Soil Water Repellency and Micro-Aggregate Fractions in Response to Crop Growth Periods in a Purple Soil Sloping Cropland Subjecting to Long-Term Fertilization Management

Crop residues and N fertilizer under no-till may increase soil water repellency (SWR) and soil hydrophobicity, but few studies have examined these two treatment factors and their interaction. A laboratory study was conducted using a long-term (since 1999) field experiment on a clay loam soil to determine the effect of three crop residues and two N fertilizer levels on SWR and soil hydrophobicity under no-till within the Dark Brown soil zone of the semi-arid Canadian prairies. The three residue treatments were residues removed from soil (Rx0), residues returned to soil (Rx1), and residues supplemented to soil (Rx2). The two fertilizer N treatments were 0 (N0) and 45 kg N ha−1 (N1). Surface (0–10 cm) soil samples were taken in the spring of 2017 after 17 yr. Laboratory measurements were conducted on air-dried and sieved (<2 mm) soil to determine SWR using the repellency index method (RI), soil organic C, hydrophobic CH and hydrophilic CO functional groups, and soil hydrophobicity (CH/CO ratio). Mean RI values ranged from 2.19 to 2.75, indicating subcritical (RI > 1.95) SWR. Similar (P > 0.05) RI values were found for the three residue and two N fertilizer treatments, but the trend was for greater RI with increased residue addition (by 12%–26%) and N fertilizer (by 8%). Soil hydrophobicity was significantly greater by 47%–82% for straw returned or supplemented than straw removed treatments, and by 33% for fertilized than unfertilized treatments. Overall, greater residues and N fertilizer had no effect on SWR, but significantly increased soil hydrophobicity.

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Soil Water Repellency Induced By Long-Term Irrigation with Treated Sewage Effluent

Journal of Environmental Quality ◽

10.2134/jeq2005.0073 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 34 (5) ◽

pp. 1910-1920 ◽

Cited By ~ 119

Author(s):

R. Wallach ◽

O. Ben-Arie ◽

E. R. Graber

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Water Repellency ◽

Sewage Effluent ◽

Soil Water Repellency ◽

Treated Sewage ◽

Treated Sewage Effluent

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Extent of soil water repellency under long-term no-till soils

Geoderma ◽

10.1016/j.geoderma.2008.11.036 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 149 (1-2) ◽

pp. 171-180 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

Humberto Blanco-Canqui ◽

R. Lal

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Water Repellency ◽

Soil Water Repellency ◽

No Till

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Long-term cropping and fertilization influences soil organic carbon, soil water repellency, and soil hydrophobicity

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.1139/cjss-2019-0129 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 100 (3) ◽

pp. 234-244

Author(s):

J.J. Miller ◽

M.L. Owen ◽

X.M. Yang ◽

C.F. Drury ◽

W.D. Reynolds ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Water ◽

Perennial Grass ◽

Water Repellency ◽

Kentucky Bluegrass ◽

Soil Water Repellency ◽

Loam Soil ◽

Soil Hydrophobicity

Long-term (58 yr) cropping and fertilization effects on soil water repellency were determined for a clay loam soil in southwestern Ontario, Canada by measuring soil organic carbon (SOC), soil water repellency index (RI), and soil hydrophobicity (SH). The 12 treatments (non-replicated) included fertilized and non-fertilized legume-based crop rotation (ROT) with four phases (corn–oat–alfalfa–alfalfa), continuous corn (CC), and continuous Kentucky bluegrass (KBG). We hypothesized that SOC, RI, and SH would be greater for each phase of the ROT versus CC, KBG versus CC and ROT, and fertilized versus non-fertilized treatments. Surface (0–10 cm) soil samples were collected in the spring of 2017. Laboratory measurements were conducted to determine SOC, RI (ratio of soil sorptivity to ethanol and water), and SH (ratio of hydrophobic CH– to hydrophilic CO– functional groups). Mean SOC and SH were greater (P ≤ 0.05) for each phase of the ROT versus CC (33% to 2.4 times), KBG versus CC (3.2–6 times) and each phase of ROT (2.2–2.8 times), and fertilized versus non-fertilized rotation oats and KBG (15%–30%). Mean RI was greater for KBG versus CC (4.8 times) and KBG versus each phase of the ROT (3.0–5.5 times) under fertilization only, greater for fertilized versus non-fertilized KBG (6.8 times), but similar for each phase of ROT versus CC. In general, legume-based rotations, perennial grass, and fertilizer enhanced SOC and SH, and to a lesser extent soil RI.

