Soil Tillage Experiment Schlatthof (Aesch Trial)

Local identifier
Bodenbearbeitungsversuch Schlatthof (Aesch-Vesuch)
Years operational
2010—
Objective
Effect of tillage and fertilization on soil properties and yield
Description
In Aesch, Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland, a long-term field experiment was set up in 2010 for the further development of reduced tillage in organic arable farming. The questions that led to the establishment of this trial were a) whether reduced tillage in organic farming is possible on this very good soil (loess soil) and b) whether mineral fertilisation could possibly close the yield gap between reduced tillage and conventional ploughing. The focus of the experiment is on the interaction between tillage (plough versus reduced tillage) and the type of fertilization (slurry versus mineral fertilization) as well as the fertilization level (low versus high, no fertilization as control). The use of the plough (max. 20 cm deep) is compared with reduced tillage (stubble cleaner or chisel, max. 10 cm deep) on two levels of mineral and organic fertilization in the crop rotation of silage maize, field beans, winter wheat and two years of grass clover. Different varieties were also examined at times. The effects of the different treatments on plant yield, soil organic carbon, soil life, soil nutrients, weed emergence and nutrient uptake of the plants are examined.
Data Access Statement
Available to collaborators only
Data Access Notes
Data and archived samples are available to researchers on request (archived samples: depending on the amount required) and in collaboration with the data owners, provided there are no conflicts of interest with existing users.
Data license
Don't know
Data policy
Don't know
Organization
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
research organisation
 +41 62 865 72 72
People
Dr. Meike Grosse
experiment manager
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 113, P.O. Box 219, 5070 Frick, Switzerland
Department of Soil Sciences
 +41 62 865 6397
Dr. Paul Mäder
principal investigator
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 113, P.O. Box 219, 5070 Frick, Switzerland
Department of Soil Sciences
Dr. Maike Krauss
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 113, P.O. Box 219, 5070 Frick, Switzerland
Department of Soil Sciences

Site: CH-4147 Aesch

Type
farmer field
Location
4147 Aesch
Basel-Landschaft
Switzerland
Geographic location
47.482014, 7.580211
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Elevation
349 Metres
Visits permitted?
Yes
Visiting arrangements
Visits are possible for professionals after arrangement by email or telephone.
Management
organic with special permit for mineral fertilization on this field
Soil type
luvisol
Soil description
silty loam
Climatic type
temperate oceanic climate
Climate description
The annual average temperature is 9.6 °C and the annual average precipitation is 785 mm.

Design period: Ongoing

Design Type
Split-plot
Description
In the Aesch Long-term Experiment ploughing (max. 20 cm deep) is compared to reduced tillage (stubble cleaner or chisel, max. 10 cm deep) and slurry is compared to mineral fertilization, both with low or high doses of fertilization. The crop rotation consists of silage maize, field beans, winter wheat and two years of grass clover.
Design description
The two factors - tillage and fertilization - were arranged in a split-plot design with four replicates.
Number of subplots
40
Number of replicates
4
Crops
CropYears grown
maize
faba beans
winter wheat
grass clover leys
Crop Rotation
Unnamed
  • 1
    maize
  • 2
    faba beans
  • 3
    winter wheat
  • 4
    grass clover leys
  • 5
    grass clover leys
Factors
Factor name
Factor levels
tillage process
ploughing (max. 20 cm deep) is compared to reduced tillage (stubble cleaner or chisel, max. 10 cm deep)
mouldboard plough
chisel plough
At the beginning of the experiment also a stubble cleaner was used in the reduced tillage plots.
fertilizer exposure
Slurry is compared to mineral fertilization, both with low or high doses of fertilization. No fertilization serves as control.
organic fertilizer  (low dose )
organic fertilizer  (high dose )
inorganic fertilizers  (low dose )
inorganic fertilizers  (high dose )
no fertilization
Measurements
VariableMaterialUnitsFrequencyScaleComment
yield componentsAll cropsannually
yield traitAll cropsannually
plant biomassAll cropsannually
weed abundanceNot specified2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016
soil organic carbonSoil%
total soil nitrogenSoil
soil pHSoil
phosphorous contentSoil
potassium contentSoil
magnesium contentSoil
plant quality traitsAll crops
calcium contentSoil
microbial biomassSoil
soil densitySoil

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