Organic carbon and nitrogen contents and their fractions in soils with onion crops in different management systems

The use of plant species in rotation or succession of crops can increase C and N contents and their fractions in the soil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of using soil cover crops in succession and rotation with onion crops in different soil management systems on the total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and C and N fractions in soil aggregates, and bulk soil. The experiment was implemented in April 2007 with eight treatments: succession of onion and maize in a no-tillage system (NTS) (T1); rotation of soil cover crops (winter) and biennial onion in a NTS (T2); rotation of maize, winter grasses, and onion in a NTS (T3); succession of summer legume and annual onion in a NTS (T4); rotation of summer grass, winter grasses, and annual onion in a NTS (T5); succession of summer legume, winter grass, and annual onion in a NTS (T6); succession of maize and onion in a conventional tillage system (CTS) (T7); and succession of intercrops of soil cover crops (summer), and annual onion in a NTS (T8). Undisturbed soil samples were collected in the 0.0–5.0, 5.0–10.0, and 10.0–20.0cm soil layers in July 2014, and their aggregate (8.0 to 2.0mm) and bulk soil (<2mm) fractions were separated to evaluate their TOC, TN, particulate organic carbon and particulate organic nitrogen (OCP and ONP respectively), and mineral-associated organic carbon and mineral-associated organic nitrogen (OCM and ONM respectively). Soil turning due to the CTS in T7 (0.0–5.0cm) reduced TOC, OCP, OCM, TN, ONP, and ONM, in the soil aggregates and in the bulk soil, when compared with the NTS with the use of soil cover crops in succession or rotation with onion crops (T1–T6 and T8). T6 increased the TOC, TN, OCP, OCM, ONP, and ONM contents in the soil aggregates and bulk soil when compared with the successions with only grasses or only legumes. T1 increased the soil TOC and TN contents in aggregates compared with the same succession in CTS. T8 had higher OCP (0.0–20.0cm) and ONP (5.0–10.0cm) contents in aggregates than in the bulk soil. In general, aggregates had higher TOC and OCM contents, and bulk soil had higher TN, OCP, ONP and ONM contents. The main changes resulting from the management systems and soil cover crop combinations used were observed in the particulate fraction, especially in the soil aggregates.

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Combinations of Plant Species for Rotation With Onion Crops: Effects on the Light Fraction, Carbon, and Nitrogen Contents in Granulometric Fractions of the Soil Organic Matter

Journal of Agricultural Studies ◽

10.5296/jas.v9i1.17930 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 202

Author(s):

Lucas Dupont Giumbelli ◽

Arcângelo Loss ◽

Claudinei Kurtz ◽

Álvaro Luiz Mafra ◽

Marisa De Cássia Piccolo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Plant Species ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Soil Cover ◽

Soil Aggregates ◽

Bulk Soil ◽

Velvet Bean ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Tillage System ◽

C And N

The conversion of conventional tillage system (CTS) into no-tillage system (NTS) for onion crops with use of soil cover crops increases carbon and nitrogen contents in the soil aggregates. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of combinations of different plant species and soil management systems using rotation with soil cover crops for onion crops on the light organic matter (LOM), carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) contents in the organic matter granulometric fractions in soil macroaggregates and bulk soil. A nine-year experiment (2007-2016) was conducted using the treatments (T): maize-onion in NTS (T1); soil cover crops (winter)-onion in NTS(T2); maize-winter grasses-onion in NTS (T3); velvet bean-onion in NTS (T4); millet-soil cover crops (winter)-onion in NTS (T5); velvet bean-rye-onion in NTS (T6); maize-onion in CTS (T7); intercropped soil cover crops (summer)-onion in NTS (T8). C and N contents in the LOM, particulate organic C and N (POC and PON), and mineral- associated C and N (MOC and MON) were evaluated in soil macroaggregates (8.0 to 2.0 mm) and bulk soil (<2.0 mm) from the 0–5 cm, 5–10 cm, and 10–20 cm layers. High diversity and combinations of plant species in T2-T6, and T8 resulted in higher POC and MON contents in aggregates, and higher MOC and PON contents in bulk soil, when compared to T1 and T7. T2 was a better option to increase LOM and POC contents in aggregates (0-5 cm). The evaluation of POC (0–5 cm), PON, and MON (0-10 cm) contents in soil aggregates showed more significant differences between the treatments than the contents found in bulk soil. The onion crops under NTS combined with use of rotations with soil cover crops were more efficient to improve the evaluated soil attributes than those under CTS.

