scholarly journals Interactive effects of management practices on water-stable aggregation and organic matter of a Humic Gleysol

2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. 545-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Bissonnette ◽  
Denis A. Angers ◽  
Régis R. Simard ◽  
Jean Lafond
Keyword(s):  
Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Dairy Manure ◽  
Soil Aggregation ◽  
Silty Clay ◽  
C And N

In many soils, the content and quality of organic matter (OM) control water-stable aggregation, which in turn preserves soil surface integrity. The effects of management practices on soil OM and aggregation remain to be determined for certain soils and climatic conditions. We assessed the effects of eight management systems involving two crop sequences: [barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) monoculture (M) and barley in rotation (R) with a forage mix of red clover ( Trifolium pratense L.) and timothy ( Phleum pratense L. ‘Champ’)], two fall tillage [moldboard plowing (MP) and chisel plowing (CP)] and two nutrient sources [liquid dairy manure (LDM) and mineral fertilizers (MIN)] on soil aggregation and OM fractions of a silty clay Humic Gleysol. Soil samples from the 0–7.5 cm layer were taken periodically during 7 yr, and the total C and N, microbial biomass C (MBC) and carbohydrate (AHC) contents, alkaline phosphatase activity (APA), and water-stable aggregation were determined. By the 7th yr, initial total C and N contents of the surface soil had increased by 35 and 45%, respectively, in R-CP-LDM. They were slightly increased in R-CP-MIN an d R-MP-LDM, whereas they decreased by an average of 19% in R-MP-MIN and all monoculture plots. Increases in C contents were attributed to higher annual C inputs from forage residues and LDM, less frequent tillage in the rotation, and shallower tillage with CP. The MBC, APA, AHC and aggregation generally responded faster and to a greater degree to conservation management practices than total C and N. Overall, conservation tillage and manure applications resulted in greater improvement in surface soil conditions when used in a rotation system rather than in a monoculture. The rapid rate of changes in soil properties suggests that the surface quality of this cold silty clay soil can be improved relatively quickly with selected management combinations. Key Words: Cropping systems, total soil C, microbial biomass, carbohydrate, alkaline phosphatase, soil aggregation, liquid dairy manure, reducted tillage, rotations

scholarly journals ORGANIC C DYNAMICS IN GRASSLAND SOILS. 2. MODEL VALIDATION AND SIMULATION OF THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF CULTIVATION AND RAINFALL EROSION

1981 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. VORONEY ◽  
J. A. VAN VEEN ◽  
E. A. PAUL
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
State Level ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Native Prairie ◽  
Cropping Sequence ◽  
C And N ◽  
Rainfall Erosion

The amounts of organic matter in native prairie and in an adjacent cultivated field were compared with the output from a simulation model describing organic matter dynamics. The effects of past and possible future soil management practices, and the loss of organic C through rainfall erosion were incorporated into the simulation study. Seventy years of cultivation increased the bulk density of the A horizon by an average of 16% along the catena of a Black Chernozemic soil. Organic C had decreased by 36% in the soil profile at the mid-slope position. Losses of organic N were 5–10% less. Depletion of organic C and N from the Ah horizon accounted for > 90% of the total loss from the soil profile. Therefore, extrapolation of data from surface soil, based solely on changes in the concentration of organic C and N, could result in an overestimation of organic matter losses from soils. Microbial biomass in the Ap horizon of the crop-summer-fallow site was 30% less than in the Ah horizon of the native prairie. The model predicted an immediate rise in microbial biomass C upon cultivation of the native prairie due to a large initial input of grassland litter and roots. Subsequently, the microbial biomass C decreased and approached a steady-state level which was 25% less than in the native prairie. The model indicates that large quantities of N released during the initial years of cultivation would not have been totally utilized by the cultivated crops, therefore resulting in major losses to the environment. However, now the organic matter is reaching a steady-state level and only small net release of N can be expected; external N sources are required for optimum crop production. Management practices such as straw removal and cropping sequence have short-term effects on the rate of depletion of soil organic C. Similar equilibrium levels of soil organic matter were predicted after 100 yr of cultivation in simulation studies that did not consider erosion losses. The inclusion of rainfall erosion losses indicated that major organic C and other nutrient losses will occur in management practices that include significant portions of fallow in the cropping sequence.

scholarly journals Microbiological and biochemical properties of an agricultural Mexican soil amended with sewage sludge

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 1646-1655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renato Armenta ◽  
Rocio Vaca ◽  
Jorge Lugo ◽  
Pedro del Aguila
Keyword(s):  
Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Biochemical Properties ◽  
Basal Respiration ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Acid And Alkaline Phosphatase

The application of sewage sludge is a concern because it may affect the quality of organic matter and microbiological and biochemical soil properties. The effects of surface application of sewage sludge to an agricultural soil (at 18 and 36 t ha-1 dry basis) were assessed in one maize (Zea mays L.) growing season. The study evaluated microbial biomass, basal respiration and selected enzymatic activities (catalase, urease, acid and alkaline phosphatase, and β-glucosidase) 230 days after sewage sludge application and infrared spectroscopy was used to assess the quality of dissolved organic matter and humic acids. Sewage sludge applications increased the band intensity assigned to polysaccharides, carboxylic acids, amides and lignin groups in the soil. The organic matter from the sewage sludge had a significant influence on the soil microbial biomass; nevertheless, at the end of the experiment the equilibrium of the soil microbial biomass (defined as microbial metabolic quotient, qCO2) was recovered. Soil urease, acid and alkaline phosphatase activity were strongly influenced by sewage sludge applications.

