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Due to an interest of sustainable food production a key issue of environmental agriculture is the stabilization and increase of organic matter and nutrient contents in soils. Accordingly, tue productivity of soils is a main focus to achieve similar crop yields compared to conventional agriculture. This work investigated the influence of tillage intensity and various cover crops on fractions of C, N and P with different stability in soil. These fractions were determined in loess soils, which are one of the most fertile soils in the world due to their physical and chemical properties. The investigations were on 3 laboratory and field experiments to made conclusions about the possible influence of tillage intensity or growed and incorporated cover crops on C, N and P fractions. Overall, it has been found that reduced tillage leads to a C and N sequestration in soils.

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After successfully completing her diploma program on landscape ecology at the Carl-von-Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, author starts her doctoral thesis (funded by the DFG) in 2010 at the University of Kassel (Ecological Agricultural Sciences, Department of Environmental Chemistry; graduate in 2013). Since 2013 Mrs Piegholdt is working at IfÖL.

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