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Aggregation index, carbon, nitrogen, and natural abundance of 13C and 15N in soil aggregates and bulk soil cultivated with onion under crop successions and rotations

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr19346 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 58 (7) ◽

pp. 622

Author(s):

Lucas Dupont Giumbelli ◽

Arcângelo Loss ◽

Barbara Santos Ventura ◽

Elano dos Santos Junior ◽

Janaine Almeida ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Diversity ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Soil Cover ◽

Soil Aggregates ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Bulk Soil ◽

Velvet Bean ◽

Organic C ◽

Tillage System ◽

C And N

Use of soil cover crops of different families in crop rotation or succession under no-tillage system (NTS) for onion production results in higher soil quality compared to land use systems with less plant diversity. The objective was to evaluate the effect of using different combinations of plant species from different botanical families in rotation and succession of soil cover crops in NTS for onion production on formation of macroaggregates, mesoaggregates, and microaggregates, and on total organic C (TOC) and N (TN) contents, including isotopic forms of C and N, in soil aggregates and bulk soil. The treatments (T) evaluated were maize/onion (NTS-T1); cover plants (winter)/onion (NTS-T2); maize/winter grasses/onion (NTS-T3); velvet bean/onion (NTS-T4); millet/cover plants (winter)/onion (NTS-T5); velvet bean/rye/onion (NTS-T6); maize/onion in conventional tillage system (CTS-T7); and intercrop cover plants (summer)/onion (NTS-T8). We evaluated macroaggregates (8.0–0.25 mm), microaggregates (<0.25 mm), and bulk soil (<2.0 mm) at depths of 0–5, 5–10, and 10–20 cm, in a nine-year field experiment. The greater plant diversity in T2–T6 and T8 resulted in higher geometric mean diameter (GMD) of aggregates compared to T1 and T7. The T8 was more efficient in increasing GMD in the 10–20 cm soil depth than the other treatments. The T1 was more efficient in improving the evaluated soil physical and chemical attributes than T7. The use of NTS with plants of the Poaceae and Fabaceae families in single or intercrop systems for onion production resulted in higher TOC and TN contents in the 0–5 and 5–10 cm soil depths compared to CTS. Isotope 15N measurements showed that C and N were more protected in microaggregates in all evaluated treatments and depths compared to macroaggregates and bulk soil. Macroaggregates had more TOC and TN than microaggregates.

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Soil organic carbon and nitrogen sequestration and turnover in aggregates under subtropical leucaena–grass pastures

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr18016 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 56 (6) ◽

pp. 632 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Kathryn Conrad ◽

Ram C. Dalal ◽

Ryosuke Fujinuma ◽

Neal W. Menzies

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Aggregates ◽

Soil Mass ◽

Δ13c And Δ15n ◽

Organic C ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Nitrogen Sequestration ◽

C And N

Stabilisation and protection of soil organic carbon (SOC) in macroaggregates and microaggregates represents an important mechanism for the sequestration of SOC. Legume-based grass pastures have the potential to contribute to aggregate formation and stabilisation, thereby leading to SOC sequestration. However, there is limited research on the C and N dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) fractions in deep-rooted legume leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala)–grass pastures. We assessed the potential of leucaena to sequester carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in soil aggregates by estimating the origin, quantity and distribution in the soil profile. We utilised a chronosequence (0–40 years) of seasonally grazed leucaena stands (3–6 m rows), which were sampled to a depth of 0.3 m at 0.1-m intervals. The soil was wet-sieved for different aggregate sizes (large macroaggregates, >2000 µm; small macroaggregates, 250–2000 µm; microaggregates, 53–250 µm; and <53 µm), including occluded particulate organic matter (oPOM) within macroaggregates (>250 µm), and then analysed for organic C, N and δ13C and δ15N. Leucaena promoted aggregation, which increased with the age of the leucaena stands, and in particular the formation of large macroaggregates compared with grass in the upper 0.2 m. Macroaggregates contained a greater SOC stock than microaggregates, principally as a function of the soil mass distribution. The oPOM-C and -N concentrations were highest in macroaggregates at all depths. The acid nonhydrolysable C and N distribution (recalcitrant SOM) provided no clear distinction in stabilisation of SOM between pastures. Leucaena- and possibly other legume-based grass pastures have potential to sequester SOC through stabilisation and protection of oPOM within macroaggregates in soil.

