Microbial biomass and activity at various soil depths in a Brazilian oxisol after two decades of no-tillage and conventional tillage

Reduced tillage is assumed to be a suitable practice to maintain and promote microbial biomass and microbial activity in the soil. The microbial biomass in particular is considered as a sensitive indicator for detecting soil disturbances. The objective of this study was to quantify the influence of different tillage practices on microbial parameters in the soil. Furthermore, we analyzed the relation of those microbial parameters with site-specific conditions.To get a deeper insight in that topic, soils from different fields of agricultural farms with different tillage practices in France (12 fields), Romania (15 fields) and Sweden (17 fields) were examined within the &#8220;SoilMan project&#8221;. The tillage practices were no-tillage (absence of any tillage), minimum tillage (non-inversion tillage for instance by chisel plough or cultivator) and conventional tillage (inversion tillage by ploughing), all of which were carried out for at least five years prior to sampling. Soil samples were taken in spring 2018 from all fields under winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) at three soil depths (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm). As microbial parameters we measured microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen contents, ergosterol contents (as proxy for fungi) and basal respiration rates. For site-specific conditions we measured soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus contents, texture, pH and the soil water content.Results show that microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen were more affected by soil type and soil texture as well as climatic conditions (mean precipitation and temperature) than by tillage practices. For instance, an increased clay content had a positive effect on the microbial biomass and, in addition to the higher average annual temperature, explained the generally low values &#8203;&#8203;in France. The lack of inversion tillage primarily led to stratified levels of soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon and ergosterol contents, which can be explained by the lack of crop residue incorporation. There were hardly any differences in microbial indicators between the tillage intensities when looking at the whole of the sampled soil profile (0-30 cm). In France, the microbial biomass carbon / soil organic carbon ratio was lower for no-tillage than for conventional tillage, which may indicate, among other things, that the mechanically ground organic matter incorporated into the soil under conventional tillage was better colonized by microorganisms. However, this effect could not be confirmed in the other countries. The metabolic quotient was generally increased at the lowest sampled depth (20-30 cm), irrespective of the cultivation.We can conclude that the soil tillage intensity influenced the distribution of microbial biomass carbon and soil organic carbon contents more strongly than the total amounts in the sampled soil profile and that the soil texture had a greater impact on microbial soil properties than the agricultural management practice.

Download Full-text

SOIL QUALITY IN RELATION TO FOREST CONVERSION TO PERENNIAL OR ANNUAL CROPPING IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo ◽

10.1590/01000683rbcs20140675 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

pp. 1003-1014 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Elcio Liborio Balota ◽

Ines Fumiko Ubukata Yada ◽

Higo Furlan Amaral ◽

Andre Shigueyoshi Nakatani ◽

Mariangela Hungria ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Microbial Activity ◽

Soil Quality ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Soil Disturbance ◽

Forest Conversion ◽

No Tillage ◽

Southern Brazil ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

C And N

Many forested areas have been converted to intensive agricultural use to satisfy food, fiber, and forage production for a growing world population. There is great interest in evaluating forest conversion to cultivated land because this conversion adversely affects several soil properties. We examined soil microbial, physical, and chemical properties in an Oxisol (Latossolo Vermelho distrófico) of southern Brazil 24 years after forest conversion to a perennial crop with coffee or annual grain crops (maize and soybeans) in conventional tillage or no-tillage. One goal was to determine which soil quality parameters seemed most sensitive to change. A second goal was to test the hypothesis that no-tillage optimized preservation of soil quality indicators in annual cropping systems on converted land. Land use significantly affected microbial biomass and its activity, C and N mineralization, and aggregate stability by depth. Cultivated sites had lower microbial biomass and mineralizable C and N than a forest used as control. The forest and no-tillage sites had higher microbial biomass and mineralizable C and N than the conventional tillage site, and the metabolic quotient was 65 and 43 % lower, respectively. Multivariate analysis of soil microbial properties showed a clear separation among treatments, displaying a gradient from conventional tillage to forest. Although the soil at the coffee site was less disturbed and had a high organic C content, the microbial activity was low, probably due to greater soil acidity and Al toxicity. Under annual cropping, microbial activity in no-tillage was double that of the conventional tillage management. The greater microbial activity in forest and no-tillage sites may be attributed, at least partially, to lower soil disturbance. Reducing soil disturbance is important for soil C sequestration and microbial activity, although control of soil pH and Al toxicity are also essential to maintain the soil microbial activity high.

