Agroforestry buffer, biomass crop, and grain crop effects on soil quality and soil water use

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Salah Mahdi Alagele
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Soil Degradation ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Row Crop

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Soil degradation, impaired water quality, and reduced soil organic carbon have become major concerns in the management of degraded claypan soils with their associated ecological and environmental challenges. Restoration of degraded soils by the adoption of recommended perennial vegetative management systems can rehabilitate watersheds and lead to enhancing soil health. Sustainable management practices such as trees, grasses, biomass crops may avoid soil degradation as well as improve soil and water quality. The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate the effects of different perennial vegetative management systems and soil depth (10-cm depth increments from the surface to the 40-cm depth) on soil bulk density (ρb), saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), soil water retention, and pore size distributions as compared to corn (Zea mays L.) -- soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation; (ii) to assess the influence of perennial mament systems, landscape positions (summit, backslope, and footslope), soil depth, and the distance from the tree base for the agroforestry buffer (AB) (50 and 150 cm) treatment on soil quality relative to row crop management; (iii) to determine the impacts of perennial vegetation practices and soil depth on soil water dynamics as compared to row crop system; (iv) to evaluate the effects of long-term perennial management and cropping systems, landscape positions, and the distance from the base of a tree trunk on soil microbial biomass and soil organic carbon (SOC); and (v) to assess the conservation vegetative management practice effects on potential evapotranspiration (ETo). The experiment was conducted at the Greenley Memorial Research Center in northeastern Missouri, USA. Vegetation management treatments were row crop (RC), grass buffer (GB), agroforestry buffer (AB), grass waterways (GWW), and biomass/biofuel crop (BC), which were established in 1991, 1997, 1997, 1997, and 2012, respectively. ... The results of these studies imply that the establishment of perennial vegetative management systems of trees, grasses, and biomass crops on degraded soils can improve soil hydraulic properties, soil quality, soil water storage, soil microbial biomass, and soil water use. These improvements may ameliorate the productivity of degraded claypan soils as well as provide more economical and environmental benefits. Perennial management systems such as trees and grasses can play a considerable role in enhancing soil health for future sustainable production and ecosystem services.

Soil microbial biomass and activity under different agricultural management systems in a semiarid Mediterranean agroecosystem

2010 ◽  
Vol 109 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. García-Orenes ◽  
C. Guerrero ◽  
A. Roldán ◽  
J. Mataix-Solera ◽  
A. Cerdà ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Agricultural Management ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Soil Microbial

scholarly journals Defining a realistic control for the chloroform fumigation-incubation method using microscopic counting and 14C-substrates

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
William R. Horwath ◽  
Eldor A. Paul ◽  
David Harris ◽  
Jeannette Norton ◽  
Leslie Jagger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Biomass Carbon ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Microbial C ◽  
Parameter Values ◽  
Chloroform Fumigation

Chloroform fumigation-incubation (CFI) has made possible the extensive characterization of soil microbial biomass carbon (C) (MBC). Defining the non-microbial C mineralized in soils following fumigation remains the major limitation of CFI. The mineralization of non-microbial C during CFI was examined by adding 14C-maize to soil before incubation. The decomposition of the 14C-maize during a 10-d incubation after fumigation was 22.5% that in non-fumigated control soils. Re-inoculation of the fumigated soil raised 14C-maize decomposition to 77% that of the unfumigated control. A method was developed which varies the proportion of mineralized C from the unfumigated soil (UFC) that is subtracted in calculating CFI biomasss C. The proportion subtracted (P) varies according to a linear function of the ratio of C mineralized in the fumigated (FC) and unfumigated samples (FC/UFC) with two parameters K1 and K2 (P = K1FC/UFC) + K2). These parameters were estimated by regression of CFI biomass C, calculated according to the equation MBC = (FC − PUFC)/0.41, against that derived by direct microscopy in a series of California soils. Parameter values which gave the best estimate of microscopic biomass from the fumigation data were K1 = 0.29 and K2 = 0.23 (R2 = 0.87). Substituting these parameter values, the equation can be simplified to MBC = 1.73FC − 0.56UFC. The equation was applied to other CFI data to determine its effect on the measurement of MBC. The use of this approach corrected data that were previously difficult to interpret and helped to reveal temporal trends and changes in MBC associated with soil depth. Key words: Chloroform fumigation-incubation, soil microbial biomass, microscopically estimated biomass, carbon, control, 14C

scholarly journals Refining physical aspects of soil quality and soil health when exploring the effects of soil degradation and climate change on biomass production: an Italian case study

SOIL ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonello Bonfante ◽  
Fabio Terribile ◽  
Johan Bouma
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Soil Type ◽  
Soil Degradation ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Biological Indicators ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Physical Chemical

