Dataset on the interaction effects of tillage, crop rotations and residue management on overall soil quality

Abstract

The data reported in this article is related to the research article entitled “Short-term effects of conservation agriculture strategies on the soil quality of a Haplic Plinthosol in Eastern Cape, South Africa” [1]. Standard soil extraction procedures and experiments were used to generate the raw soil indicator data [2] and the data was interpreted using the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) algorithms to evaluate the impacts of tillage practices, crop rotation sequences and residue management systems on overall soil quality. The SMAF-soil quality index (SMAF-SQI) was used as an indicator of overall soil quality. The soil indicator scores were processed and analyzed using the JMP statistical package [3]. The SMAF-scored data is made accessible for supplementary use and for advancing the understanding of the main findings of the related research.

Keywords

• Overall soil quality
• Soil management assessment framework (SMAF)
• Soil quality index (SQI)
• Conservation agriculture (CA) strategies