EFFECT OF FERTILIZER ON SOIL PRODUCTIVITY IN LONG-TERM SPRING WHEAT ROTATIONS

Surface soil samples taken from two long-term crop rotations at Lethbridge, Alberta were used to assess the influence of fertilizer N and P on total and mineralizable concentrations of organic C and N in a Dark Brown Chernozemic soil. Rotations sampled were continuous wheat and fallow-wheat-wheat initiated in 1912. In 1967 and 1972, N fertilizer and P fertilizer treatments, respectively, were superimposed over the rotation treatments (which had received no previous fertilizer) to produce a factorial of two N rates (0 and 45 kg N ha−1) by two P rates (0 and 20 kg P ha−1). After 18 yr of application, N fertilizers increased organic C content in both rotations by approximately 14% over that observed in soil receiving no N fertilizer. Organic N contents, similarly, were increased by 15 and 11% in the continuous wheat and fallow-wheat-wheat rotations, respectively. As well, N fertilization increased relative N mineralization potential by 22% in the continuous wheat rotation and by 44% in the fallow-wheat-wheat rotation. Phosphorus fertilization had no significant influence on either total or mineralizable C and N concentrations. Soil pH (measured in dilute CaCl2) was reduced, on average, from 7.2 to 6.9 by 18 annual N applications. These results demonstrate that N fertilization can make significant contributions to the replenishment of organic matter in soil and to the maintenance of indigenous soil N fertility. Key words: Organic matter, nitrogen, carbon, mineralizable nitrogen, mineralizable carbon, pH

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The effects of cultivation method, fertilizer input and previous sward type on organic C and N storage and gaseous losses under spring and winter barley following long-term leys

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859602002496 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 139 (3) ◽

pp. 231-243 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

A. J. A. VINTEN ◽

B. C. BALL ◽

M. F. O'SULLIVAN ◽

J. K. HENSHALL

Keyword(s):

Spring Barley ◽

Balance Sheet ◽

N Fertilizer ◽

Net N Mineralization ◽

No Tillage ◽

Confidence Limits ◽

Organic C ◽

Soil C ◽

C And N

The effects of ploughing or no-tillage of long-term grass and grass-clover swards on changes in organic C and N pools and on CO2 and denitrified gas emissions were investigated in a 3-year field experiment in 1996–99 near Penicuik, Scotland. The decrease in soil C content between 1996 and 1999 was 15·3 t/ha (95% confidence limits were 1·7–28·9 t/ha). Field estimates of CO2 losses from deep-ploughed, normal-ploughed and no-tillage plots were 3·1, 4·5 and 4·6 t/ha over the sampling periods (a total of 257 days) in 1996–98. The highest N2O fluxes were from the fertilized spring barley under no-tillage. Thus no-tillage did not reduce C emissions, caused higher N2O emissions, and required larger inputs of N fertilizer than ploughing. By contrast, deep ploughing led to smaller C and N2O emissions but had no effect on yields, suggesting that deep ploughing might be an appropriate means of conserving C and N when leys are ploughed in. Subsoil denitrification losses were estimated to be 10–16 kg N/ha per year by measurement of 15N emissions from incubated intact cores. A balance sheet of N inputs and outputs showed that net N mineralization over 3 years was lower from plots receiving N fertilizer than from plots receiving no fertilizer.

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Soil organic matter in rainfed cropping systems of the Australian cereal belt

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr99042 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 435 ◽

Cited By ~ 139

Author(s):

