scholarly journals Temporal Variation of Earthworm Impacts on Soil Organic Carbon under Different Tillage Systems

Author(s):  
Yafei Guo ◽  
Xiaoping Zhang ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Donghui Wu ◽  
Neil McLaughlin ◽  
...  

Previous research has shown the varied effect of earthworms on soil carbon dynamics. We carried out a 180-day incubation experiment with earthworms and maize residue additions under conventional tillage (CT) and no tillage (NT) system conditions to quantify the earthworm effect in the black soil of northeastern China. Earthworms did not affect soil CO2 emissions, while residue addition significantly increased such emissions. The effects of earthworms on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) gradually weakened with time in CT with and without residue addition, but gradually increased with time in NT with residue addition. In the CT system, earthworms accelerated the soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization; and the newly added residue decomposed into SOC. In the NT system, earthworms accelerated the decomposition of native residues increasing the SOC content; this increase in decomposition rates by earthworms was greater than the inhibitory effect imposed by the addition of the new residue. Earthworms and residues combine to play a single role in CT and NT. This result will help in the understanding of the role of earthworms and residue in SOC dynamics, and in the development of management strategies to improve SOC.

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jishan Chen ◽  
Ruifen Zhu ◽  
Qiang Zhang ◽  
Xiaolei Kong ◽  
Dequan Sun

AbstractThe reduced-tillage (Rt) has been proposed as a strategy to improve soil organic carbon and soil total nitrogen pools. However, little is known of the role of the reduced-tillage compared with the organic (Org) and conventional (Con) management in the Songnen Plain of China. We studied the 4 yr effect of three management strategies (Con, Org and Rt management) on labile soil organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools, including variation in mineralizable carbon and nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in the rotation of alfalfa-corn established in 2009. Soil characteristics including soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) were quantified in samples collected during the 9 yr rotation of 5yr-alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) followed by 4 yr corn (Zea mays L.). The mineralizable C was increased in the four years, and although not statistically significant, 12% higher in the fourth year under reduced-tillage than conventional management (268 kg ha−1). Soil organic C was increased by 30% under reduced-tillage compared to conventional management (15.5 Mg ha−1). Three management strategies showed similar labile N pools in the Con and Org management, but differed in the Rt management. Org management showed significantly lesser mineralizable and inorganic N compared to other strategies, but soil microbial community and comparable crop yield across management strategy in year 4, indicating more efficient N use for organic than other management strategy. In our conditions, reduced-tillage for corn cropping after five years of alfalfa grassland can accumulate labile C and N and improve N utilization to for crop yields in the forage-based rotations. These findings suggest an optimal strategy for using Rt management to enhance soil properties and crop yield in plantation soils and provide a new perspective for understanding the potential role of Rt management in plantation soil.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Linsler ◽  
Jacqueline Gerigk ◽  
Ilka Schmoock ◽  
Rainer Georg Jörgensen ◽  
Martin Potthoff

<p>Reduced tillage is assumed to be a suitable practice to maintain and promote microbial biomass and microbial activity in the soil. The microbial biomass in particular is considered as a sensitive indicator for detecting soil disturbances. The objective of this study was to quantify the influence of different tillage practices on microbial parameters in the soil. Furthermore, we analyzed the relation of those microbial parameters with site-specific conditions.</p><p>To get a deeper insight in that topic, soils from different fields of agricultural farms with different tillage practices in France (12 fields), Romania (15 fields) and Sweden (17 fields) were examined within the “SoilMan project”. The tillage practices were no-tillage (absence of any tillage), minimum tillage (non-inversion tillage for instance by chisel plough or cultivator) and conventional tillage (inversion tillage by ploughing), all of which were carried out for at least five years prior to sampling. Soil samples were taken in spring 2018 from all fields under winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) at three soil depths (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm). As microbial parameters we measured microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen contents, ergosterol contents (as proxy for fungi) and basal respiration rates. For site-specific conditions we measured soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus contents, texture, pH and the soil water content.</p><p>Results show that microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen were more affected by soil type and soil texture as well as climatic conditions (mean precipitation and temperature) than by tillage practices. For instance, an increased clay content had a positive effect on the microbial biomass and, in addition to the higher average annual temperature, explained the generally low values ​​in France. The lack of inversion tillage primarily led to stratified levels of soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon and ergosterol contents, which can be explained by the lack of crop residue incorporation. There were hardly any differences in microbial indicators between the tillage intensities when looking at the whole of the sampled soil profile (0-30 cm). In France, the microbial biomass carbon / soil organic carbon ratio was lower for no-tillage than for conventional tillage, which may indicate, among other things, that the mechanically ground organic matter incorporated into the soil under conventional tillage was better colonized by microorganisms. However, this effect could not be confirmed in the other countries. The metabolic quotient was generally increased at the lowest sampled depth (20-30 cm), irrespective of the cultivation.</p><p>We can conclude that the soil tillage intensity influenced the distribution of microbial biomass carbon and soil organic carbon contents more strongly than the total amounts in the sampled soil profile and that the soil texture had a greater impact on microbial soil properties than the agricultural management practice.</p>


