A global meta‐analysis of the impacts of no‐tillage on soil aggregation and aggregate‐associated organic carbon

Soil aggregation and the distribution of total organic carbon (TOC) may be affected by soil tillage and cover crops. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of crop rotation with cover crops on soil aggregation, TOC concentration in the soil aggregate fractions, and soil bulk density under a no-tillage system (NTS) and conventional tillage system (CTS, one plowing and two disking). This was a three-year study with cover crop/rice/cover crop/rice rotations in the Brazilian Cerrado. A randomized block experimental design with six treatments and three replications was used. The cover crops (treatments) were: fallow, Panicum maximum, Brachiaria ruziziensis, Brachiaria brizantha, and millet (Pennisetum glaucum). An additional treatment, fallow plus CTS, was included as a control. Soil samples were collected at the depths of 0.00-0.05 m, 0.05-0.10 m, and 0.10-0.20 m after the second rice harvest. The treatments under the NTS led to greater stability in the soil aggregates (ranging from 86.33 to 95.37 %) than fallow plus CTS (ranging from 74.62 to 85.94 %). Fallow plus CTS showed the highest number of aggregates smaller than 2 mm. The cover crops affected soil bulk density differently, and the millet treatment in the NTS had the lowest values. The cover crops without incorporation provided the greatest accumulation of TOC in the soil surface layers. The TOC concentration was positively correlated with the aggregate stability index in all layers and negatively correlated with bulk density in the 0.00-0.10 m layer.

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No-tillage with continuous maize cropping enhances soil aggregation and organic carbon storage in Northeast China

Geoderma ◽

10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.05.037 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 330 ◽

pp. 204-211 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Yan Zhang ◽

Xiujun Li ◽

Edward G. Gregorich ◽

Neil B. McLaughlin ◽

Xiaoping Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Carbon Storage ◽

Northeast China ◽

Soil Aggregation ◽

No Tillage ◽

Continuous Maize ◽

Organic Carbon Storage

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No-tillage lessens soil CO<sub>2</sub> emissions the most under arid and sandy soil conditions: results from a meta-analysis

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-13-3619-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 3619-3633 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Khatab Abdalla ◽

Pauline Chivenge ◽

Philippe Ciais ◽

Vincent Chaplot

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Carbon Cycle ◽

Carbon Content ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Organic Carbon Content ◽

No Tillage ◽

Soil Co2 ◽

Soil Co2 Emissions

Abstract. The management of agroecosystems plays a crucial role in the global carbon cycle with soil tillage leading to known organic carbon redistributions within soils and changes in soil CO2 emissions. Yet, discrepancies exist on the impact of tillage on soil CO2 emissions and on the main soil and environmental controls. A meta-analysis was conducted using 46 peer-reviewed publications totaling 174 paired observations comparing CO2 emissions over entire seasons or years from tilled and untilled soils across different climates, crop types and soil conditions with the objective of quantifying tillage impact on CO2 emissions and assessing the main controls. On average, tilled soils emitted 21 % more CO2 than untilled soils, which corresponded to a significant difference at P<0.05. The difference increased to 29 % in sandy soils from arid climates with low soil organic carbon content (SOCC < 1 %) and low soil moisture, but tillage had no impact on CO2 fluxes in clayey soils with high background SOCC (> 3 %). Finally, nitrogen fertilization and crop residue management had little effect on the CO2 responses of soils to no-tillage. These results suggest no-tillage is an effective mitigation measure of carbon dioxide losses from dry land soils. They emphasize the importance of including information on soil factors such as texture, aggregate stability and organic carbon content in global models of the carbon cycle.

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No-tillage lessens soil CO<sub>2</sub> emissions the most under arid and sandy soil conditions: results from a meta-analysis

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-12-15495-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (18) ◽

pp. 15495-15535 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

K. Abdalla ◽

P. Chivenge ◽

P. Ciais ◽

V. Chaplot

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Carbon Cycle ◽

Carbon Content ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Organic Carbon Content ◽

No Tillage ◽

Soil Co2 ◽

Soil Co2 Emissions

Abstract. The management of agroecosystems plays a crucial role in the global carbon cycle with soil tillage leading to known organic carbon redistributions within soils and changes in soil CO2 emissions. Yet, discrepancies exist on the impact of tillage on soil CO2 emissions and on the main soil and environmental controls. A meta-analysis was conducted using 46 peer-reviewed publications totaling 174 paired observations comparing CO2 emissions over entire seasons or years from tilled and untilled soils across different climates, crop types and soil conditions with the objective of quantifying tillage impact on CO2 emissions and assessing the main controls. On average, tilled soils emitted 21 % more CO2 than untilled soils, which corresponded to a significant difference at P < 0.05. The difference increased to 29 % in sandy soils from arid climates with low soil organic carbon content (SOCC < 1 %) and low soil moisture, but tillage had no impact on CO2 fluxes in clayey soils with high background SOCC (> 3 %). Finally, nitrogen fertilization and crop residue management had little effect on the CO2 responses of soils to no-tillage. These results suggest no-tillage is an effective mitigation measure of carbon dioxide losses from dry land soils. They emphasize the importance of including information on soil factors such as texture, aggregate stability and organic carbon content in global models of the carbon cycle.