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Contrasting impacts of manure and inorganic fertilizer applications for nine years on soil organic carbon and its labile fractions in bulk soil and soil aggregates

CATENA ◽

10.1016/j.catena.2020.104739 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 194 ◽

pp. 104739

Author(s):

Tengteng Li ◽

Yunlong Zhang ◽

Shuikuan Bei ◽

Xiaolin Li ◽

Sabine Reinsch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Aggregates ◽

Inorganic Fertilizer ◽

Bulk Soil

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Study of C, N, P and K Release from Residues of Newly Proposed Cover Crops in a Spanish Olive Grove

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10071041 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 1041 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Antonio Rodríguez-Lizana ◽

Miguel Ángel Repullo-Ruibérriz de Torres ◽

Rosa Carbonell-Bojollo ◽

Manuel Moreno-García ◽

Rafaela Ordóñez-Fernández

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Soil Cover ◽

Brachypodium Distachyon ◽

Nutrient Release ◽

Grab Sampling ◽

P Release ◽

Olive Groves ◽

C And N

Cover crops (CC)s are increasingly employed by farmers in olive groves. Spontaneous soil cover is the most commonly used CC. Its continuous utilization changes ruderal flora. It is necessary to study new CCs. Living CCs provide C and nutrients to soil during decomposition. Information on this issue in olive groves is scarce. A 4-year field study involving grab sampling of Brachypodium distachyon, Sinapis alba and spontaneous CC residues was conducted to study C and nutrient release from cover crop residues. Throughout the decomposition cycles, C, N and P release accounted for 40 to 58% of the C, N and P amounts in the residues after mowing. Most K was released (80–90%). Expressed in kg per hectare, the release of C and N in Brachypodium (C: 4602, N: 181, P: 29, K: 231) and Sinapis (C: 4806, N: 152, P: 18, K: 195) was greater than that in spontaneous CC (C: 3115, N: 138, P: 21, K: 256). The opposite results were observed for K. The Rickman model, employed to estimate the amount of C, N and P in residues, yielded a good match between the simulated and measured values. In comparison to spontaneous CC, the newly proposed CCs have a higher potential to provide soil with C and N.

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Cover crops and Pochonia chlamydosporia for the control of Meloidogyne javanica

Nematology ◽

10.1163/138855411x563875 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 919-926 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Guilherme S. de Podestá ◽

Rosangela Dallemole -Giaretta ◽

Silamar Ferraz ◽

Ernani Luis Agnes ◽

Leandro Grasside Freitas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pearl Millet ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Soil Cover ◽

Meloidogyne Javanica ◽

Infested Soil ◽

Tomato Seedling ◽

Tomato Plants ◽

Pochonia Chlamydosporia ◽

Colony Forming Units ◽

Tillage System

AbstractThe objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of the combination of Pochonia chlamydosporia var. chlamydosporia with summer and winter cover plants on the control of Meloidogyne javanica on tomato plants under glasshouse conditions. Treatment combinations were with four soil covers (pearl millet and Surinam grass in Experiment 1, oil radish and black oat in Experiment 2; plus tomato and fallow controls) and two P. chlamydosporia treatments (with or without the fungus). The antagonist was applied to nematode-infested soil when the cover crops or tomato were planted. Tomato plants were removed and the above-ground parts of the cover crops were cut, dried, and placed on the pots 60 days after planting. One tomato seedling was transplanted in each pot in a no-tillage system and cultivated for 60 days. Surinam grass, pearl millet and black oat reduced galls and eggs of M. javanica by more than 90%, without application of the fungus. However, P. chlamydosporia + Surinam grass significantly reduced by 72% the number of galls compared with cultivation of the grass in soil without the fungus. Pochonia chlamydosporia became established in soil and could be re-isolated at the end of both experiments. Colony forming units (CFU) (g soil)–1 varied from 1.0 × 105 (fallow) to 2.6 × 105 (pearl millet) and from 1.1 × 105 (fallow) to 2.3 × 105 (oil radish) for the experiments with summer soil cover crops and winter soil cover crops, respectively. The cultivation of Surinam grass, pearl millet and black oat reduced M. javanica populations, and the combination with P. chlamydosporia may favour the establishment of the fungus in the soil and enhance the control of the nematode.