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 291
Author(s):  
Ramón Bienes ◽  
Maria Jose Marques ◽  
Blanca Sastre ◽  
Andrés García-Díaz ◽  
Iris Esparza ◽  
...  

Long-term field trials are essential for monitoring the effects of sustainable land management strategies for adaptation and mitigation to climate change. The influence of more than thirty years of different management is analyzed on extensive crops under three tillage systems, conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT), and no-tillage (NT), and with two crop rotations, monoculture winter-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and wheat-vetch (Triticum aestivum L.-Vicia sativa L.), widely present in the center of Spain. The soil under NT experienced the largest change in organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, macroaggregate stability, and bulk density. In the MT and NT treatments, SOC content was still increasing after 32 years, being 26.5 and 32.2 Mg ha−1, respectively, compared to 20.8 Mg ha−1 in CT. The SOC stratification (ratio of SOC at the topsoil/SOC at the layer underneath), an indicator of soil conservation, increased with decreasing tillage intensity (2.32, 1.36, and 1.01 for NT, MT, and CT respectively). Tillage intensity affected the majority of soil parameters, except the water stable aggregates, infiltration, and porosity. The NT treatment increased available water, but only in monocropping. More water was retained at the permanent wilting point in NT treatments, which can be a disadvantage in dry periods of these edaphoclimatic conditions.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 484
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Bierer ◽  
April B. Leytem ◽  
Robert S. Dungan ◽  
Amber D. Moore ◽  
David L. Bjorneberg

Insufficient characterization of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in semi-arid climates contributes uncertainty to SOC sequestration estimates. This study estimated changes in SOC (0–30 cm depth) due to variations in manure management, tillage regime, winter cover crop, and crop rotation in southern Idaho (USA). Empirical data were used to drive the Denitrification Decomposition (DNDC) model in a “default” and calibrated capacity and forecast SOC levels until 2050. Empirical data indicates: (i) no effect (p = 0.51) of winter triticale on SOC after 3 years; (ii) SOC accumulation (0.6 ± 0.5 Mg ha–1 year–1) under a rotation of corn-barley-alfalfax3 and no change (p = 0.905) in a rotation of wheat-potato-barley-sugarbeet; (iii) manure applied annually at rate 1X is not significantly different (p = 0.75) from biennial application at rate 2X; and (iv) no significant effect of manure application timing (p = 0.41, fall vs. spring). The DNDC model simulated empirical SOC and biomass C measurements adequately in a default capacity, yet specific issues were encountered. By 2050, model forecasting suggested: (i) triticale cover resulted in SOC accrual (0.05–0.27 Mg ha–1 year–1); (ii) when manure is applied, conventional tillage regimes are favored; and (iii) manure applied treatments accrue SOC suggesting a quadratic relationship (all R2 > 0.85 and all p < 0.0001), yet saturation behavior was not realized when extending the simulation to 2100. It is possible that under very large C inputs that C sequestration is favored by DNDC which may influence “NetZero” C initiatives.


2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-30
Author(s):  
Božena Šoltysová ◽  
Martin Danilovič

Tillage in Relation to Distribution of Nutrients and Organic Carbon in the SoilChanges of total nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and soil organic carbon were observed on gleyic Fluvisols (locality Milhostov) at the following crops: grain maize (2005), spring barley (2006), winter wheat (2007), soya (2008), grain maize (2009). The experiment was realized at three soil tillage technologies: conventional tillage, reduced tillage and no-tillage. Soil samples were collected from three depths (0-0.15 m; 0.15-0.30 m; 0.30-0.45 m). The ratio of soil organic carbon to total nitrogen was also calculated.Soil tillage affects significantly the content of total nitrogen in soil. The difference between the convetional tillage and soil protective tillages was significant. The balance showed that the content of total nitrogen decreased at reduced tillage by 5.2 rel.%, at no-tillage by 5.1 rel.% and at conventional tillage by 0.7 rel.%.Similarly, the content of organic matter in the soil was significantly affected by soil tillage. The content of soil organic carbon found at the end of the research period was lower by 4.1 rel.% at reduced tillage, by 4.8 rel.% at no-tillage and by 4.9 rel.% at conventional tillage compared with initial stage. The difference between the convetional tillage and soil protective tillages was significant.Less significant relationship was found between the soil tillage and the content of available phosphorus. The balance showed that the content of available phosphorus was increased at reduced tillage (by 4.1 rel.%) and was decreased at no-tillage (by 9.5 rel.%) and at conventional tillage (by 3.3 rel.%).Tillage did not significantly affect the content of available potassium in the soil.


