Organic C accumulation in soil over 30 years in semiarid southwestern Saskatchewan – Effect of crop rotations and fertilizers

2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.A. Campbell ◽  
R. P. Zentner ◽  
B.-C. Liang ◽  
G. Roloff ◽  
E. C. Gregorich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Residue ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
Order Kinetic ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Drought Period ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Cropping Frequency ◽  
Crop Residue Decomposition

Because crop management has a strong influence on soil C, we analyzed results of a 30-yr crop rotation experiment, initiated in 1967 on a medium textured Orthic Brown Chernozem at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, to determine the influence of cropping frequency, fertilizers and crop types on soil organic C (SOC) changes in the 0- to 15-cm depth. Soil organic C in the 0- to 15-cm and 15- to 30-cm depths were measured in 1976, 1981, 1984, 1990, 1993, and 1996, but results are only presented for the 0- to 15-cm depth since changes in the 15- to 30-cm depth were not significant. We developed an empirical equation to estimate SOC dynamics in the rotations. This equation uses two first order kinetic expressions, one to estimate crop residue decomposition and the other to estimate soil humus C mineralization. Crop residues (including roots) were estimated from straw yields, either measured or calculated from grain yields. The parameter values in our equation were obtained from the scientific literature or were based on various assumptions. Carbon lost by wind and water erosion was estimated using the EPIC model. We found that (i) SOC was increased most by annual cropping with application of adequate fertilizer N and P; (ii) that frequent fallowing resulted in lowest SOC except when fall-seeded crops, such as fall rye (Secale cereale L.), that reduce erosion were included in the rotation, and (iii) the fallow effects are exacerbated when low residue yielding flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) was included in the rotation. Some of the imprecision in SOC values we speculated to be related to variations in soil texture at the test site. In the first 10 yr of the experiment, SOC was low and constant for fallow-spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (F-W) and F-W-W rotations because this land was managed in this manner for the previous 50 yr. However, in rotations that received N + P fertilizer and were cropped annually [continuous wheat (Cont W) and wheat-lentil (Lens culinaris L.)], or that included fall-seeded crops (e.g., F-Rye-W), SOC appeared to increase sharply in this period. In the drought period (1984–1988) SOC was generally constant, but large increases occurred in the wet period (1990 to 1996) in response to high residue inputs. The efficiency of conversion of residue C to SOC for the 30-yr experimental period was about 10–12% for F-W, F-W-W and Cont W (+P) systems, and it was about 17–18% for the well fertilized F-Rye-W, Cont W, and W-Lent systems. The average annual SOC gains (Mg ha−1 yr−1) between 1967 and 1996 were 0.11 for F-W (N + P), 0.09 for the mean of the three F-W-W rotations (N + P, + N, + P), 0.23 for F-Rye-W (N + P), 0.32 for Cont W (N + P), 0.12 for Cont W (+P), and 0.28 for W-Lent (N + P). The corresponding mean estimated (by our equation) annual SOC gains for these rotations, were 0.06, 0.10, 0.16, 0.22, 0.14, and 0.22 Mg ha−1 yr−1, respectively. Because soil C measurements are usually so variable, we recommend that calculations such as ours may be employed to assist in the interpretation of measured C trends and to test if they seem reasonable. Key words: Carbon sequestration, carbon conversion efficiency, eroded carbon, crop residue carbon, cropping frequency, wheat, fall rye, flax

Changes in soil carbon under long-term maize in monoculture and legume-based rotation

2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
E G Gregorich ◽  
C F Drury ◽  
J A Baldock
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Natural Abundance ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C

Legume-based cropping systems could help to increase crop productivity and soil organic matter levels, thereby enhancing soil quality, as well as having the additional benefit of sequestering atmospheric C. To evaluate the effects of 35 yr of maize monoculture and legume-based cropping on soil C levels and residue retention, we measured organic C and 13C natural abundance in soils under: fertilized and unfertilized maize (Zea mays L.), both in monoculture and legume-based [maize-oat (Avena sativa L.)-alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)-alfalfa] rotations; fertilized and unfertilized systems of continuous grass (Poa pratensis L.); and under forest. Solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to chemically characterize the organic matter in plant residues and soils. Soils (70-cm depth) under maize cropping had about 30-40% less C, and those under continuous grass had about 16% less C, than those under adjacent forest. Qualitative differences in crop residues were important in these systems, because quantitative differences in net primary productivity and C inputs in the different agroecosystems did not account for observed differences in total soil C. Cropping sequence (i.e., rotation or monoculture) had a greater effect on soil C levels than application of fertilizer. The difference in soil C levels between rotation and monoculture maize systems was about 20 Mg C ha-1. The effects of fertilization on soil C were small (~6 Mg C ha-1), and differences were observed only in the monoculture system. The NMR results suggest that the chemical composition of organic matter was little affected by the nature of crop residues returned to the soil. The total quantity of maize-derived soil C was different in each system, because the quantity of maize residue returned to the soil was different; hence the maize-derived soil C ranged from 23 Mg ha-1 in the fertilized and 14 Mg ha-1 in the unfertilized monoculture soils (i.e., after 35 maize crops) to 6-7 Mg ha-1 in both the fertilized and unfertilized legume-based rotation soils (i.e., after eight maize crops). The proportion of maize residue C returned to the soil and retained as soil organic C (i.e., Mg maize-derived soil C/Mg maize residue) was about 14% for all maize cropping systems. The quantity of C3-C below the plow layer in legume-based rotation was 40% greater than that in monoculture and about the same as that under either continuous grass or forest. The soil organic matter below the plow layer in soil under the legume-based rotation appeared to be in a more biologically resistant form (i.e., higher aromatic C content) compared with that under monoculture. The retention of maize residue C as soil organic matter was four to five times greater below the plow layer than that within the plow layer. We conclude that residue quality plays a key role in increasing the retention of soil C in agroecosystems and that soils under legume-based rotation tend to be more “preservative” of residue C inputs, particularly from root inputs, than soils under monoculture. Key words: Soil carbon, 13C natural abundance, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, maize cropping, legumes, root carbon