Microbial and biochemical changes induced by rotation and tillage in a soil under barley production

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Angers ◽  
N. Bissonnette ◽  
A. Légère ◽  
N. Samson
Keyword(s):  
Alkaline Phosphatase ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Phosphatase Activity ◽  
Alkaline Phosphatase Activity ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Top Soil ◽  
Total Organic C

Crop rotations and tillage practices can modify not only the total amount of organic matter (OM) in soils but also its composition. The objective of this study was to determine the changes in total organic C, microbial biomass C (MBC), carbohydrates and alkaline phosphatase activity induced by 4 yr of different rotation and tillage combinations on a Kamouraska clay in La Pocatière, Quebec. Two rotations (continuous barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) versus a 2-yr barley–red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) rotation) and three tillage treatments (moldboard plowing (MP), chisel plowing (CP) and no-tillage (NT)) were compared in a split-plot design. Total organic C was affected by the tillage treatments but not by the rotations. In the top soil layer (0–7.5 cm), NT and CP treatments had C contents 20% higher than the MP treatment. In the same soil layer, MBC averaged 300 mg C kg−1 in the MP treatment and up to 600 mg C kg−1 in the NT soil. Hot-water-extractable and acid-hydrolyzable carbohydrates were on average 40% greater under reduced tillage than under MP. Both carbohydrate fractions were also slightly larger in the rotation than in the soil under continuous barley. The ratios of MBC and carbohydrate C to total organic C suggested that there was a significant enrichment of the OM in labile forms as tillage intensity was reduced. Alkaline phosphatase activity was 50% higher under NT and 20% higher under CP treatments than under MP treatment and, on average, 15% larger in the rotation than in the continuous barley treatment. Overall, the management-induced differences were slightly greater in the top layer (0–7.5 cm) than in the lower layer of the Ap horizon (7.5–15 cm). All the properties measured were highly correlated with one another. They also showed significant temporal variations that were, in most cases, independent of the treatments. Four years of conservation tillage and, to a lesser extent, rotation with red clover resulted in greater OM in the top soil layer compared with the more intensive systems. This organic matter was enriched in labile forms. Key words: Soil management, soil quality, organic matter, carbohydrates, microbial biomass, phosphatase

Organic matter dynamics, soil aggregation and microbial biomass and activity in Technosols created with metalliferous mine residues, biochar and marble waste

Geoderma ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 301 ◽  
pp. 19-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabián Moreno-Barriga ◽  
Vicente Díaz ◽  
José A. Acosta ◽  
M. Ángeles Muñoz ◽  
Ángel Faz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Aggregation ◽  
Organic Matter Dynamics ◽  
Marble Waste

Combining perennial grass-legume forages and liquid dairy manure contributes to nitrogen accumulation in a clayey soil

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuelle D’Amours ◽  
Martin H. Chantigny ◽  
Anne Vanasse ◽  
Émilie Maillard ◽  
Jean Lafond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Clayey Soil ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Dairy Manure ◽  
Nitrogen Accumulation ◽  
Silty Clay ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Mineral Fertilization ◽  
Humid Climate ◽  
Tillage Practices

Repeated applications of liquid dairy manure (LDM) and perennial crops generally favor nitrogen (N) stocks in soils, but in ways that may differ with soil type and other management practices. The objective of this study was to assess the long-term (21 yr) changes in soil N stocks (0–50 cm) of a silty clay soil, in a cool humid climate, in response to mineral fertilization (MIN) or LDM, combined with two tillage practices (chisel plow [CP], or moldboard plow [MP]), and two crop rotations (cereal monoculture [monoculture] or cereal-perennial forage rotation [forage-based rotation].) The forage-based rotation favoured a greater accumulation of N in the first 20 cm of soil (+50 kg N ha-1 y-1) when compared to the monoculture. Tillage practices did not impact N stock in the whole soil profile, but influenced its vertical distribution, with greater accumulation at the surface with CP, and at depth with MP. Annual input of LDM increased N stocks at the surface (0–20 cm) compared to MIN, especially when combined with the forage-based rotation. After 21 yr, soil N stocks (0-50 cm) with LDM were 32% (+2 t N ha-1) higher in the forage-based rotation than in the monoculture, suggesting better retention and more efficient use of manure-N with perennial forages than cereals. Comparisons between the N mass balance computed for each cropping system and the changes in soil N stocks indicated that accumulation of N under the forage-based rotation was largely due to symbiotic fixation by legumes in the forage mixture.

