scholarly journals Identification and predictability of soil quality factors and indicators from conventional soil and vegetation classifications

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Simfukwe ◽  
Paul W Hill ◽  
Davey L Jones ◽  
Bridget Emmett ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Soil Type ◽  
Soil Classification ◽  
Biological Indicators ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
Quality Factors ◽  
Soil Attributes ◽  
Wide Range

Generally, the physical, chemical and biological attributes of a soil combined with abiotic factors (e.g. climate and topography) drive pedogenesis. However, biological indicators of soil quality play no direct role in traditional soil classification and surveys. To support their inclusion in classification schemes, previous studies have shown that soil type is a key factor determining microbial community composition in arable soils. This suggests that soil type could be used as proxy for soil biological function and vice versa. In this study we assessed the relationship between soil biological indicators with either vegetation cover or soil type. A wide range of soil attributes were measured on soils from across the UK to investigate whether; (1) appropriate soil quality factors (SQFs) and indicators (SQIs) can be identified, (2) soil classification can predict SQIs; (3) which soil quality indicators were more effectively predicted by soil types, and (4) to what extent do soil types and/ or aggregate vegetation classes (AVCs) act as major regulators of SQIs. Factor analysis was used to group 20 soil attributes into six SQFs namely; Soil organic matter , Organic matter humification , Soluble nitrogen , Microbial biomass , Reduced nitrogen and Soil humification index . Of these, Soil organic matter was identified as the most important SQF in the discrimination of both soil types and AVCs. Among the measured soil attributes constituting the Soil organic matter factor were, microbial quotient and bulk density were the most important attributes for the discrimination of both individual soil types and AVCs. The Soil organic matter factor discriminated three soil type groupings and four aggregate vegetation class groupings. Only the Peat soil and Heath and bog AVC were distinctly discriminated from other groups. All other groups overlapped with one another, making it practically impossible to define reference values for each soil type or AVC. We conclude that conventionally classified soil types cannot predict the SQIs (or SQFs), but can be used in conjunction with the conventional soil classifications to characterise the soil types. The two-way ANOVA showed that the AVCs were a better regulator of the SQIs than the soil types and that they (AVCs) presented a significant effect on the soil type differences in the measured soil attributes.

scholarly journals Assessing soil carbon and soil quality for sustainable agricultural systems in tropical hillslope soils using spectroscopic methods

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Bunjirtluk Jintaridth
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World