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Interplay of soil water repellency, soil aggregation and organic carbon. A meta-analysis

Geoderma ◽

10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.07.025 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 283 ◽

pp. 39-47 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Weishuang Zheng ◽

E. Kathryn Morris ◽

Anika Lehmann ◽

Matthias C. Rillig

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Water ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Water Repellency ◽

Soil Aggregation ◽

Soil Water Repellency

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No tillage and crop rotation effects on soil aggregation and organic carbon in a Rhodic Ferralsol from southern Brazil

Soil and Tillage Research ◽

10.1016/j.still.2004.03.006 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 80 (1-2) ◽

pp. 185-200 ◽

Cited By ~ 112

Author(s):

Beáta Madari ◽

Pedro L.O.A. Machado ◽

Eleno Torres ◽

Aluı́sio G. de Andrade ◽

Luis I.O. Valencia

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Crop Rotation ◽

Soil Aggregation ◽

No Tillage ◽

Southern Brazil

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No-tillage effects on soil CH4 fluxes: A meta-analysis

Soil and Tillage Research ◽

10.1016/j.still.2021.105042 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 212 ◽

pp. 105042

Author(s):

Carmelo Maucieri ◽

Massimo Tolomio ◽

Marshall D. McDaniel ◽

Yaojun Zhang ◽

Javad Robatjazi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Meta Analysis ◽

No Tillage

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Dynamics of Soil Organic Carbon and Labile Carbon Fractions in Soil Aggregates Affected by Different Tillage Managements

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13031541 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 1541

Author(s):

Xiaolin Shen ◽

Lili Wang ◽

Qichen Yang ◽

Weiming Xiu ◽

Gang Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Aggregates ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Soil Aggregate ◽

No Tillage ◽

Labile Carbon ◽

Carbon Fractions ◽

Soil Aggregate Stability ◽

Positive Effects

Our study aimed to provide a scientific basis for an appropriate tillage management of wheat-maize rotation system, which is beneficial to the sustainable development of agriculture in the fluvo-aquic soil areas in China. Four tillage treatments were investigated after maize harvest, including rotary tillage with straw returning (RT), deep ploughing with straw returning (DP), subsoiling with straw returning (SS), and no tillage with straw mulching (NT). We evaluated soil organic carbon (SOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and particulate organic carbon (POC) in bulk soil and soil aggregates with five particle sizes (>5 mm, 5–2 mm, 2–1 mm, 1–0.25 mm, and <0.25 mm) under different tillage managements. Results showed that compared with RT treatment, NT treatment not only increased soil aggregate stability, but also enhanced SOC, DOC, and POC contents, especially those in large size macroaggregates. DP treatment also showed positive effects on soil aggregate stability and labile carbon fractions (DOC and POXC). Consequently, we suggest that no tillage or deep ploughing, rather than rotary tillage, could be better tillage management considering carbon storage. Meanwhile, we implied that mass fractal dimension (Dm) and POXC could be effective indicators of soil quality, as affected by tillage managements.

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Effects of different returning method combined with decomposer on decomposition of organic components of straw and soil fertility

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-95015-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Xiao Wang ◽

Xuexin Wang ◽

Peng Geng ◽

Qian Yang ◽

Kun Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Fertility ◽

Decomposition Rate ◽

Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽

No Tillage ◽

Short Term ◽

Straw Decomposition ◽

Short Period ◽

Straw Return ◽

Forms Of Carbon

AbstractIn view of the problems of low straw decomposition rates and reduced soil fertility in southern Liaoning, China, we investigated the effects of no-tillage mode (NT), deep loosening + deep rotary tillage mode (PT), rotary tillage mode (RT) and the addition of decomposing agent (the next is called a decomposer) (NT + S, PT + S, RT + S) on the decomposition proportion of straw, respectively, by using the nylon net bag method in combination with 365-day field plot experiments. The decomposition rules of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin as well as the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC), soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in straw returned to the field for 15, 35, 55, 75, 95, 145 and 365 days were analyzed. The results showed that in the short term, the decomposition of straw was better in both the rotray tillage and deep loosening + deep rotary modes than in the no-tillage mode, and the addition of decomposer significantly promoted the decomposition of straw and the release of carbon from straw, among them, the RT + S treatment had the highest straw decomposition proportion and carbon release proportion in all sampling periods. After a one year experimental cycle, the RT + S treatment showed the highest proportion of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin decomposition with 35.49%, 84.23% and 85.50%, respectively, and soil SOC, MBC and DOC contents were also higher than the other treatments with an increase of 2.30 g kg−1, 14.22 mg kg−1 and 25.10 mg kg−1, respectively, compared to the pre-experimental soil. Our results show that in the short term, to accelerate the decomposition rate of returned straw and increase the content of various forms of carbon in soil, rotary tillage can be used to return the straw to the field, while also spraying straw decomposer on its surface. This experiment used a new straw decomposer rich in a variety of microorganisms, combined with the comparison of a variety of straw return modes, and in-depth study of straw decomposition effects of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Thus, a scheme that can effectively improve the decomposition rate of straw and the content of various forms of organic carbon in soil within a short period of time was explored to provide theoretical support for the southern Liaoning.

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