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Effect of soil organic carbon loss on the stability and structure of microaggregates: First insights from an organic carbon depletion field trial in a loess soil

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-9266 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Svenja Roosch ◽

Vincent Felde ◽

Daniel Uteau ◽

Stephan Peth

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Loess Soil ◽

Bulk Soil ◽

Undisturbed Soil ◽

Ap Horizon ◽

The Stability ◽

Shed Light ◽

Wet Sieving

Soil microaggregates are considered to play an important role in soil functioning and soil organic carbon (SOC) is of great importance for the formation and stabilization of these aggregates. The loss of SOC can occur, for example, after a change in land use and may lead to a decreased aggregate stability, which makes soils vulnerable to various threats, such as erosion or compaction. It is therefore important to shed light on the effect of SOC loss on aggregate stability in order to better understand and preserve the functioning of healthy soils.We sampled two adjacent plots from a loess soil in Selhausen (Germany) and measured aggregate stability and architecture of soil microaggregates. One plot was kept free from vegetation by the application of herbicides and by tillage (to a depth of 5 cm) from 2005 on (organic matter depletion, OMD), while the other plot was used for agriculture using conventional tillage (control). Over the course of 14 years, the SOC concentration in the bulk soil has been reduced from 12.2 to 10.1 g SOC kg-1 soil. It was, however, unclear whether a loss of SOC had also taken place in microaggregates (since they are known to have very long turnover times). We took 10 undisturbed soil cores from two depths of each plot (Ap and Bt horizons).The stability of aggregates against hydraulic and mechanical stresses was tested using wet sieving&#160; (mesh sizes of 0.25 to 8 mm) and a crushing test in a load frame adapted to the microaggregate scale. For the latter test, microaggregates were isolated from the bulk soil using a newly developed dry crushing approach. To shed light on the effect of a decreased SOC content on microaggregate structure, we scanned several microaggregates with a computed tomography scanner at sub-micron resolution and analysed the features of their pore systems. SOC losses had also occurred in large&#160; microaggregates (250-53 &#181;m) in the Ap horizon: SOC contents in this fraction were 16.3 g SOC kg&#8315;&#185; (control) and 12.8 g SOC kg&#8315;&#185; (OMD). While wet sieving indicated a lower stability of macroaggregates from the Ap horizon in the OMD plot (geometric mean diameter: 1.54 mm (control) vs 0.43 mm (OMD)), an effect on the tensile strength of large microaggregates could not be found. Total porosity and pore connectivity, derived from Euler characteristic, as well as several pore skeleton traits (number of branches, junctions, etc.) were lower in aggregates from the OMD treatment. However, the difference was also present or even stronger in the Bt horizon than in the Ap horizon, so the supposed treatment effect might have been due to other effects like spatial heterogeneity of texture. Thus, the observed SOC losses may not have been large enough to substantially influence struture or stability of large microaggregates.

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CULTIVO DO MILHO E DA SOJA EM SUCESSÃO AS CULTURAS DE SAFRINHA EM RIO VERDE-GO

ENERGIA NA AGRICULTURA ◽

10.17224/energagric.2016v31n3p291-297 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 291

Author(s):

Wenderson Sousa Ferreira ◽

Antonio Joaquim Braga Pereira Braz ◽

Renato Lara de Assis ◽

Kátia Aparecida De Pinho Costa ◽

Alessandro Guerra da Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Soil Cover ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Tillage System ◽

