Perennial and Annual Cropping Sequences Differentially Influence Soil Functionality in Luvisolic Soils

Cropping system diversification with perennial herbage seed crops has been proposed as a promising strategy for sustaining soil health and functional agroecosystems. We evaluated the impact of diversified cropping systems on key soil properties important for crop production over a decade of experimentation. A field experiment was conducted from 2013 to 2024 with eight cropping sequences under three nitrogen levels (0, 45, and 90 kg N ha ^− 1 ) on a dark gray Luvisolic soil in the Peace River region of western Canada. The cropping sequences included two perennial legumes (red clover and alsike clover), three perennial grasses (creeping red fescue, meadow bromegrass, and timothy), and four annual field crops (wheat, canola, pea, and barley). Cropping sequences influenced soil functionality parameters regardless of nitrogen fertility levels. The creeping red fescue-dominated cropping sequence showed significant improvements in soil structure measured as stability and mean weight diameter of soil aggregates, soil organic carbon, microbial biomass, and active carbon in the top soil (0–15 cm). Soil enzymatic activities, particularly β-glucosidase and β-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, which mediate C and N cycling, were also higher in the top soil under fescue-and legume-integrated sequences. However, the bulk density and water characteristics remained stable with a similar degree of soil penetration resistance across cropping sequences. Similarly, soil pH remained consistent across cropping sequences, while plant-available nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N and NO₃⁻ -N) and total nitrogen levels varied with crop-specific influences. Overall, the inclusion of perennial herbage seed crops in conventional annual crop-based cropping systems improved soil health.