scholarly journals Proximal sensing for soil carbon accounting

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline R. England ◽  
Raphael Armando Viscarra Rossel
Keyword(s):  
Bulk Density ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Carbon Accounting ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Proximal Sensing ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Cost Efficient

Abstract. Maintaining or increasing soil organic carbon (C) is important for securing food production, and for mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, climate change and land degradation. Some land management practices in cropping, grazing, horticultural and mixed farming systems can be used to increase organic C in soil, but to assess their effectiveness, we need accurate and cost-efficient methods for measuring and monitoring the change. To determine the stock of organic C in soil, one needs measurements of soil organic C concentration, bulk density and gravel content, but using conventional laboratory-based analytical methods is expensive. Our aim here is to review the current state of proximal sensing for the development of new soil C accounting methods for emissions reporting and in emissions reduction schemes. We evaluated sensing techniques in terms of their rapidity, cost, accuracy, safety, readiness and their state of development. The most suitable technique for measuring soil organic C concentrations appears to be vis–NIR spectroscopy and for bulk density active gamma-ray attenuation. Sensors for measuring gravel have not been developed, but an interim solution with rapid wet-sieving and automated measurement appears useful. Field-deployable, multi-sensor systems are needed for cost-efficient soil C accounting. Proximal sensing can be used for soil organic C accounting, but the methods need to be standardised and procedural guidelines need to be developed to ensure proficient measurement and accurate reporting and verification. This is particularly important if the schemes use financial incentives for landholders to adopt management practices to sequester soil organic C. We list and discuss the requirements for the development of new soil C accounting methods that are based on proximal sensing, including requirements for recording, verification and auditing.

scholarly journals Crop residue decomposition in Minnesota biochar-amended plots

Solid Earth ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 499-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. L. Weyers ◽  
K. A. Spokas
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Crop Residue ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Microbial Dynamics ◽  
Wood Pellet ◽  
First Order ◽  
Residue Decomposition ◽  
Continuous Corn ◽  
Crop Residue Decomposition

Abstract. Impacts of biochar application at laboratory scales are routinely studied, but impacts of biochar application on decomposition of crop residues at field scales have not been widely addressed. The priming or hindrance of crop residue decomposition could have a cascading impact on soil processes, particularly those influencing nutrient availability. Our objectives were to evaluate biochar effects on field decomposition of crop residue, using plots that were amended with biochars made from different plant-based feedstocks and pyrolysis platforms in the fall of 2008. Litterbags containing wheat straw material were buried in July of 2011 below the soil surface in a continuous-corn cropped field in plots that had received one of seven different biochar amendments or a uncharred wood-pellet amendment 2.5 yr prior to start of this study. Litterbags were collected over the course of 14 weeks. Microbial biomass was assessed in treatment plots the previous fall. Though first-order decomposition rate constants were positively correlated to microbial biomass, neither parameter was statistically affected by biochar or wood-pellet treatments. The findings indicated only a residual of potentially positive and negative initial impacts of biochars on residue decomposition, which fit in line with established feedstock and pyrolysis influences. Overall, these findings indicate that no significant alteration in the microbial dynamics of the soil decomposer communities occurred as a consequence of the application of plant-based biochars evaluated here.

scholarly journals Evaluation of terrestrial pan-Arctic carbon cycling using a data-assimilation system

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efrén López-Blanco ◽  
Jean-François Exbrayat ◽  
Magnus Lund ◽  
Torben R. Christensen ◽  
Mikkel P. Tamstorf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Arctic ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Transit Times ◽  
C Cycle ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Data Assimilation System ◽  
Assimilation System

