scholarly journals Effect of Crop Residue Decomposition on Soil Aggregate Stability

Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 527
Author(s):  
Gheorghe Stegarescu ◽  
Jordi Escuer-Gatius ◽  
Kaido Soosaar ◽  
Karin Kauer ◽  
Tõnu Tõnutare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wheat Straw ◽  
Functional Groups ◽  
Oilseed Rape ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Soil Aggregate Stability

The decomposition of fresh crop residues added to soil for agricultural purposes is complex. This is due to different factors that influence the decomposition process. In field conditions, the incorporation of crop residues into soil does not always have a positive effect on aggregate stability. The aim of this study was to investigate the decomposition effects of residues from two different cover crops (Brassica napus var. oleifera and Secale cereale) and one main crop (wheat straw) on soil aggregate stability. A 105-day incubation experiment was conducted in which crop residues were mixed with sandy loam soil at a rate of 6 g C kg−1 of soil. During the incubation, there were five water additions. The decomposition effects of organic matter on soil conditions during incubation were evaluated by determining the soil functional groups; carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4) emissions; soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC); and water-stable aggregates (WSA). The functional groups of the plant residues and the soil were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and a double exponential model was used to estimate the decomposition rates. The results show that the decomposition rate of fresh organic materials was correlated with the soil functional groups and the C/N ratio. Oilseed rape and rye, with lower C/N ratios than wheat straw residues, had faster decomposition rates and higher CO2 and N2O emissions than wheat straw. The CO2 and N2O flush at the start of the experiment corresponded to a decrease of soil aggregate stability (from Day 3 to Day 10 for CO2 and from Day 19 to Day 28 for N2O emissions), which was linked to higher decomposition rates of the labile fraction. The lower decomposition rates contributed to higher remaining C (carbon) and higher soil aggregate stability. The results also show that changes in the soil functional groups due to crop residue incorporation did not significantly influence aggregate stability. Soil moisture (SM) negatively influenced the aggregate stability and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in all treatments (oilseed rape, rye, wheat straw, and control). Irrespective of the water addition procedure, rye and wheat straw residues had a positive effect on water-stable aggregates more frequently than oilseed rape during the incubation period. The results presented here may contribute to a better understanding of decomposition processes after the incorporation of fresh crop residues from cover crops. A future field study investigating the influence of incorporation rates of different crop residues on soil aggregate stability would be of great interest.

scholarly journals Effect of crop residues on soil aggregate stability

2008 ◽  
pp. 23-32
Author(s):  
Andrea Huisz ◽  
Tibor Tóth ◽  
Tamás Németh
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Wheat Straw ◽  
Soil Structure ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
Organic Matters ◽  
Soil Aggregate Stability

Soil structure may be improved by adding readily decomposable organic matter. The extent of amelioration depends on the chemical build-up and decomposability of the crop residues. Three different kinds of organic matters were investigated: (1) maize stem, (2) wheat straw, and (3) maize stem& wheat straw. Comparing the aggregate stabilizing effects of the differently decomposable organic matters to each other, the expected maize stem & wheat straw (mw) > maize stem (m) > wheat straw (w) order was proved.

The influence of different cover crop residues quantities on soil structural stability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gheorghe Stegarescu ◽  
Endla Reintam ◽  
Tõnu Tõnutare
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Structural Stability ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
Incubation Experiment ◽  
Soil Aggregate Stability ◽  
Substrate Induced Respiration ◽  
Soil Structural Stability

<p>Cover crops are widely known for their capacity to improve the soil biological properties and soil structural stability. Nevertheless, the cover crop residues quantity necessary to improve these soil properties is not yet really known. A 30-day incubation experiment was conducted to explore the effect of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) residues (ORR) as a cover crop on the soil aggregate stability of sandy loam soil. The fresh ORR was mixed with the soil at different rates starting from 1.0 to 6.0 g C kg<sup>-1</sup> of soil. The experiment consisted of five treatments: bulk soil (I), soil mixed with ORR at a rate of 1 g C kg<sup>-1</sup> of soil (II), soil mixed with ORR at a rate of 2 g C kg<sup>-1</sup> of soil (III), soil mixed with ORR at a rate of 4 g C kg<sup>-1</sup> of soil (IV), soil mixed with ORR at a rate of 6 g C kg<sup>-1</sup> of soil (V). During 30 days of incubation the soil moisture, soil water stable aggregates, and microbial substrate induced respiration rates were measured. The aggregate stability significantly increased after 30 days only in the treatment with 1 g C kg<sup>-1</sup> of soil. In turn, the ORR applied at a rate of 6 g C kg<sup>-1</sup> of soil significantly decreased the soil aggregate stability. The higher the ORR addition rate the lower was the soil basal respiration and substrate induced respiration. The general conclusion was that the higher quantity of ORR increased the soil moisture which subsequently created unfavorable conditions for the soil microbial activity and led to soil aggregate stability degradation. However, this conclusion must be validated in a field study where the soil moisture and temperature conditions are much more variable compared to our incubation experiment.</p>

scholarly journals Tillage or no-tillage: Impact on mycorrhizae

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahangir Kabir
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽  
Am Fungi ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
Soil Aggregate Stability ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Fungal Propagules

