution of nutrients (P and N) within plowed horizon. Incorporating residues to mineral particles can increase their protection but returning soil also increases aeration and activation of microbial activity. Hence, comparisons of tillage effects on soil biological functioning and nutrient cycling are still not clear . Conclusions. The review highlights the difficulty to establish clear findings about the effect of crop residue management on soil organisms and nutrient dynamics, partly due to the variability of soil and climate in reported studies and to the complexity of processes occurring in soils. Further researches are needed for the silty soils under temperate climate.