Download Full-text

Microbial biomass and enzyme activity of a Cerrado Oxisol under agroecological production system

Bragantia ◽

10.1590/s0006-87052011000400024 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 70 (4) ◽

pp. 899-907 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Enderson Petrônio de Brito Ferreira ◽

Adriane Wendland ◽

Agostinho Dirceu Didonet

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Soil Management ◽

Pigeon Pea ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

No Tillage ◽

Velvet Bean ◽

Microbial Indicators ◽

Basal Soil Respiration ◽

C And N

Aiming to evaluate the effects of soil management and cover crops on microbial indicators of soil quality, an experiment was carried out under field conditions in which common bean and corn were cropped under no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) after sunnhemp, velvet bean, pigeon pea, jack bean, sorghum and fallow (weeds). The basal soil respiration (BSR), C and N of the microbial biomass (Cmic and Nmic), metabolic quotient (qCO2), total enzymatic activity (TEA), β-glycosidase (β-GA) activity and acid phosphatase activity (APA) were evaluated in samples collected in 0-0.10 m depth. Cmic, qCO2, TEA, β-GA and APA were more sensitive in determining the effects caused by tillage and cover crops. Although the cover crops had not provided a remarkably influence on the studied indicators, in general, the highest values of Cmic, Nmic, BSR, TEA, β-GA and APA and the lowest values of qCO2 were observed under NT compared to CT. Cmic and TEA values were 35% and 13% higher under NT when compared to CT, respectively. In addition, NT showed values closer to those found under "Cerrado" area for the studied parameters, indicating a greater sustainability under this soil management system compared to CT management.

Download Full-text

The crucial role of mulch to enhance the stability and resilience of cropping systems in southern Africa

Agronomy for Sustainable Development ◽

10.1007/s13593-021-00687-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Blessing Mhlanga ◽

Laura Ercoli ◽

Elisa Pellegrino ◽

Andrea Onofri ◽

Christian Thierfelder

Keyword(s):

Crop Rotation ◽

Southern Africa ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Yield Stability ◽

No Tillage ◽

The Stability ◽

Stability And Resilience

AbstractConservation agriculture has been promoted to sustainably intensify food production in smallholder farming systems in southern Africa. However, farmers have rarely fully implemented all its components, resulting in different combinations of no-tillage, crop rotation, and permanent soil cover being practiced, thus resulting in variable yield responses depending on climatic and soil conditions. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the effect of conservation agriculture components on yield stability. We hypothesized that the use of all three conservation agriculture components would perform the best, resulting in more stable production in all environments. We evaluated at, eight trial locations across southern Africa, how partial and full implementation of these components affected crop yield and yield stability compared with conventional tillage alone or combined with mulching and/or crop rotation. Grain yield and shoot biomass of maize and cowpea were recorded along with precipitation for 2 to 5 years. Across different environments, the addition of crop rotation and mulch to no-tillage increased maize grain by 6%, and the same practices added to conventional tillage led to 13% yield increase. Conversely, adding only mulch or crop rotation to no-tillage or conventional tillage led to lower or equal maize yield. Stability analyses based on Shukla’s index showed for the first time that the most stable systems are those in which mulch is added without crop rotation. Moreover, the highest yielding systems were the least stable. Finally, additive main effects and multiplicative interaction analysis allowed clarifying that mulch added to no-tillage gives stable yields on sandy soil with high rainfall. Similarly, mulch added to conventional tillage gives stable yield on sandy soil, but under low rainfall. This is the first study that highlighted the crucial role of mulch to enhance the stability and resilience of cropping systems in southern Africa, supporting their adaptability to climate change.