Soil quality is a concept that integrates physical, chemical, and biological components and processes of soil across landscapes. Identifying and developing appropriate methods to quantify and assess changes in soil quality are necessary for evaluating soil degradation and improving management practices. Many parameters that are associated with soil quality depend on soil organic matter (SOM) levels and composition. The objectives of this research were to: 1) conduct a literature review of soil quality assessment techniques to evaluate soil quality across a wide-range of environments and agricultural practices; 2) determine if some standard soil sampling and analytical protocols could be identified or developed to enhance soil quality comparisons across a wide range of environments around the world; and 3) assess the efficacy of spectroscopic-based (i.e. near-infrared, mid-infrared, and visible range) analytical methods to evaluate soil organic matter fractions and soil quality. To assess soil quality for sustainable agricultural systems in hillslope soils using spectroscopic methods, surface soil samples (0-20 cm) were collected from hillslope agricultural sites in Bolivia, the Philippines and Indonesia which had differences in length of fallow, levels of soil degradation, and cultivation by landscape position. To determine the efficacy of spectroscopic-based on visible range, the use of the potassium permanganate test (MnOxC) for active organic carbon was studied. The MnOxC test was generally responsive to a range of fallow lengths among different agricultural fields and communities in Umala Municipality in Bolivia. A major objective of fallowing agricultural fields in this region is to restore soil fertility in the field after cropping. This general increase in MnOxC with increased length fallowing may be due to inputs of residue and roots from regrowth of native vegetation after cropping in fallowed areas and possible manure inputs from sheep that generally graze these fallow areas. In addition, higher concentrations of MnOxC were generally observed in non-degraded soil compared to that of degraded soil in all sampled communities in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Comparisons of soil quality among agroforestry and nonagroforestry sites were studied near Bogor, Indonesia. Both agroforestry and nonagroforestry sites had been managed with different types and rates (low, medium, and high) of amendments including manure, compost and chemical fertilizer. Soil MnOxC was generally higher with increasing amounts of added animal manure and in agroforestry areas compared to that of non-agroforestry areas. A set of soil samples was collected along a hill-slope transect from the top to the bottom of agricultural valley on Mindanao Island in the Philippines. The transect across the landscape was divided into summit, shoulder, backslope, footslope and toeslope landscape positions. Soil MnOxC from cultivated fields areas at each landscape position were generally lower than noncultivated areas at similar landscape positions. Among the non-cultivated sites, soil MnOxC was the highest at the summit position and the lowest at the backslope positions while soil MnOxC among cultivated sites were relatively similar across the hill-slope transect. This comparison of the use of the soil MnOxC test to determine changes in active C among a wide range of environmental conditions, cropping systems and soil management practices among agroecosystems with hillslopes in tropical countries around the world indicates that the soil MnOxC test is a sensitive indicator to assess changes in active C with changes in crop and soil management. Several advantages to using this procedure include its ease of use that requires a minimal of training for the field method, its low relative cost and growing research results that facilitate interpretation of the test results. Therefore, this method has potential for supporting management decisions, and sustainable management of agricultural systems in tropical hillslope ecosystems. The ability of visible/near-infrared (VNIR) spectroscopy to estimate soil organic carbon and carbon fractions from diverse soils in tropical hillslope agroecosystems around the world that were under different soil management and cropping systems was evaluated in this research. It was shown that VNIR spectroscopy could be an effective technique to estimate SOC and soil organic carbon fractions for a wide range of soils from tropical hillslope agroecosystems around the world. Several potential advantages of use of VNIR compared to conventional soil testing methods in developing countries are that it may allow for simultaneous evaluation of several soil properties and it can be done rapidly and possibly in the field. Diffuse Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (DRIFT) is considered to be one of the most sensitive infrared techniques for analyzing the structural composition of soil organic matter. The benefit of the DRIFT technique is the ability to characterize the functional group composition of heterogeneous materials with minimal sample preparation. Results showed that this method can be used to characterize the functional groups of heterogeneous soil organic materials and it may be a more direct method to determine changes in soil organic matter and soil quality caused by soil management practices than several other chemical and spectral techniques. The high resolution of the spectra and quantitative estimations of functional groups can be used to analyze soil organic carbon composition. Therefore, in future work this technique has great potential to be an accurate and simple method for helping to understand the changes in the composition of soil organic carbon due to soil organic management practices and to estimate changes in soil quality resulting from those practices in these hillslope agroecosystems.

Biological indicators of soil quality and soil organic matter characteristics in an agricultural management continuum

2013 ◽  
Vol 117 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen S. Veum ◽  
Keith W. Goyne ◽  
Robert J. Kremer ◽  
Randall J. Miles ◽  
Kenneth A. Sudduth
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Biological Indicators ◽  
Agricultural Management

Physico-Chemical Properties of Soil Collected from Chandrabhaga River in Kalmeshwar, Nagpur, Maharashtra

2020 ◽  
Vol 07 (02) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Amita M Watkar ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Soil Attributes ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Agricultural Land Management ◽  
Physical And Chemical

Soil, itself means Soul of Infinite Life. Soil is the naturally occurring unconsolidated or loose covering on the earth’s surface. Physical properties depend upon the amount, size, shape, arrangement, and mineral composition of soil particles. It also depends on the organic matter content and pore spaces. Chemical properties depend on the Inorganic and organic matter present in the soil. Soils are the essential components of the environment and foundation resources for nearly all types of land use, besides being the most important component of sustainable agriculture. Therefore, assessment of soil quality and its direction of change with time is an ideal and primary indicator of sustainable agricultural land management. Soil quality indicators refer to measurable soil attributes that influence the capacity of a soil to function, within the limits imposed by the ecosystem, to preserve biological productivity and environmental quality and promote plant, animal and human health. The present study is to assess these soil attributes such as physical and chemical properties season-wise.

scholarly journals Assessment of Potato Farmland Soil Nutrient Based on MDS-SQI Model in the Loess Plateau

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3957
Author(s):  
Yingying Xing ◽  
Ning Wang ◽  
Xiaoli Niu ◽  
Wenting Jiang ◽  
Xiukang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Soil Nutrients ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Soil Organic Matter Content ◽  
Farmland Soil