Soil organic matter as influenced by straw management practices and inclusion of grass and clover seed crops in cereal rotations

Soil Research ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Curtin ◽  
P. M. Fraser
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Degree Days ◽  
Straw Management ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Total Soil ◽  
C And N ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Seed Crops

In New Zealand, cereal straw has traditionally been burned to facilitate seedbed preparation for the succeeding crop. Because of concerns over the decline of organic matter and the associated deterioration in soil structure, farmers are interested in incorporating crop residues as a means of maintaining organic matter levels. In a 6-year trial on a Wakanui silt loam on the Canterbury Plains, we evaluated the effects of 3 straw management practices (i.e. straw incorporation, burning of straw, and straw removal) on total and labile soil organic matter. A fourth treatment was included to evaluate the local practice of including seed crops (grass and clover) in cereal rotations. The seed crops were grown every second year, the crop sequence being cereal–ryegrass–cereal–clover–cereal–clover. The rate of straw (wheat) decomposition was determined using a litter bag technique, with the bags being buried at a depth of 15 cm for intervals of up to 19 months. In the straw-incorporated treatment, about 25 t/ha of straw (~11 t C/ha) was returned to the soil during the trial. However, there was no significant effect (P > 0.05) of straw management treatments on total soil C (or N), or on labile organic matter pools, although there was a tendency for higher levels of mineralisable C and N where straw was incorporated. Measured straw decomposition rates were consistent with predictions of the Douglas-Rickman residue decomposition model. Under the relatively warm conditions of the Canterbury Plains (thermal time typically >4000 degree-days per year, calculated as the sum of daily degree-days above a base temperature of 0�C), about three-quarters of incorporated straw decomposed within a year. Of the 11 t C/ha of straw-C incorporated, we estimated that only about 1 t C/ha would remain in the soil at the time of sampling. An increase in soil C by this amount would not be detectable (total soil C was about 55 t/ha in the upper 15 cm). Growing seed crops every second year increased several of the labile organic pools (mineralisable C and N, light fraction C and N, microbial biomass) in the 0–7.5 and 7.5 cm soil layers and this may have beneficial effects (e.g. improved N supply) on the succeeding cereal crop. However, the seed crops did not significantly increase total soil organic matter within the 6 years.

Long-term effects of NPK fertiliser and manure on soil fertility and a sorghum - wheat farming system

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 700 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Manna ◽  
A. Swarup ◽  
R. H. Wanjari ◽  
H. N. Ravankar
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Humic Acid ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Aggregate Size ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
C And N ◽  
Organic Matter Fractions

Yield decline or stagnation under long-term cultivation and its relationship with soil organic matter fractions are rarely considered. To understand this phenomenon, soil organic matter fractions and soil aggregate size distribution were studied in a long-term experiment at Akola, in a Vertisol in a semiarid tropical environment. For 14 years, the following fertiliser treatments were compared with undisturbed fallow plots: unfertilised (control), 100% recommended rates of N, NP, NPK (N : P : K ratios of 100 : 21.8 : 18.2 and 120 : 26.2 : 50 kg/ha for sorghum and wheat, respectively) and 100% NPK plus farmyard manure (FYM) and continuous cropping with a sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) system during 1988–2001. The significant negative yield trend was observed in unbalanced use of inorganic N application for both crops. However, yields were maintained when NPK and NPK + FYM were applied. Results showed that soil organic C and total N in the unfertilised plot decreased by 21.7 and 18.2%, compared to the initial value, at a depth of 0–15 cm. Depletion of large macroaggregates (>2 mm) accounted for 22–81% of the total mass of aggregates in N, NP and unfertilised control plots compared to fallow plots. Irrespective of treatments, small macroaggregates (0.25–2 mm) dominated aggregate size distribution (56–71%), followed by microaggregates (0.053–0.25 mm, 18–37%). Active fractions, such as microbial biomass C, microbial biomass N, hot water soluble C and N, and acid hydrolysable carbohydrates were greater in NPK and NPK + FYM treatments than in the control. Carbon and N mineralisation were greater in small macroaggregates than microaggregates. Particulate organic matter C (POMC) and N (POMN) were significantly correlated (P < 0.01) with water-stable aggregate C and N (0.25–2 mm size classes), respectively. It was further observed that POMC and POMN were significantly greater in NPK and NPK + FYM plots than N and NP treated plots. Microbial biomass C was positively correlated with acid-hydrolysable carbohydrates (r = 0.79, P < 0.05). Continuous cropping and fertiliser use also influenced humic acid C and fulvic acid C fractions of the soil organic matter. Acid-hydrolysable N proportion in humic acid was greater than fulvic acid and it was greatest in NPK + FYM treatments. Continuous application of 100% NPK + FYM could restore soil organic carbon (SOC) to a new equilibrium level much earlier (t = 1/k, 2.4 years) than N (t = 1/k, 25.7 years), NP (t = 1/k, 8.1 years) and NPK (t = 1/k, 5.02 years). In conclusion, integrated use of NPK with FYM would be vital to obtain sustainable yields without deteriorating soil quality.

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