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are ubiquitous in agricultural soils. These fungi play important roles in plant nutrition and soil conservation. The persistence of AM fungi in ecosystems depends on the formation and survival of propagules (e.g., spore, hyphae and colonized roots). While spores are considered to be resistant structure that may be view as “long-term” propagules when viable host plants are not present, hyphae are considered to be the main source of inocula when host plants are present and the soil is not disturbed. Tillage is an integral part of modern agriculture that can modify the physical, chemical and biological properties of a soil. Consequently, tillage practices may also affect AM fungi. The various tillage practices used in the management of soil for maximum crop production may negatively impact the survival of AM fungal propagules. In tilled soil, certain AM species may survive while others may disappear. Because AM fungi are more abundant in the topsoil, deep plowing may dilute their propagules in a greater volume of soil, thereby reducing the level of infection of a plant root. Tillage is particularly detrimental to AM hyphae if the soil is tilled in the fall and the hyphae are detached from the host plant. Under no-till (NT), AM fungi survive better, particularly when they are close to the host crop on which they developed. There is speculation that in NT systems, plants may follow old root channels and potentially encounter more AM fungal propagules than plants growing in soil that has been tilled. Management of AM fungi in NT soil is essential to maximizing benefits to crops. This review reports how tillage practices affect AM fungi species richness, survivability and infectivity, and how conservation tillage can increase AM fungi survival, consequently improving plant phosphorus uptake and soil aggregate stability. Key words: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, conservation tillage, conventional tillage, P uptake, soil aggregate stability, cover crops, crop yield

Crop residues amendments quality and effect on greenhouse gas emissions and aggregate stability

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gheorghe Stegarescu ◽  
Jordi Escuer ◽  
Karin Kauer ◽  
Endla Reintam
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Wheat Straw ◽  
Oilseed Rape ◽  
Biochemical Composition ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Gas Emissions

<p>The organic residues amendments have been widely studied for their essential role of enriching the soil with organic matter. Although the pathways of the fresh organic matter additions are very complex, so is the effect. Thus, the quality of the crop residues incorporated into the soil is a valuable attribute when deciding to switch to conservation agriculture. The different C/N ratio and biochemical composition of the crop residues will affect in various ways soil CO2, N2O and CH4 emissions and soil structural stability. The study explores the effect of different crop residues incorporated in the soil on greenhouse gas emissions and aggregate stability. The incubation experiment consisted of five treatments: control (just soil), sand (as reference), soil mixed with wheat straw, soil mixed with green fresh rye residues and soil mixed with green fresh oilseed rape residues. The residues were applied into the soil at a rate of 6 g C kg-1 of soil. The pots of all the treatments were placed for incubation for 105 days at approximately 23 oC and covered with dark plastic bags. The wetting procedure was done five times at 0-11-26-46-75 days to bring the soil to field capacity for water. The sampling for the gas emissions and aggregate stability was done before wetting and after wetting. The gas emissions were sampled using the chamber method and analysed in a Gas Chromatographer. The water-stable aggregates were analysed using the wet sieving method. The plant material was chemically analysed for total carbon and nitrogen and the biochemical composition on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The results revealed that the cumulative CO2 emissions in oilseed rape were 8% higher than in rye treatment. Also, it was 76% higher than in wheat straw treatment and 95 % higher than in control treatment. The highest cumulative N2O emissions were registered in rye treatment 18.79 (±0.48) mg m-2 h-1. Oilseed rape treatment had 19% lower cumulative emissions compared to rye and 98 % higher compared to control and wheat straw treatments. Both rye and oilseed rape had a low C/N ratio 12 and 10, respectively whereas wheat straw had 98 C/N ratio. From a biochemical point of view, the wheat straw was richer in stable compounds such as lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose followed by rye and oilseed rape which had a higher content of labile compounds such as sugars and easily decomposable proteins. In general mean aggregate stability increased significantly only in the wheat straw treatment being 34.69% ±1.35. </p><p>In conclusion, this study showed that crop residues with low C/N ratio have a negative effect on greenhouse emissions. But do not have a long term effect on the increase of aggregate stability. On the contrary, the wheat straw has a positive impact on greenhouse gases, and it increased aggregate stability. </p>