Spontaneous Vegetation ◽

Summer Time ◽

Crop Succession ◽

Plot Design

A cobertura do solo com palhadas contribui para a sustentabilidade das atividades agrícolas, onde os resíduos das culturas deixados na superfície do solo favorecem o rendimento das culturas em sucessão. O presente trabalho visou avaliar a produção de biomassa das culturas de safrinha, a decomposição da palhada e o efeito na produtividade das culturas da soja e milho, cultivadas em sucessão. Foram conduzidos dois experimentos no ano agrícola 2007/2008 em Rio Verde (GO), sendo um com soja e o outro com milho. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados em esquema de parcela subdividida, com os tratamentos (girassol, sorgo, milho, feijão, milheto, trigo e pousio com a vegetação espontânea); na safra de verão foram cultivadas com soja e milho. A cultura do milho cultivada em safrinha produziu maior volume de biomassa seca, tanto em sucessão ao milho quanto à soja, no verão. A maior produtividade do milho foi verificada sob a palhada do trigo, seguido do milheto e girassol. As palhadas que apresentaram os maiores percentuais de perdas na safrinha foram o milho, seguido pelo milheto, na área cultivada com milho na safra de verão. A produtividade da soja não foi influenciada pela palhada das plantas de cobertura na safrinha.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Resíduos culturais, Sistema de Plantio Direto, sucessão de culturas. CORN AND SOYBEAN CROPS CULTIVATION IN OFF-SEASON SUCESSION IN RIO VERDE - GOABSTRACT: The soil cover with straws contributes to the sustainability of agricultural activities, where crop residues left on the soil surface favors crop yields in succession. This study aimed to evaluate the biomass production of off-season crops, the decomposition of straw and the effect on productivity of soybean and corn grown cultivated in succession. Two experiments were conducted in the agricultural year 2007/2008 in Rio Verde (GO), one with soybeans and other with corn. The experimental design was a randomized complete block in a split plot design, with the following treatments: sunflower, sorghum, corn, beans, millet, wheat and fallow with spontaneous vegetation. The summer harvest were planted with soybeans and corn. The corn grown in off-season produced a greater volume of dry biomass, both in succession to corn, and to soybeans, in summer time. The highest grain yield was observed in the area covered with straw of wheat, followed by millet and sunflower. The straws that had the highest percentage of losses in the second crop was corn, followed by millet, in the area under maize in the summer harvest. Soybean yield was not influenced by mulching the cover crops in the off-season.KEYWORDS: Crop residues, tillage system, crop succession.

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Soil Aggregation, Organic Carbon Concentration, and Soil Bulk Density As Affected by Cover Crop Species in a No-Tillage System

Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo ◽

10.1590/01000683rbcs20140388 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 871-879 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Adriano Stephan Nascente ◽

Yuncong Li ◽

Carlos Alexandre Costa Crusciol

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Soil Bulk Density ◽

Soil Aggregation ◽

Soil Tillage ◽

Panicum Maximum ◽

No Tillage ◽

Tillage System

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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Organic matter composition and stabilization in a polygonal tundra soil of the Lena Delta

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-10-3145-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 3145-3158 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

S. Höfle ◽

J. Rethemeyer ◽

C. W. Mueller ◽

S. John

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Active Layer ◽

Soil Aggregates ◽

Bulk Soil ◽

Tundra Soil ◽

Layer Depth ◽

Fine Silt ◽

Temperate Soils ◽

Lena Delta

Abstract. This study investigated soil organic matter (OM) composition of differently stabilized soil OM fractions in the active layer of a polygonal tundra soil in the Lena Delta, Russia, by applying density and particle size fractionation combined with qualitative OM analysis using solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and lipid analysis combined with 14C analysis. Bulk soil OM was mainly composed of plant-derived, little-decomposed material with surprisingly high and strongly increasing apparent 14C ages with active layer depth suggesting slow microbial OM transformation in cold climate. Most soil organic carbon was stored in clay and fine-silt fractions (< 6.3 μm), which were composed of little-decomposed plant material, indicated by the dominance of long n-alkane and n-fatty acid compounds and low alkyl/O-alkyl C ratios. Organo-mineral associations, which are suggested to be a key mechanism of OM stabilization in temperate soils, seem to be less important in the active layer as the mainly plant-derived clay- and fine-silt-sized OM was surprisingly "young", with 14C contents similar to the bulk soil values. Furthermore, these fractions contained less organic carbon compared to density fractionated OM occluded in soil aggregates – a further important OM stabilization mechanism in temperate soils restricting accessibility of microorganisms. This process seems to be important at greater active layer depth where particulate OM, occluded in soil aggregates, was "older" than free particulate OM.

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