Soil nutrients are essential nutrients provided by soil for plant growth. Most researchers focus on the coupling effect of nutrients with potato yield and quality. There are few studies on the evaluation of soil nutrients in potato fields. The purpose of this study is to investigate the soil nutrients of potato farmland and the soil vertical nutrient distributions, and then to provide a theoretical and experimental basis for the fertilizer management practices for potatoes in Loess Plateau. Eight physical and chemical soil indexes were selected in the study area, and 810 farmland soil samples from the potato agriculture product areas were analyzed in Northern Shaanxi. The paper established the minimum data set (MDS) for the quality diagnosis of the cultivated layer for farmland by principal component analysis (PCA), respectively, and furthermore, analyzed the soil nutrient characteristics of the cultivated layer adopted soil quality index (SQI). The results showed that the MDS on soil quality diagnosis of the cultivated layer for farmland soil included such indicators as the soil organic matter content, soil available potassium content, and soil available phosphorus content. The comprehensive index value of the soil quality was between 0.064 and 0.302. The SPSS average clustering process used to classify SQI was divided into three grades: class I (36.2%) was defined as suitable soil fertility (SQI < 0.122), class II (55.6%) was defined as moderate soil fertility (0.122 < SQI < 0.18), and class III (8.2%) was defined as poor soil fertility (SQI > 0.186). The comprehensive quality of the potato farmland soils was generally low. The proportion of soil nutrients in the SQI composition ranged from large to small as the soil available potassium content = soil available phosphorus content > soil organic matter content, which became the limiting factor of the soil organic matter content in this area. This study revolves around the 0 to 60 cm soil layer; the soil fertility decreased gradually with the soil depth, and had significant differences between the respective soil layers. In order to improve the soil nutrient accumulation and potato yield in potato farmland in northern Shaanxi, it is suggested to increase the fertilization depth (20 to 40 cm) and further study the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer.

scholarly journals Growing Food with Garbage: Effects of Six Waste Amendments on Soil and Vegetable Crops

HortScience ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 896-904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Long ◽  
Rebecca N. Brown ◽  
José A. Amador
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Organic Waste ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Plant Nutrients ◽  
Chicken Manure ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Yard Waste

Using organic wastes as agricultural amendments is a productive alternative to disposal in landfills, providing nutrients for plant growth and carbon to build soil organic matter. Despite these benefits, a large fraction of organic waste is sent to landfills. Obstacles to the adoption of wastes as sources of plant nutrients include questions about harmful effects to crops or soils and the wastes’ ability to produce satisfactory yields. We compared six organic waste amendments with a mineral fertilizer control (CN) to determine effects on soil quality, soil fertility, crop quality, and crop yield in 2013 and 2014. Waste amendments were applied at a rate sufficient to supply 10,000 kg organic C/ha over two seasons, and mineral fertilizer was applied to control plots to provide 112 kg-N/ha/yr. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with four replicates and three crops: sweet corn (Zea mays L. cv. Applause, Brocade, and Montauk), butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne cv. JWS 6823), and potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Eva). Amendment with biosolids/yard waste cocompost (BS), dehydrated restaurant food waste (FW), gelatin manufacturing waste (GW), multisource compost (MS), paper fiber/chicken manure blend (PF), and yard waste compost (YW) did not have a negative impact on soil moisture, bulk density, electrical conductivity (EC), or the concentration of heavy metals in soil or plant tissue. Our results indicate potential uses for waste amendments including significantly raising soil pH (MS) and increasing soil organic matter [OM (YW and BS)]. The carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N) of waste amendments was not a reliable predictor of soil inorganic N levels, and only some wastes increased potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN) levels relative to the control. Plots amended with BS, FW, and GW produced yields of sweet corn, butternut squash, and potatoes comparable with the control, whereas plots amended with YW, PF, and MS produced lower yields of sweet corn, squash, or both, although yields for potatoes were comparable with the control. In addition, the marketability of potatoes from PF plots was significantly better than that of the control in 2014. None of the wastes evaluated in this study had negative impacts on soil properties, some provided benefits to soil quality, and all produced comparable yields for at least one crop. Our results suggest that all six wastes have potential to be used as sources of plant nutrients.

scholarly journals Thermal fractionation of soil organic matter produces fine-scale distributions of SOM age

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shane Stoner ◽  
Carlos Sierra ◽  
Marion Schrumpf ◽  
Sebastian Dötterl ◽  
Susan Trumbore
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stability ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Chemical Oxidation ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Mineral Association ◽  
Density Fractions ◽  
Chemical Complexity ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Carbon Release