Abstract. This study focuses on soil physical aspects of soil quality and health with the objective to define procedures with worldwide rather than only regional applicability, reflecting modern developments in soil physical and agronomic research and addressing important questions regarding possible effects of soil degradation and climate change. In contrast to water and air, soils cannot, even after much research, be characterized by a universally accepted quality definition and this hampers the internal and external communication process. Soil quality expresses the capacity of the soil to function. Biomass production is a primary function, next to filtering and organic matter accumulation, and can be modeled with soil–water–atmosphere–plant (SWAP) simulation models, as used in the agronomic yield-gap program that defines potential yields (Yp) for any location on earth determined by radiation, temperature and standardized crop characteristics, assuming adequate water and nutrient supply and lack of pests and diseases. The water-limited yield (Yw) reflects, in addition, the often limited water availability at a particular location. Actual yields (Ya) can be considered in relation to Yw to indicate yield gaps, to be expressed in terms of the indicator (Ya/Yw)×100. Soil data to calculate Yw for a given soil type (the genoform) should consist of a range of soil properties as a function of past management (various phenoforms) rather than as a single representative dataset. This way a Yw-based characteristic soil quality range for every soil type is defined, based on semipermanent soil properties. In this study effects of subsoil compaction, overland flow following surface compaction and erosion were simulated for six soil series in the Destra Sele area in Italy, including effects of climate change. Recent proposals consider soil health, which appeals more to people than soil quality and is now defined by separate soil physical, chemical and biological indicators. Focusing on the soil function biomass production, physical soil health at a given time of a given type of soil can be expressed as a point (defined by a measured Ya) on the defined soil quality range for that particular type of soil, thereby defining the seriousness of the problem and the scope for improvement. The six soils showed different behavior following the three types of land degradation and projected climate change up to the year 2100. Effects are expected to be major as reductions of biomass production of up to 50 % appear likely under the scenarios. Rather than consider soil physical, chemical and biological indicators separately, as proposed now elsewhere for soil health, a sequential procedure is discussed, logically linking the separate procedures.

scholarly journals Selecting soil quality indicators for different soil management systems in the Brazilian Cerrado

2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (9) ◽  
pp. 1643-1651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Cristina Stefanoski ◽  
Cícero Célio de Figueiredo ◽  
Glenio Guimarães Santos ◽  
Robélio Leandro Marchão
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Biological Indicators ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Soil Quality Indicators ◽  
Physical Chemical

Abstract The objective of this work was to assess soil quality indicators obtained with different datasets to compare soil management systems in the Brazilian Cerrado. Three criteria were used to select soil physical, chemical, and biological indicators: the full set of indicators obtained, with 36 parameters, for which all the physical, chemical, and biological soil properties were determined; a subset of indicators selected by principal component analysis (20 parameters); and a subset of indicators with some frequency of use in the literature (16 parameters). These indicators were obtained from the following management systems: no-tillage, conventional tillage, and native cerrado vegetation. Soil samples were collected at 0.0-0.1-m soil depth, and soil quality indicators were subjected to analysis of variance and their means were compared. The incorporation of soil native cerrado into agriculture decreased soil quality. The most commonly used indicators in the scientific literature are sensitive enough to detect differences in soil quality according to land use. Therefore, the selection of a minimum set of representative data can be more useful than a complex set of properties to compare management systems as to their soil quality.

scholarly journals Comparative Study on Soil Microbial Biomass in Tarai and Hill Sal (Shorearobusta Gaertn.) Forests of Tropical Region in Eastern Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-25
Author(s):  
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai ◽  
Tej Narayan Mandal
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Turnover Rate ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Sal Forest

A comparative study was conducted to investigate the effect of altitudinal variation and seasonality on soil microbial biomass carbon (MB-C), nitrogen (MB-N), and phosphorus (MB-P) between Tarai Sal forest (TSF) and Hill Sal forest (HSF) of the tropical region in eastern Nepal. Soil microbial biomass was estimated by chloroform fumigation - extraction method in summer, rainy and winter seasons in the upper (0-15 cm) soil depth in both forests. Pre-conditioned soil samples were saturated with purified liquid chloroform, represented fumigated sample. Another set of soil samples without using chloroform, represented unfumigated samples and soil biomass was estimated from these samples. MB-C, MB-N, and MB-P were higher by 66%, 31%, and 9%, respectively, in HSF than TSF. Distinct seasonality was observed in soil microbial biomass. It was maximum in summer and minimum in rainy season in both the forest stands. The value decreased from summer to rainy season by 46 to 67% in HSF and by 32 to 80% in TSF. Higher soil microbial biomass in the summer season may be due to its accumulation in soil when the plant growth and nutrient demand are minimal. Analysis of variance suggested that MB-C, MB-N, and MB-P were significantly different for both sites and seasons (P < 0.001). Soil organic carbon, TN, and TP were positively correlated with MB-C, MB-N, and MB-P in both the forests. In conclusion, the higher value of soil microbial biomass in HSF may be due to the higher concentration of soil organic matter and decreasing turnover rate of microbial biomass due to higher altitude. On the other hand, the lower value of microbial biomass at TSF may indicate its fast turnover rate due to lowland tropics to enhance the nutrient cycling process.

scholarly journals EFFECT OF WATER AVAILABILITY ON SOIL MICROBIAL BIOMASS IN SECONDARY FOREST IN EASTERN AMAZONIA

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 377-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lívia Gabrig Turbay Rangel-Vasconcelos ◽  
Daniel Jacob Zarin ◽  
Francisco de Assis Oliveira ◽  
Steel Silva Vasconcelos ◽  
Cláudio José Reis de Carvalho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽  
Basal Respiration ◽  
Soil Water Availability ◽  
Soil Microbial

Soil microbial biomass (SMB) plays an important role in nutrient cycling in agroecosystems, and is limited by several factors, such as soil water availability. This study assessed the effects of soil water availability on microbial biomass and its variation over time in the Latossolo Amarelo concrecionário of a secondary forest in eastern Amazonia. The fumigation-extraction method was used to estimate the soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen content (SMBC and SMBN). An adaptation of the fumigation-incubation method was used to determine basal respiration (CO2-SMB). The metabolic quotient (qCO2) and ratio of microbial carbon:organic carbon (CMIC:CORG) were calculated based on those results. Soil moisture was generally significantly lower during the dry season and in the control plots. Irrigation raised soil moisture to levels close to those observed during the rainy season, but had no significant effect on SMB. The variables did not vary on a seasonal basis, except for the microbial C/N ratio that suggested the occurrence of seasonal shifts in the structure of the microbial community.

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