Many farmers have adopted reduced tillage management practices. While the effectiveness of these practices at reducing soil erosion and enhancing soil health are well documented, the impact of reduced tillage on plant nutritional quality is not well understood. Current interest in the role of the fungal derived antioxidant ergothioneine (ERGO) in human health has driven efforts to understand the influence of different crop management practices on the transfer of ERGO from soil to plants and ultimately to human consumption. We sampled roots and plant tissue from soybeans () and wheat () in a long-term (40+ year) side-by-side tillage trial and examined the extent to which moldboard plow (high intensity tillage), chisel/disk (intermediate tillage), and no-till (minimal disturbance) practices affected mycorrhizal colonization, ERGO concentration, mineral nutrient concentration, and yield. We found that high tillage intensity reduced the ERGO concentration of wheat grain by about half. The ERGO concentration of wheat was positively correlated with percent mycorrhizal colonization. Additional benefits of reduced tillage were increased concentration of soybean P, Mg, Cu, Zn, and increased soybean yield. These results demonstrate a possible link between soil health and human health through positive mycorrhizal influence on plant ERGO uptake.

中文翻译：

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减少耕作农业可以通过增加菌根定殖和抗氧化剂麦角硫因的吸收来改善植物营养质量


许多农民采取了少耕管理措施。虽然这些做法在减少土壤侵蚀和增强土壤健康方面的有效性已有充分记录，但减少耕作对植物营养质量的影响尚不清楚。目前人们对真菌衍生的抗氧化剂麦角硫因 (ERGO) 在人类健康中的作用的兴趣驱使人们努力了解不同作物管理实践对 ERGO 从土壤转移到植物并最终转移到人类消费的影响。我们在一项长期（40 年以上）并排耕作试验中对大豆 () 和小麦 () 的根部和植物组织进行了采样，并检查了犁耕（高强度耕作）、凿子/圆盘（中级耕作）的程度。耕作）和免耕（最小干扰）做法影响菌根定植、ERGO 浓度、矿质养分浓度和产量。我们发现，高耕作强度使小麦籽粒中的 ERGO 浓度降低了约一半。小麦的 ERGO 浓度与菌根定植百分比呈正相关。减少耕作的其他好处是增加大豆磷、镁、铜、锌的浓度，并提高大豆产量。这些结果表明，通过菌根对植物 ERGO 吸收的积极影响，土壤健康与人类健康之间可能存在联系。