surface aggregate stability with respect to CT systems through lower
soil disturbance and higher OC content at the soil surface (0–5cm
depth). Slaking was the dominant disaggregation process of the cultivated soils, representing 40–80% of total soil disruption. In the NAT
soils, the most stable soils of the study, the main cause of aggregate
breakdown was abrasion by agitation in water. Swelling and clay dispersion were less frequent processes and their occurrence seemed to
be associated with high silt and CaCO3contents. In contrast, slaking
was strongly and negatively affected by aggregate-associated OC.
Thus, this soil property together with the silt content (weak and positive effect) explained more than 80% of the slaking variation. Overall,
results from this on-farm study indicate that NT can be recommended
as a viable alternative to CT to reduce the susceptibility of soil surface
to crusting and erosion in cereal production areas of Aragon