The role of Ca-organic interactions in soil aggregate stability .II. Field studies with 14C-labeled straw, CaCO3 and CaSO4.2.H2O

Soil Research ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 401 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Muneer ◽  
JM Oades
Keyword(s):  
Wheat Straw ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
Soil Aggregate Stability ◽  
Fine Sandy Loam ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Dispersible Clay

Uniformly 14C-labelled straw with or without CaCO3 or CaSO4.2H2O was incubated in a leached, fine sandy loam in the field. The addition of both Ca salts increased the residual 14C in the soil after several months decomposition, CaSO4.2H2O being more effective than CaCO3 in this respect. Addition of the Ca salts decreased the amount of dispersible clay and increased the proportion of particles 50-250 �m diameter. The addition of 14C-labelled wheat straw (with or without CaSO4.2H2O or CaCO3) increased the stability of aggregates >2000 pm diameter. Addition of Ca during decomposition of straw resulted in a synergistic stabilization of aggregates >1 mm. Moreover, the stabilization was prolonged in the presence of Ca.

Dynamics of soil aggregate stability as induced by potassium in a soil-plant system

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Surachet Aramrak ◽  
Natthapol Chittamart ◽  
Worachart Wisawapipat ◽  
Wutthida Rattanapichai ◽  
Mutchima Phun-Iam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
Soil Aggregate Stability ◽  
Plant System

scholarly journals Dynamics of Soil Organic Carbon and Labile Carbon Fractions in Soil Aggregates Affected by Different Tillage Managements

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1541
Author(s):  
Xiaolin Shen ◽  
Lili Wang ◽  
Qichen Yang ◽  
Weiming Xiu ◽  
Gang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Aggregates ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Labile Carbon ◽  
Carbon Fractions ◽  
Soil Aggregate Stability ◽  
Positive Effects

Our study aimed to provide a scientific basis for an appropriate tillage management of wheat-maize rotation system, which is beneficial to the sustainable development of agriculture in the fluvo-aquic soil areas in China. Four tillage treatments were investigated after maize harvest, including rotary tillage with straw returning (RT), deep ploughing with straw returning (DP), subsoiling with straw returning (SS), and no tillage with straw mulching (NT). We evaluated soil organic carbon (SOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and particulate organic carbon (POC) in bulk soil and soil aggregates with five particle sizes (>5 mm, 5–2 mm, 2–1 mm, 1–0.25 mm, and <0.25 mm) under different tillage managements. Results showed that compared with RT treatment, NT treatment not only increased soil aggregate stability, but also enhanced SOC, DOC, and POC contents, especially those in large size macroaggregates. DP treatment also showed positive effects on soil aggregate stability and labile carbon fractions (DOC and POXC). Consequently, we suggest that no tillage or deep ploughing, rather than rotary tillage, could be better tillage management considering carbon storage. Meanwhile, we implied that mass fractal dimension (Dm) and POXC could be effective indicators of soil quality, as affected by tillage managements.

scholarly journals Sludge amendment accelerating reclamation process of reconstructed mining substrates

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Li ◽  
Ningning Yin ◽  
Ruiwei Xu ◽  
Liping Wang ◽  
Zhen Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Structure ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Soil Aggregate ◽  
Soil Reclamation ◽  
Soil Restoration ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Soil Aggregate Stability ◽  
Mining Soil ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Reclamation Process

AbstractWe constructed a mining soil restoration system combining plant, complex substrate and microbe. Sludge was added to reconstructed mine substrates (RMS) to accelerate the reclamation process. The effect of sludge on plant growth, microbial activity, soil aggregate stability, and aggregation-associated soil characteristics was monitored during 10 years of reclamation. Results show that the height and total biomass of ryegrass increases with reclamation time. Sludge amendment increases the aggregate binding agent content and soil aggregate stability. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and light-fraction SOC (LFOC) in the RMS increase by 151% and 247% compared with those of the control, respectively. A similar trend was observed for the glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP). Stable soil aggregate indexes increase until the seventh year. In short, the variables of RMS determined after 3–7 years insignificantly differ from those of the untreated sample in the tenth-year. Furthermore, significant positive correlations between the GRSP and SOC and GRSP and soil structure-related variables were observed in RMS. Biological stimulation of the SOC and GRSP accelerates the recovery of the soil structure and ecosystem function. Consequently, the plant–complex substrate–microbe ecological restoration system can be used as an effective tool in early mining soil reclamation.

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