R. C. Dalal ◽

K. Y. Chan

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Management Practices ◽

Performance Indicator ◽

Annual Rainfall ◽

Soil Productivity ◽

Organic C ◽

Soil C ◽

Eastern Australia

The Australian cereal belt stretches as an arc from north-eastern Australia to south-western Australia (24˚S–40˚S and 125˚E–147˚E), with mean annual temperatures from 14˚C (temperate) to 26˚C (subtropical), and with annual rainfall ranging from 250 mm to 1500 mm. The predominant soil types of the cereal belt include Chromosols, Kandosols, Sodosols, and Vertosols, with significant areas of Ferrosols, Kurosols, Podosols, and Dermosols, covering approximately 20 Mha of arable cropping and 21 Mha of ley pastures. Cultivation and cropping has led to a substantial loss of soil organic matter (SOM) from the Australian cereal belt; the long-term SOM loss often exceeds 60% from the top 0–0.1 m depth after 50 years of cereal cropping. Loss of labile components of SOM such as sand-size or particulate SOM, microbial biomass, and mineralisable nitrogen has been even higher, thus resulting in greater loss in soil productivity than that assessed from the loss of total SOM alone. Since SOM is heterogeneous in nature, the significance and functions of its various components are ambiguous. It is essential that the relationship between levels of total SOM or its identif iable components and the most affected soil properties be established and then quantif ied before the concentrations or amounts of SOM and/or its components can be used as a performance indicator. There is also a need for experimentally verifiable soil organic C pools in modelling the dynamics and management of SOM. Furthermore, the interaction of environmental pollutants added to soil, soil microbial biodiversity, and SOM is poorly understood and therefore requires further study. Biophysically appropriate and cost-effective management practices for cereal cropping lands are required for restoring and maintaining organic matter for sustainable agriculture and restoration of degraded lands. The additional benefit of SOM restoration will be an increase in the long-term greenhouse C sink, which has the potentialto reduce greenhouse emissions by about 50 Mt CO2 equivalents/year over a 20-year period, although current improved agricultural practices can only sequester an estimated 23% of the potential soil C sink.

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Management effects on the dynamics and storage rates of organic matter in long-term crop rotations

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/s03-022 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 84 (1) ◽

pp. 49-61 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

E. A. Paul ◽

H. P. Collins ◽

K. Paustian ◽

E. T. Elliott ◽

S. Frey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

C Sequestration ◽

Organic C ◽

Soil C ◽

Site Analysis ◽

Laboratory Incubation ◽

C And N ◽

A Site ◽

Management Effects

Factors controlling soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics in soil C sequestration and N fertility were determined from multi-site analysis of long-term, crop rotation experiments in Western Canada. Analyses included bulk density, organic and inorganic C and N, particulate organic C (POM-C) and N (POM -N), and CO2-C evolved during laboratory incubation. The POM-C and POM-N contents varied with soil type. Differences in POM-C contents between treatments at a site (δPOM-C) were related (r2= 0.68) to treatment differences in soil C (δSOC). The CO2-C, evolved during laboratory incubation, was the most sensitive indicator of management effects. The Gray Luvisol (Breton, AB) cultivated plots had a fivefold difference in CO2-C release relative to a twofold difference in soil organic carbon (SOC). Soils from cropped, Black Chernozems (Melfort and Indian Head, SK) and Dark Brown Chernozems (Lethbridge, AB) released 50 to 60% as much CO2-C as grassland soils. Differences in CO2 evolution from the treatment with the lowest SOM on a site and that of other treatments (δCO2-C) in the early stages of the incubation were correlated to δPOM-C and this pool reflects short-term SOC storage. Management for soil fertility, such as N release, may differ from management for C sequestration. Key words: Multi-site analysis, soil management, soil C and N, POM-C and N, CO2 evolution

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Soil management effects on organic carbon in isolated fractions of a Gray Luvisol

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/s05-037 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 86 (1) ◽

pp. 141-151 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

A. F. Plante ◽

C. E. Stewart ◽

R. T. Conant ◽

K. Paustian ◽

J. Six

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Crop Production ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Residue Management ◽

Soil Organic C ◽

Organic C ◽

Straw Management ◽

Soil C ◽

C Pools

Agricultural management affects soil organic matter, which is important for sustainable crop production and as a greenhouse gas sink. Our objective was to determine how tillage, residue management and N fertilization affect organic C in unprotected, and physically, chemically and biochemically protected soil C pools. Samples from Breton, Alberta were fractionated and analysed for organic C content. As in previous reports, N fertilization had a positive effect, tillage had a minimal effect, and straw management had no effect on whole-soil organic C. Tillage and straw management did not alter organic C concentrations in the isolated C pools, while N fertilization increased C concentrations in all pools. Compared with a woodlot soil, the cultivated plots had lower total organic C, and the C was redistributed among isolated pools. The free light fraction and coarse particulate organic matter responded positively to C inputs, suggesting that much of the accumulated organic C occurred in an unprotected pool. The easily dispersed silt-sized fraction was the mineral-associated pool most responsive to changes in C inputs, whereas the microaggregate-derived silt-sized fraction best preserved C upon cultivation. These findings suggest that the silt-sized fraction is important for the long-term stabilization of organic matter through both physical occlusion in microaggregates and chemical protection by mineral association. Key words: Soil organic C, tillage, residue management, N fertilization, silt, clay