Download Full-text

KIH-485 and S-metolachlor Efficacy Comparisons in Conventional and No-Tillage Corn

Weed Technology ◽

10.1614/wt-05-048r2.1 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 622-626 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Patrick W. Geier ◽

Phillip W. Stahlman ◽

John C. Frihauf

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Palmer Amaranth ◽

Effective Control ◽

No Tillage ◽

Green Foxtail

Field experiments were conducted during 2003 and 2004 to compare the effectiveness of KIH-485 and S-metolachlor for PRE weed control in no-tillage and conventional-tillage corn. Longspine sandbur control increased as KIH-485 or S-metolachlor rates increased in conventional-tillage corn, but control did not exceed 75% when averaged over experiments. Both herbicides controlled at least 87% of green foxtail with the exception of no-tillage corn in 2004, when KIH-485 was more effective than S-metolachlor at lower rates. Palmer amaranth control ranged from 85 to 100% in 2003 and 80 to 100% in 2004, with the exception of only 57 to 76% control at the lowest two S-metolachlor rates in 2004. Puncturevine control exceeded 94% with all treatments in 2003. In 2004, KIH-485 controlled 86 to 96% of the puncturevine, whereas S-metolachlor controlled only 70 to 81%. Mixtures of atrazine with KIH-485 or S-metolachlor generally provided the most effective control of broadleaf weeds studied.

Download Full-text

Soil microbial biomass and diversity respond to tillage and sulphur fertilizers

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/s01-010 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 81 (5) ◽

pp. 577-589 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

N. Z. Lupwayi ◽

M. A. Monreal ◽

G. W. Clayton ◽

C. A. Grant ◽

A. M. Johnston ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Microbial Diversity ◽

Soil Microorganisms ◽

Soil Microbial Biomass ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Bulk Soil ◽

Zero Tillage ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

Soil Microbial

There is little information on the effects of S management strategies on soil microorganisms under zero tillage systems o n the North American Prairies. Experiments were conducted to examine the effects of tillage and source and placement of S on soil microbial biomass (substrate induced respiration) and functional diversity (substrate utilization patterns) in a canola-wheat rotation under conventional and zero tillage systems at three sites in Gray Luvisolic and Black Chernozemic soils. Conventional tillage significantly reduced microbial biomass and diversity on an acidic and C-poor Luvisolic soil, but it had mostly no significant effects on the near-neutral, C-rich Luvisolic and Chernozemic soils, which underlines the importance of soil C in maintaining a healthy soil. Sulphur had no significant effects on soil microbial biomass, and its effects on microbial diversity were more frequent on the near-neutral Luvisol, which was more S-deficient, than on the acidic Luvisol or the Chernozem. Significant S effects on microbial diversity were observed both in the bulk soil (negative effects, compared with the control) and rhizosphere (positive effects) of the acidic Luvisol, but all significant effects (positive) were observed in root rhizospheres in the other soils. Sulphur by tillage interactions on acidic Luvisolic soil indicated that the negative effects of S in bulk soil occurred mostly under zero tillage, presumably because the fertilizer is concentrated in a smaller volume of soil than under conventional tillage. Sulphate S effects, either negative or positive, on microbial diversity were usually greater than elemental S effects. Therefore, S application can have direct, deleterious effects on soil microorganisms or indirect, beneficial effects through crop growth, the latter presumably due to increased root exudation in the rhizosphere of healthy crops. Key Words: Biolog, conservation tillage, microbial biodiversity, rhizosphere, soil biological quality, S fertilizer type and placement

Download Full-text

EFFECT OF SOIL TILLAGE AND PLANT RESIDUE ON SURFACE ROUGHNESS OF AN OXISOL UNDER SIMULATED RAIN

Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo ◽

10.1590/01000683rbcs20150187 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

pp. 268-278 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Elói Panachuki ◽

Ildegardis Bertol ◽

Teodorico Alves Sobrinho ◽

Paulo Tarso Sanches de Oliveira ◽

Dulce Buchala Bicca Rodrigues

Keyword(s):

Surface Roughness ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Plant Residue ◽

Soil Tillage ◽

No Tillage ◽

Maize Crop ◽

Minimum Tillage ◽

Roughness Index ◽

Simulated Rain

Surface roughness of the soil is formed by mechanical tillage and is also influenced by the kind and amount of plant residue, among other factors. Its persistence over time mainly depends on the fundamental characteristics of rain and soil type. However, few studies have been developed to evaluate these factors in Latossolos (Oxisols). In this study, we evaluated the effect of soil tillage and of amounts of plant residue on surface roughness of an Oxisol under simulated rain. Treatments consisted of the combination of the tillage systems of no-tillage (NT), conventional tillage (CT), and minimum tillage (MT) with rates of plant residue of 0, 1, and 2 Mg ha-1 of oats (Avena strigosa Schreb) and 0, 3, and 6 Mg ha-1 of maize (Zea mays L.). Seven simulated rains were applied on each experimental plot, with intensity of 60±2 mm h-1 and duration of 1 h at weekly intervals. The values of the random roughness index ranged from 2.94 to 17.71 mm in oats, and from 5.91 to 20.37 mm in maize, showing that CT and MT are effective in increasing soil surface roughness. It was seen that soil tillage operations carried out with the chisel plow and the leveling disk harrow are more effective in increasing soil roughness than those carried out with the heavy disk harrow and leveling disk harrow. The roughness index of the soil surface decreases exponentially with the increase in the rainfall volume applied under conditions of no tillage without soil cover, conventional tillage, and minimum tillage. The oat and maize crop residue present on the soil surface is effective in maintaining the roughness of the soil surface under no-tillage.

