Research on subsoil biopores and their functions in organically managed soils: A review

Abstract

AbstractThe living soil is the basis for crop production in organic agriculture. Biopores are voids in the soil which were formed by the activity of soil life. The first scientific studies on biopores were published in the 1870s–90s by Victor Hensen who stated that earthworms were opening channels to the subsoil and coating them with humus, thus creating a beneficial environment for root growth. His work was originally widely recognized, but then research on biopores was neglected for many decades and was only revitalized with the rise of ecological concerns in the 1960s. In recent times, biopores have attracted the attention of agronomists with a focus on organic agriculture. New visualization techniques, such as X-ray micro computed tomography, in-situ endoscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging have been applied. Biopores contribute to air transport through the soil, increase water infiltration, reduce water runoff and soil erosion, serve as preferential pathways for root elongation and can facilitate the acquisition of water and nutrients from the subsoil. The relevance of biopores for nutrient acquisition can be pronounced particularly in organic production systems, where crops are more dependent on nutrient acquisition from the solid soil phase than under conditions of conventional agriculture. Organic land-use strategies should aim to increase number, stability and quality of biopores. The biopore density can be increased by the share of dicotyledons in the crop rotation and by cultivating perennial crops with taproot systems. Moreover, density and—in particular—the quality of biopores, e.g., the nutrient contents of pore walls, can be influenced by anecic earthworms which can be promoted by adapted tillage practices.