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The changes of soil nitrogen and carbon contents in a long-term field experiment under different systems of nitrogen fertilization

Plant Soil and Environment ◽

10.17221/435-pse ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 54 (No. 11) ◽

pp. 463-470 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

V. Nedvěd ◽

J. Balík ◽

J. Černý ◽

M. Kulhánek ◽

M. Balíková

Keyword(s):

Field Experiment ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Hot Water ◽

Control Treatment ◽

Organic N ◽

Total N ◽

C And N ◽

N Compounds ◽

Term Field

Content of N and C in soil were investigated in a long-term field experiment under different systems of N fertilization. Chernozem and Cambisol were extracted using hot water (Nhws, Chws) and 0.01M CaCl2 (NCaCl2, CDOC). The Ct/Nt ratio in Chernozem was 9.6:1 and in Cambisol 6.1:1. The lowest Ct/Nt ratio in both experiments was found in the control treatment. Results showed that C and N compounds are less stable in Cambisol, which leads to a higher rate of mineralization. In the Chernozem, Nhws formed 3.66% from the total N content in the soil whereas NCaCl2 formed only 0.82%. Chws formed 2.98% and CDOC 0.34% from total C content. Cambisol contains 4.81% of Nhws and 0.84% of NCaCl2 from the total N amount and 5.76% of Chws and 0.70% of CDOC from the total C content, respectively. Nitrogen extracted by 0.01M CaCl2 formed only 22.4% of N extractable by hot water in Chernozem and 17.5% in Cambisol. The lowest C/N ratios were obtained after the CaCl2 extraction (3.0–6.2:1). The application of manure increased the content of soil organic N and C compared to the sewage sludge treatments.

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Tillage-residue management affects the distribution, storage and turnover of mineral-associated organic matter – A case study from northern Mexico

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-2986 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Carlos Romero ◽

Xiying Hao ◽

Paul Hazendonk ◽

Timothy Schwinghamer ◽

Martin Chantigny ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Farming Systems ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Coarse Sand ◽

Residue Management ◽

Total N ◽

Organic C

Managing croplands for increased storage of soil organic matter (SOM) is a critical step towards developing resilient farming systems in a changing climate. We examined SOM dynamics in a wheat (Triticum durum L.) &#8211; maize (Zea mays L.) irrigated bed planting system established near Ciudad Obreg&#243;n, Sonora, Mexico. Soil samples (0 &#8211; 15 cm) were collected from conventionally tilled raised beds (CTB) with all crop residues incorporated (CTB-I) and permanent raised beds (PB) with crop residues burned (PB-B), removed (PB-R), partly retained (PB-P) or fully retained (PB-K) receiving 0, 150 or 300 kg N ha-1, and analyzed for organic C (OC), total N (TN) and &#948;13C in whole-soil, light fraction (LF) and coarse- (sand) and fine- (silt and clay) mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM). Results indicated that PB-K and PB-B increased soil OC (P < 0.05) in whole-soil relative to CTB-I, mainly through increases in sand- and silt-size MAOM, respectively. Similarly, N-fertilization increased soil OC and TN contents in whole-soil, coarse-MAOM, and fine-MAOM, but not in the LF pool. Soil &#948;13C was higher (P < 0.05) in PB-K (-20.18&#8240;) relative to PB-B (-20.67&#8240;), possibly due to the stabilization of partly decomposed maize-C in silt- and clay-size MAOM. The composition of SOM surveyed by CPMAS 13C NMR was not affected by tillage-residue management and roughly consisted of 35% O-alkyl-C, 31% alkyl-C, 24% aromatic-C, and 10% carboxyl-C. Our results indicate that long-term PB-K and PB-B adoption increased surface soil OC contents relative to CTB-I, even though pathways of SOM stabilization differed between systems. Under PB-K, accumulation of fine-MAOM was mostly related to straw-C inputs, whereas in PB-B it was closely associated with black-C precursors. Fine-MAOM appeared responsive to crop residue management and should be therefore considered when analyzing mechanisms of SOM stabilization in irrigated croplands.<img src="https://contentmanager.copernicus.org/fileStorageProxy.php?f=gepj.5f4bda4b7cff54512830161/sdaolpUECMynit/12UGE&app=m&a=0&c=e41c23ac3d107ae401152ab2ecf4553d&ct=x&pn=gepj.elif&d=1" alt="">

