Agrogenic evolution of organic matter in peat soils of Western Siberia
The influence of the groundwater level (GW), vegetable crop rotation and mineral fertilizers on the change in the composition of organic matter of medium-thick peat soil was determined. The study was conducted on lysimeters with an adjustable level (0.5; 1.0; 1.5 and 1–2.0 m) of groundwater occurrence; in a vegetable-feed crop rotation spread in time and space; under perennial grasses without prior cultivation of annual crops. It was established that in the arable layer (0.2 m) of peat soil, the bitumen content at GW level of 0.5 m was lower by 1.65% than at a depth of 1.0 m, and by 4.34% than at a depth of 1.5 m. The maximum amount of water-soluble substances (5.68%) and substances hydrolyzable by 2% HCl (34.25%) was established at GW level of 0.5 m. It was 1.2 and 3.4–3.8% higher than at groundwater level of 1–1.5 m, respectively. With GW level of 1.5 m, the amount of humic acids decreased by 4.5% compared to their occurrence at a depth of 0.5 m. The amount of fulvic acids in the arable layer depends on the GW level (r = 0.79). The content of substances hardly hydrolyzable by 80% H2SO4 in the arable layer decreased from 2.82 to 2.31% with an increase in groundwater depth from 0.5 to 1.5 m. It was observed that the amount of lignin decreased with an increase in groundwater depth from 0.5 (6.66%) to 1.5 m (5.30%). Five- year cultivation of crops in the vegetable-feed crop rotation did not lead to significant changes in the composition of the organic matter of peat. Grassing of peat soils with perennial grasses without sowing pre-crops ensures preservation of peat organic matter and prevents its substantial transformation. Mineral fertilizers reduce the rate of accumulation of hardly-hydrolyzable and non-hydrolyzable forms due to more severe oxidative-hydrolytic conditions in the soil and because of an increase in the amount of fresh plant material as a result of crop and root residues.