Summary
Abstract The combination of conservation tillage (non-inversion and no-till) with organic farming is rare due to weed problems. However, both practices have the potential to improve soil quality and increase soil organic C (SOC). This study investigated the changes in SOC, microbial biomass, and microbial composition during the transition from conventional to organic farming (from 2014 to 2020) in a long-term tillage trial established in 1999. Non-inversion minimum tillage to a depth of 10 cm (MT) resulted in SOC stratification, whilst conventional soil tillage with 25-cm-deep mouldboard ploughing (CT) maintained an even SOC distribution in the plough layer. After 12 years of contrasting tillage in 2011, the uppermost soil layer under MT had a 10% higher SOC content (1.6% w/w) than CT (1.4
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