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Effect of cotton residues incorporation on soil properties, organic nitrogen fractions, and nitrogen-mineralizing enzyme activity under long-term continuous cotton cropping

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.11053 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e11053

Author(s):

Fangxia Ma ◽

Yiyun Wang ◽

Peng Yan ◽

Fei Wei ◽

Zhiping Duan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Enzyme Activity ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Organic Nitrogen ◽

Organic N ◽

Cotton Field ◽

Continuous Cropping ◽

Soil Organic C ◽

Organic C ◽

C And N

The objective of this experiment was to study the effect of cotton residues incorporation on soil properties, soil organic nitrogen (N) fractions, and N-mineralizing enzyme (protease, and urease) activity in the 0–40 cm soil layer in the long-term continuous cotton field. In this experiment, seven treatments, including cotton residues incorporation for 5, 10, 15 and 20 years (marked as 5a, 10a, 15a, and 20a) and continuous cropping for 5, 10 and 20 years (marked as CK5, CK10 and CK20) were conducted. The results showed that the soil organic carbon (C) and N increased gradually with the increase in the duration of continuous cropping with cotton residues incorporation. Compared with CK20, the 20a treatments reduced the content of amino acid N (AAN), ammonium N (AN), amino sugar N (ASN), hydrolysable unidentified N (HUN), and acid insoluble N (AIN) significantly by 48.6, 32.2, 96.9, 48.3, and 38.7%, respectively (p < 0.05). The activity of protease and urease in 20a treatments significantly increased by 53.4 and 53.1% respectively as compared to CK20 (p < 0.05). Soil organic C and N-mineralizing enzyme activity decreased with the increase in cropping duration in the absence of cotton residues incorporation, while the organic N increased slightly. In conclusion, cotton residues returning can increase the storage of soil organic C and N in long-term continuous cropping cotton field, and improve the soil quality and soil fertility of continuous cropping cotton field.

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Carbon sequestration in a Brown Chernozem as affected by tillage and rotation

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss95-065 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 75 (4) ◽

pp. 449-458 ◽

Cited By ~ 71

Author(s):

C. A. Campbell ◽

B. G. McConkey ◽

R. P. Zentner ◽

F. B. Dyck ◽

F. Selles ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Cropping System ◽

Well Being ◽

Triticum Aestivum L ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Organic N ◽

Organic C ◽

C And N

Soil organic matter is important because it influences the productivity and physical well-being of soils. Recently, increased attention has focussed on soil organic matter as a possible sink for C02-C. Despite this interest, there is a lack of data for quantifying the effect of tillage on soil organic matter. Between 1981 and 1994, two tillage experiments were conducted at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, on Swinton loam, an Orthic Brown Chernozemic soil. Organic C and N were monitored periodically to quantify the effects of crop rotation [continuous spring wheat (Cont W) (Triticum aestivum L.) vs. fallow–wheat (F-W)] and tillage management [no-tillage (NT) vs. conventional tillage (CT) involving primarily use of a cultivator and rodweeder]. The effect of snow management on soil organic matter was also evaluated in one experiment, but this factor was not significant. Organic matter changes were mainly observed in the 0- to 7.5-cm soil depth. Carbon and N were greater in both concentrations and amounts in Cont W than in F–W; the latter cropping system was employed on this land during the previous 70–80 yr. In the 0- to 7.5-cm depth, the amount of organic matter was only moderately greater in NT than CT in the Cont W systems while in the F-W systems tillage was not significant (P > 0.10). During the 12-yr period, Cont W (average of NT and CT) gained about 2 t ha−1 more C in the top 15 cm of soil than F-W (average of NT and CT), with most of the increase occurring in the first 5 yr. Further, Cont W (NT) gained about 1.5 t ha−1 more C than Cont W (CT), and F-W (NT) gained about 0.5 t ha−1 more than F-W (CT). When a system that was maintained as Cont W (NT) for 9 yr was changed to Cont W (CT) for 3 yr and then summerfallowed (CT) for 1 yr, soil organic matter declined (P < 0.05). Our observations, supported by calculations based on crop residue production, indicated that an increase in organic C, averaging about 0.4–0.5 t ha−1 yr−1, has occurred in the top 15 cm of soil in Cont W (NT) between 1982 and 1993. However, because of uncertainty in our estimated C levels at the start of the experiment, the nature of the rate of C increase (linear or curvilinear) is not known. Key words: Organic C, organic N, no-till, summerfallow

