Soil properties currently limiting crop yields in Swedish agriculture – An analysis of 90 yield survey districts and 10 long-term field experiments

2020 ◽  
Vol 120 ◽  
pp. 126132
Author(s):  
Holger Kirchmann ◽  
Gunnar Börjesson ◽  
Martin A. Bolinder ◽  
Thomas Kätterer ◽  
Faruk Djodjic
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Term Field

scholarly journals Phosphorus fertilisation under nitrogen limitation can deplete soil carbon stocks – evidence from Swedish meta-replicated long-term field experiments

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 16527-16551 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Poeplau ◽  
M. A. Bolinder ◽  
H. Kirchmann ◽  
T. Kätterer
Keyword(s):  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Heterotrophic Respiration ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Soc Stocks ◽  
Term Field

Abstract. Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural soils can mitigate atmospheric CO2 concentration and also contribute to increase soil fertility and ecosystem resilience. The role of major nutrients on SOC dynamics is complex, due to simultaneous effects on net primary productivity (NPP) that influence crop residue carbon inputs and on the rate of heterotrophic respiration (carbon outputs). This study investigated the effect on SOC stocks of three different levels of phosphorus and potassium (PK) fertilisation rates in the absence of nitrogen fertilisation and of three different levels of nitrogen in the absence of PK. This was done by analysing data from 10 meta-replicated Swedish long-term field experiments (> 45 years). With N fertilisation, SOC stocks followed yield increases. However, for all PK levels, we found average SOC losses ranging from −0.04 ± 0.09 Mg ha−1 yr−1 (ns) for the lowest to −0.09 ± 0.07 Mg ha−1 yr−1 (p = 0.008) for the highest application rate, while crop yields as a proxy for carbon input increased significantly with PK fertilization by 1, 10 and 15 %. We conclude that SOC dynamics are mainly output-driven in the PK fertilised regime but mostly input-driven in the N fertilised regime, due to the much more pronounced response of NPP to N than to PK fertilisation. It has been established that P rather than K is the element affecting ecosystem carbon fluxes, where P fertilisation has been shown to: (i) stimulate heterotrophic respiration, (ii) reduce the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and (iii) decrease crop root : shoot ratio, leading to lower root-derived carbon input. The higher export of N in the PK fertilised plots in this study could (iv) have led to increased N mining and thus mineralisation of organic matter. More integrated experiments are needed to gain a better understanding of the relative importance of each of the above-mentioned mechanisms leading to SOC losses after P addition.

scholarly journals Phosphorus fertilisation under nitrogen limitation can deplete soil carbon stocks: evidence from Swedish meta-replicated long-term field experiments

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1119-1127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Poeplau ◽  
Martin A. Bolinder ◽  
Holger Kirchmann ◽  
Thomas Kätterer
Keyword(s):  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Heterotrophic Respiration ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Soc Stocks ◽  
Term Field

Abstract. Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural soils can mitigate atmospheric CO2 concentration and also contribute to increased soil fertility and ecosystem resilience. The role of major nutrients in SOC dynamics is complex, due to simultaneous effects on net primary productivity (NPP) that influence crop residue carbon inputs and in the rate of heterotrophic respiration (carbon outputs). This study investigated the effect on SOC stocks of three different levels of phosphorus and potassium (PK) fertilisation rates in the absence of nitrogen fertilisation and of three different levels of nitrogen fertiliser in the absence of PK fertiliser. This was done by analysing data from 10 meta-replicated Swedish long-term field experiments (> 45 years). With N fertilisation, SOC stocks followed yield increases. However, for all PK levels, we found average SOC losses ranging from −0.04 ± 0.09 Mg ha−1 yr−1 (ns) for the lowest to −0.09 ± 0.07 Mg ha−1 yr−1 (p =  0.008) for the highest application rate, while crop yields as a proxy for carbon input increased significantly with PK fertilisation by 1, 10 and 15 %. We conclude that SOC dynamics are mainly output-driven in the PK-fertilised regime but mostly input-driven in the N-fertilised regime, due to the much more pronounced response of NPP to N than to PK fertilisation. It has been established that P rather than K is the element affecting ecosystem carbon fluxes, where P fertilisation has been shown to (i) stimulate heterotrophic respiration, (ii) reduce the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and (iii) decrease the crop root : shoot ratio, leading to higher root-derived carbon input. The higher export of N in the PK-fertilised plots in this study could (iv) have led to increased N mining and thus mineralisation of organic matter. More integrated experiments are needed to gain a better understanding of the relative importance of each of the above-mentioned mechanisms leading to SOC losses after P addition.

Critical plant phosphorus for winter wheat assessed from long-term field experiments

2021 ◽  
Vol 126 ◽  
pp. 126263
Author(s):  
Mario Fontana ◽  
Gilles Bélanger ◽  
Juliane Hirte ◽  
Noura Ziadi ◽  
Saïd Elfouki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Term Field

Long-term field experiments of the world

2003 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 465-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katalin Debreczeni ◽  
Martin Körschens
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
The World ◽  
Term Field

Soil test phosphorus as affected by phosphorus budgets in two long-term field experiments in Germany

2018 ◽  
Vol 218 ◽  
pp. 158-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theresa Zicker ◽  
Sabine von Tucher ◽  
Mareike Kavka ◽  
Bettina Eichler-Löbermann
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
Soil Test ◽  
Phosphorus Budgets ◽  
Soil Test Phosphorus ◽  
Term Field

scholarly journals Soil properties after 36 years of N fertilization under continuous corn and corn-soybean management

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nakian Kim ◽  
Gevan D. Behnke ◽  
María B. Villamil
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Block Design ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Continuous Corn

Abstract. Modern agricultural systems rely on inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilization to enhance crop yields, but its overuse may negatively affect soil properties. Our objective was to investigate the effect of long-term N fertilization on key soil properties under continuous corn [Zea mays L.] (CCC) and both the corn (Cs) and soybean [Glycine max L. Merr.] (Sc) phases of a corn-soybean rotation. Research plots were established in 1981 with treatments arranged as a split-plot design in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The main plot was crop rotation (CCC, Cs, and Sc), and the subplots were N fertilizer rates of 0 kg N ha−1 (N0, controls), and 202 kg N ha−1, and 269 kg N ha−1 (N202, and N269, respectively). After 36 years and within the CCC, the yearly addition of N269 compared to unfertilized controls significantly increased cation exchange capacity (CEC, 65 % higher under N269) and acidified the top 15 cm of the soil (pH 4.8 vs. pH 6.5). Soil organic matter (SOM) and total carbon stocks (TCs) were not affected by treatments, yet water aggregate stability (WAS) decreased by 6.7 % within the soybean phase of the CS rotation compared to CCC. Soil bulk density (BD) decreased with increased fertilization by 5 % from N0 to N269. Although ammonium (NH4+) did not differ by treatments, nitrate (NO3−) increased eight-fold with N269 compared to N0, implying increased nitrification. Soils of unfertilized controls under CCC have over twice the available phosphorus level (P) and 40 % more potassium (K) than the soils of fertilized plots (N202 and N269). On average, corn yields increased 60 % with N fertilization compared to N0. Likewise, under N0, rotated corn yielded 45 % more than CCC; the addition of N (N202 and N269) decreased the crop rotation benefit to 17 %. Our results indicated that due to the increased level of corn residues returned to the soil in fertilized systems, long-term N fertilization improved WAS and BD, yet not SOM, at the cost of significant soil acidification and greater risk of N leaching and increased nitrous oxide emissions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document