&lt;p&gt;Soil organic matter (SOM) is a complex collection of organic molecules of varying origin, structure, chemical activity, and mineral association. A wide array of laboratory methods exists to separate SOM based on qualitative, biological, chemical, and physical characteristics. However, all present conceptual and logistical limitations, including the requirement of a substantial amount soil material.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;An newly applied alternative method of fractionation relies on a conceptual analogue between biochemical stability in soil and thermal stability, e.g. more persistent SOM will require higher temperatures (greater energy inputs) to decompose than less persistent SOM. This accounts for both chemical complexity and mineral association as main factors in determining SOM persistence.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this method, carbon is released by heating SOM to 900&amp;#176;C at a constant rate. The peaks of carbon release are grouped into activation energy pools, CO&lt;sub&gt;2 &lt;/sub&gt;is collected, and analyzed for &lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C and &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C. We seek to describe in finer detail the distribution of soil radiocarbon by adding another fractionation step following a different paradigm of SOM stability, and explore mineralogical effects on SOM quality and stability using thermal analysis, radiocarbon, and gas chromatography.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here, we analyzed bulk soil and soil fractions derived from density separation and chemical oxidation, as well as mineral horizons dominated by diverse mineralogies. Density fractions contained a wide range of radiocarbon activities and that young SOM is stabilized across multiple fractions, likely due to organomineral complexation. Initial results showed that soil minerals with limited stabilization potential released C at lower temperatures than those with diverse stabilization mechanisms. High-temperature sub-fractions contained the oldest carbon across fractions and minerals, thus supporting the assumption that thermal stability can be used as a limited analogue for stability in soil. We present a fine-scale distribution of radiocarbon in SOM and discuss the potential of this method for comparison with other fractionation techniques.&lt;/p&gt;

HUMUS FRACTION RATIOS AS A MEANS OF DISCRIMINATING BETWEEN HORIZON TYPES

1980 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. E. LOWE
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Humic Acid ◽  
Carbon Content ◽  
Fulvic Acid ◽  
Soil Classification ◽  
Acid Fraction ◽  
Humus Fraction ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Fraction Distribution

Humus fraction distribution in a wide range of horizon samples was examined by measuring carbon content in humic acid (Ch), in fulvic acid (Cf) and in the strongly colored polyphenolic component of the fulvic acid fraction (Ca). Fraction distribution was described by the ratios Ch/Cf and Ca/Cf. It was concluded that humus fraction ratios were related to horizon types as used in the Canadian System of Soil Classification, and were effective in discriminating between certain horizon types, particularly between Luvisolic Bt and Podzolic Bf. The results also suggested that humus fraction ratios may be effective in separating distinct sub-populations within Ah horizons and Bf horizons in general, based on qualitative differences in organic matter present. Aspects of the role of humus fractions in soil genesis are discussed.

scholarly journals Compositional and chemical characteristics of dissolved organic matter in various types of cropped and natural Chinese soils

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Songyan Li ◽  
Meng Li ◽  
Guoxi Wang ◽  
Xiaolei Sun ◽  
Beidou Xi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Type ◽  
Spectral Characteristics ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
Chemical Characteristics ◽  
Natural Soils ◽  
Red Soils ◽  
Chernozem Soils

Abstract Background Exploration of composition and chemical characteristics of soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) is significant to understand its biogeochemical role in terrestrial ecosystems. A total of 43 cropped and 16 natural soils (0–20 cm) under four soil types (cinnamon, chernozem, red and paddy soils) across China were collected to investigate the spectral characteristics of DOM using UV–Vis and 3D-EEM spectroscopy. Results The chernozem soils exhibited the highest aromaticity and humification degree among the four soil types. Ranges of biological index (BIX, 0.53–1.17) and fluorescence index (FI, 1.55–2.10) were found in the investigated DOM, showing joint contribution from allochthonous and autochthonous sources. Higher BIX and FI in the DOM of the paddy and red soils indicated a greater reliance on autochthonous sources for these two soil types. The cropped soils showed no significant differences in chemical characteristics and sources from the natural soils for the cinnamon, chernozem and red soils. UVA (16.2–47.9%) and UVC fulvic-like substances (15.4–40.5%) were the prevailing DOM components, which were highest in the chernozem soils. Additionally, the cropped soils had a higher proportion of humic-like substances than the natural soils in the DOM. Conclusions Both soil type and land-use strongly affected the chemical characteristics of soil DOM, but only soil type had an impact on the DOM composition for the collected soils. These findings may contribute to the prediction of the biochemical behavior of soil DOM under different soil types and land-uses in terrestrial ecosystems.

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