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Comparison of various techniques to estimate the extent and persistence of soil water repellency

Biologia ◽

10.1515/biolog-2017-0112 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 72 (9) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

L’ubomír Lichner ◽

Marek Rodný ◽

Bernd Marschner ◽

Yona Chen ◽

Itamar Nadav ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Water Repellency ◽

Treated Wastewater ◽

Soil Water Repellency ◽

New Techniques

AbstractNew techniques to estimate the extent and persistence of soil water repellency (SWR) were compared with commonly used techniques in assessing the results taken in the long-term agricultural experimental orchards in northern Israel irrigated with either freshwater (FW), primary treated wastewater (WW) or (secondary or tertiary) treated wastewater (TWW), where SWR induced by irrigation was registered (Ha Ma’apil, Neve Etan, and Shafdan). The extent of SWR was assessed by the repellency index RI, combined repellency index RI

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Short-term spatio-temporal spring grassland fire effects on soil colour, organic matter and water repellency in Lithuania

Solid Earth Discussions ◽

10.5194/sed-5-2119-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 2119-2154 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

P. Pereira ◽

X. Úbeda ◽

J. Mataix-Solera ◽

D. Martin ◽

M. Oliva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Water ◽

Water Repellency ◽

Fire Effects ◽

Composite Sample ◽

Soil Water Repellency ◽

Short Term ◽

Aggregate Fractions ◽

Grassland Fire ◽

Spatio Temporal

Abstract. The aim of this work was to study the short-term effects (first 9 months after the fire) of a low-severity spring boreal grassland fire on soil colour, soils organic matter (SOM) and soil water repellency (SWR) in Lithuania. Three days after the fire we designed a plot of 400 m2 in a control (unburned) and unburned area with the same geomorphological characteristics. Soil water repellency analysis were assessed through the 2 mm mesh (composite sample) and in the subsamples of all of the 250 samples divided into different soil aggregate fractions of 2–1, 1–0.5, 0.5–0.25 and < 0.25 mm, using the Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT) method. The results showed that fire darkened the soil significantly during the entire study period due to the incorporation of ash/charcoal into the soil profile. Soil organic matter was significantly higher in the first two months after the fire in the burned plot, in comparison to the unburned plot. Soil water repellency (SWR) of the composite sample was higher in the burned plot during the first two months after the fire. However, considering the different aggregate fractions studied, the SWR was significantly higher until 5 months after the fire in the coarser fractions (2–1 mm, 1–0.5 mm) and 7 months after in the finer (0.5–0.25 mm and < 0.25 mm), suggesting that the leachability of organic compounds is different with respect to soil aggregate size fractions. This finding has implications for the spatio-temporal variability of fire effects on SWR. SOM was significantly negative correlated with SWR (composite sample) only in the two months after the fire. These results demonstrated that in the first two months the hydrophobic compounds produced by fire were one of the factors responsible for the increase in SWR. Subsequently repellent compounds were leached, at different rates, according to particle size. The impacts of this low severity grassland fire were limited in time, and are not considered a~threat to this ecosystem.

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Influence of Crested Wheatgrass on Soil Water Repellency in Comparison to Native Grass Mix and Annual Spring Wheat Cropping

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.1139/cjss-2021-0031 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jim J. Miller ◽

Mallory Owen ◽

Ben Ellert ◽

X.M. Yang ◽

Craig F. Drury ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Water Repellency ◽

Perennial Grasses ◽

Strong Positive Correlation ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Soil Water Repellency ◽

Native Grass ◽

Canadian Prairies ◽

Crested Wheatgrass

Crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.) is a common introduced grass in the Canadian prairies, but concerns remain about its possible long-term effects on soil quality, and its influence on soil water repellency (SWR) has not been determined. The long-term (24 yr) effects of crested wheatgrass on soil water repellency (SWR) in comparison to seeded native grasses and annual cropping were determined for a clay loam soil in southern Alberta, Canada by measuring SOC concentration and SWR using soil hydrophobicity (SH) and soil water repellency index (RI) methods. The cropping treatments were crested wheat grass, seeded native grass mix, continuous wheat, and wheat-fallow rotation, each with fertilized (nitrogen) and non-fertilized sub-plots, replicated four times. Mean SOC concentration, SH, and RI in samples of surface soil were similar (P > 0.05) for crested wheatgrass and seeded native grass mix; and did not support our hypothesis (seeded native grass mix>crested wheatgrass). Mean SOC was significantly greater for seeded perennial grasses than annual crops by 1.7 to 2 times and SH by 2.1-2.5 times, which supported our hypothesis, but RI was similar among treatments. As expected, nitrogen fertilization significantly increased SOC concentrations, but the effects on SH and RI were undetectable. A strong positive correlation occurred between SOC concentration and SH (r=0.92), but not for RI (r=0.10). Our findings suggested that SWR was similar for crested wheatgrasses and seeded native grass mix. The SWR as measured using SH was greater for seeded perennial grasses than annual cropping, but was similar using RI.

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