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Long-term effects of tillage and nitrogen fertilization on soil C and N fractions in a corn-soybean rotation

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.1139/cjss-2021-0129 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mervin St. Luce ◽

Noura Ziadi ◽

Martin H. Chantigny ◽

Justin Braun

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Total N ◽

Soil C ◽

Glycine Max L ◽

C And N ◽

N Rates

Tillage and nitrogen (N) fertilization can influence soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics, but their interactive effects remain contradictory. A long-term (25 yr) corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) rotation was used to investigate the effect of tillage [moldboard plow (MP) and no-till (NT)] and N rates (0, 80 and 160 kg N ha-1) on soil organic carbon (SOC), total N (STN), respiration, and SOM fractions [particulate organic matter (POMC, POMN), mineral-associated organic matter (MAOMC, MAOMN), and microbial biomass (MBC, MBN)]. Results indicate that NT had 27% higher SOC and 24% higher STN than MP in the 0-20 cm depth. Furthermore, SOC and STN stocks (0-20 cm) were 22% and 20% higher, respectively, under NT than MP. There was significant stratification under NT, with a rather uniform distribution under MP. The SOM fractions and soil respiration were 28-275% and 20-83% higher at the 0-5 and 5-10 cm depths, respectively, under NT than MP. Interestingly, N fertilizer rate or its interaction with tillage had no impact, except for respiration (tillage × N rate and N rate × depth). Hence, while N addition was required for adequate grain production and increased cumulative plant C and N inputs, our findings indicate that the vertical distribution of SOC, STN and SOM fractions were affected by tillage, thereby influencing resource accessibility and subsequent dynamics of SOM fractions. Taken together, our results support the adoption of NT and judicious use of N fertilizers for enhancing topsoil SOM storage and fertility under humid temperate conditions.

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SOIL ORGANIC MATTER CHARACTERISTICS AFTER LONG-TERM CROPPING TO VARIOUS SPRING WHEAT ROTATIONS

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss87-081 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 67 (4) ◽

pp. 845-856 ◽

Cited By ~ 99

Author(s):

H. H. JANZEN

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Soil Fertility ◽

Crop Rotation ◽

Spring Wheat ◽

N Mineralization ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Organic C ◽

C And N

Soil from a long-term crop rotation study conducted at Lethbridge, Alberta was analyzed to determine the influence of various spring wheat rotations with and without perennial forages on total and mineralizable soil organic matter contents. Crop rotations considered included: continuous wheat (W), fallow-wheat (FW), fallow-wheat-wheat (FWW), and fallow-wheat-wheat-forage-forage-forage (FWWAAA) in which the forage was a mixture of alfalfa and crested wheat grass. The organic C and N contents of soil after 33 yr of cropping were highest in treatments W and FWWAAA, and decreased with increasing frequency of fallow in the rotation. The inclusion of the perennial forage in the rotation did not increase organic C and N levels above those observed in the continuous wheat treatment (W). Differences in levels of mineralizable organic matter among treatments, as measured in laboratory incubations, were much greater than differences in total organic matter content among treatments. In the surface soil layer (0–15 cm), N mineralization was significantly higher in treatment W than in treatments FWW and FWWAAA, and was more than twice that observed in treatment FW. In the subsurface soil layer (15–30 cm), N mineralization was greatest in treatment FWWAAA when sampled just after the plowdown of forage. Effects of crop rotation on C mineralization were similar to those observed for N. Levels of mineralized organic matter were closely related to levels of "light fraction" material (specific gravity < 1.59 g cm−3), which is believed to consist primarily of incompletely decomposed organic matter of plant origin. Differences in amounts of mineralizable organic matter among treatments were attributed to varying frequencies and patterns of crop residue additions. The pronounced effects of crop rotation on the distribution of organic matter among labile and humified organic matter will have a strong impact on soil fertility and may need to be taken into consideration in the development of fertilizer recommendations. It was concluded that inclusion of perennial forages in spring wheat rotations for the purpose of enhancing soil fertility and organic matter levels was not justified under semiarid conditions. Key words: Carbon, nitrogen, mineralization

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