Download Full-text

Nutrient losses by water erosion

Scientia Agricola ◽

10.1590/s0103-90162003000300025 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 60 (3) ◽

pp. 581-586 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Ildegardis Bertol ◽

Eloy Lemos Mello ◽

Jean Cláudio Guadagnin ◽

Almir Luis Vedana Zaparolli ◽

Marcos Roberto Carrafa

Keyword(s):

Soil Management ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Water Erosion ◽

Management Systems ◽

Soluble Form ◽

No Tillage ◽

Nutrient Losses ◽

Natural Pasture ◽

Calcium And Magnesium ◽

Nitrogen Phosphorus

Water erosion causes soil degradation, which is closely related to nutrient losses either in, the soluble form or adsorbed to soil particles, depending mainly on the adopted soil management system. This study was carried out in São José do Cerrito, SC, Brazil, between March 2000 and June 2001. The objective was to quantify available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium losses in water erosion obtained with simulated rainfall in the following soil management systems: conventional tillage with no-crop (bare soil) (BS), conventional tillage with soybean (CT), reduced tillage with soybean (RT), no tillage with soybean on a desiccated and burned natural pasture (DBNP), and no tillage with soybean on a desiccated natural pasture (DNP). A rotating boom rainfall simulator was used to perform three rainfall tests with constant intensity of 64 mm h-1 and sufficient duration to reach constant runoff rate, on a clayey-loam, well-structured Typic Hapludox, with an average slope of 0.18 m m-1. The first test was carried out five days before soybean emergence and the second and third at 30 and 60 days, respectively. The nutrient concentration in water and total losses of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium were higher under CT than in the other soil management systems.

Download Full-text

Tillage in Relation to Distribution of Nutrients and Organic Carbon in the Soil

Agriculture (Pol nohospodárstvo) ◽

10.2478/v10207-011-0003-2 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

pp. 21-30

Author(s):

Božena Šoltysová ◽

Martin Danilovič

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Total Nitrogen ◽

Spring Barley ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Soil Tillage ◽

Reduced Tillage ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

No Tillage ◽

The Difference

Tillage in Relation to Distribution of Nutrients and Organic Carbon in the SoilChanges of total nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and soil organic carbon were observed on gleyic Fluvisols (locality Milhostov) at the following crops: grain maize (2005), spring barley (2006), winter wheat (2007), soya (2008), grain maize (2009). The experiment was realized at three soil tillage technologies: conventional tillage, reduced tillage and no-tillage. Soil samples were collected from three depths (0-0.15 m; 0.15-0.30 m; 0.30-0.45 m). The ratio of soil organic carbon to total nitrogen was also calculated.Soil tillage affects significantly the content of total nitrogen in soil. The difference between the convetional tillage and soil protective tillages was significant. The balance showed that the content of total nitrogen decreased at reduced tillage by 5.2 rel.%, at no-tillage by 5.1 rel.% and at conventional tillage by 0.7 rel.%.Similarly, the content of organic matter in the soil was significantly affected by soil tillage. The content of soil organic carbon found at the end of the research period was lower by 4.1 rel.% at reduced tillage, by 4.8 rel.% at no-tillage and by 4.9 rel.% at conventional tillage compared with initial stage. The difference between the convetional tillage and soil protective tillages was significant.Less significant relationship was found between the soil tillage and the content of available phosphorus. The balance showed that the content of available phosphorus was increased at reduced tillage (by 4.1 rel.%) and was decreased at no-tillage (by 9.5 rel.%) and at conventional tillage (by 3.3 rel.%).Tillage did not significantly affect the content of available potassium in the soil.

Download Full-text