CATENA ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 109 ◽  
pp. 186-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Wang ◽  
Fuchun Li ◽  
Huanzhi Shi ◽  
Zhangdong Jin ◽  
Xuhui Sun ◽  
...  

Agronomy ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 208
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Szostek ◽  
Ewa Szpunar-Krok ◽  
Renata Pawlak ◽  
Jadwiga Stanek-Tarkowska ◽  
Anna Ilek

The aim of the study was to compare the effect of conventional, simplified, and organic farming systems on changes in the content of soil organic carbon, organic matter fractions, total nitrogen, and the enzymatic activity. The research was conducted from 2016–2018 on arable land in the south-eastern part of Poland. The selected soils were cultivated in conventional tillage (C_Ts), simplified tillage (S_Ts), and organic farming (O_Fs) systems. The analyses were performed in soil from the soil surface layers (up to 25 cm depth) of the experimental plots. The highest mean contents of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and organic matter fractions were determined in soils subjected to the simplified tillage system throughout the experimental period. During the study period, organic carbon concentration on surface soil layers under simplified tillage systems was 31 and 127% higher than the soil under conventional tillage systems and organic farming systems, respectively. Also, the total nitrogen concentration in those soils was more than 40% and 120% higher than conventional tillage systems and organic farming systems, respectively. Moreover, these soils were characterised by a progressive decline in SOC and Nt resources over the study years. There was no significant effect of the analysed tillage systems on the C:N ratio. The tillage systems induced significant differences in the activity of the analysed soil enzymes, i.e., dehydrogenase (DH) and catalase (CAT). The highest DH activity throughout the experiment was recorded in the O_Fs soils, and the mean value of this parameter was in the range of 6.01–6.11 μmol TPF·kg−1·h−1. There were no significant differences in the CAT values between the variants of the experiment. The results confirm that, regardless of other treatments, such as the use of organic fertilisers, tillage has a negative impact on the content of SOC and organic matter fractions in the O_Fs system. All simplifications in tillage reducing the interference with the soil surface layer and the use of organic fertilisers contribute to improvement of soil properties and enhancement of biological activity, which helps to maintain its productivity and fertility.


PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e8531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulu Zhang ◽  
Dong Cui ◽  
Haijun Yang ◽  
Nijat Kasim

Background A wetland is a special ecosystem formed by the interaction of land and water. The moisture content variation will greatly affect the function and structure of the wetland internal system. Method In this paper, three kinds of wetlands with different flooding levels (Phragmites australis wetland (long-term flooding), Calamagrostis epigeios wetland(seasonal flooding) and Ditch millet wetland (rarely flooded)) in Ili Valley of Xinjiang China were selected as research areas. The changes of microbial biomass carbon, soil physical and chemical properties in wetlands were compared, and redundancy analysis was used to analyze the correlation between soil physical and chemical properties, microbial biomass carbon and enzyme activities (soil sucrase, catalase, amylase and urease). The differences of soil enzyme activities and its influencing factors under different flooding conditions in Ili Valley were studied and discussed. Result The results of this study were the following: (1) The activities of sucrase and amylase in rarely flooded wetlands and seasonally flooded wetlands were significantly higher than those in long-term flooded wetlands; the difference of catalase activity in seasonal flooded wetland was significant and the highest. (2) Redundancy analysis showed that soil organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, total phosphorus and soil microbial biomass carbon had significant effects on soil enzyme activity (p < 0.05). (3) The correlation between soil organic carbon and the sucrase activity, total phosphorus and the catalase activity was the strongest; while soil organic carbon has a significant positive correlation with invertase, urease and amylase activity, with a slight influence on catalase activity. The results of this study showed that the content of organic carbon, total phosphorus and other soil fertility factors in the soil would be increased and the enzyme activity would be enhanced if the flooding degree was changed properly.


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