Abstract. There is a significant knowledge gap in the current state of the terrestrial carbon (C) budget. Recent studies have highlighted a poor understanding particularly of C pool transit times and of whether productivity or biomass dominate these biases. The Arctic, accounting for approximately 50 % of the global soil organic C stocks, has an important role in the global C cycle. Here, we use the CARbon DAta MOdel (CARDAMOM) data-assimilation system to produce pan-Arctic terrestrial C cycle analyses for 2000–2015. This approach avoids using traditional plant functional type or steady-state assumptions. We integrate a range of data (soil organic C, leaf area index, biomass, and climate) to determine the most likely state of the high-latitude C cycle at a 1∘ × 1∘ resolution and also to provide general guidance about the controlling biases in transit times. On average, CARDAMOM estimates regional mean rates of photosynthesis of 565 g C m−2 yr−1 (90 % confidence interval between the 5th and 95th percentiles: 428, 741), autotrophic respiration of 270 g C m−2 yr−1 (182, 397) and heterotrophic respiration of 219 g C m−2 yr−1 (31, 1458), suggesting a pan-Arctic sink of −67 (−287, 1160) g Cm−2 yr−1, weaker in tundra and stronger in taiga. However, our confidence intervals remain large (and so the region could be a source of C), reflecting uncertainty assigned to the regional data products. We show a clear spatial and temporal agreement between CARDAMOM analyses and different sources of assimilated and independent data at both pan-Arctic and local scales but also identify consistent biases between CARDAMOM and validation data. The assimilation process requires clearer error quantification for leaf area index (LAI) and biomass products to resolve these biases. Mapping of vegetation C stocks and change over time and soil C ages linked to soil C stocks is required for better analytical constraint. Comparing CARDAMOM analyses to global vegetation models (GVMs) for the same period, we conclude that transit times of vegetation C are inconsistently simulated in GVMs due to a combination of uncertainties from productivity and biomass calculations. Our findings highlight that GVMs need to focus on constraining both current vegetation C stocks and net primary production to improve a process-based understanding of C cycle dynamics in the Arctic.

Douglas-fir soil C and N properties a decade after termination of urea fertilization

2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (12) ◽  
pp. 2225-2236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter S Homann ◽  
Bruce A Caldwell ◽  
H N Chappell ◽  
Phillip Sollins ◽  
Chris W Swanston
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Cellulase Activity ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Second Growth ◽  
Heavy Fractions ◽  
Urea Fertilization

Chemical and microbial soil properties were assessed in paired unfertilized and urea fertilized (>89 g N·m–2) plots in 13 second-growth Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) stands distributed throughout western Washington and Oregon. A decade following the termination of fertilization, fertilized plots averaged 28% higher total N in the O layer than unfertilized plots, 24% higher total N in surface (0–5 cm) mineral soil, and up to four times the amount of extractable ammonium and nitrate. Decreased pH (0.2 pH units) caused by fertilization may have been due to nitrification or enhanced cation uptake. In some soil layers, fertilization decreased cellulase activity and soil respiration but increased wood decomposition. There was no effect of fertilization on concentrations of light and heavy fractions, labile carbohydrates, and phosphatase and xylanase activities. No increase in soil organic C was detected, although variability precluded observing an increase of less than ~15%. Lack of a regionwide fertilization influence on soil organic C contrasts with several site-specific forest and agricultural studies that have shown C increases resulting from fertilization. Overall, the results indicate a substantial residual influence on soil N a decade after urea fertilization but much more limited influence on soil C processes and pools.

Quantifying short-term effects of crop rotations on soil organic carbon in southwestern Saskatchewan

2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 193-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
R. P. Zentner ◽  
F. Selles ◽  
V. O. Biederbeck ◽  
B. G. McConkey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Green Manure ◽  
Harvest Index ◽  
Crop Residue ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Order Kinetic ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Crested Wheatgrass ◽  
Crop Residue Decomposition ◽  
Legume Green Manure

Crop management practices can have a major influence on soil fertility and soil organic C (SOC) sequestration. We need to accurately measure and estimate changes in SOC in the short term (<20 yr). A 10-yr crop rotation experiment, conducted on a medium-textured Orthic Brown Chernozem at Swift Current, in southwestern Saskatchewan, was sampled in 1990 (3 yr after initiation of the study) and in 1993 and 1996, to measure SOC changes under nine crop rotation treatments. Minimum tillage practices were used. The stubble was cut high to enhance snow trap and N and P fertilizer applied based on soil tests. Grain and straw yields of the cereals, and hay yields of the crested wheatgrass (CWG) [Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaeertn.] were measured annually. An empirical equation which uses two simultaneous first order kinetic expressions, one to estimate crop residue decomposition and the other to estimate soil humus C mineralization was used, together with crop residue (straw and estimated root) C inputs, to estimate SOC changes over the 1987 to 1996 period. The estimated SOC values for the 1990 to 1996 period were generally similar to the measured values (r2 = 0.64, P < 0.0001). Significant (P < 0.10) changes in SOC were not observed below 15 cm depth, perhaps because shallow tillage (10- to 12.5-cm depth) is practiced. A change from cropland to CWG did not increase SOC, and this treatment, chemical fallow-winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-spring wheat (F-WW-W), and F-high-yielding (Hy) Canada Prairie Spring (CPS) wheat-Hy (F-Hy-Hy) rotations, had the lowest SOC gains among the rotations. The CPS wheat had a higher harvest index (0.46) than hard red spring (HRS) wheat (0.39), but it increased SOC less than the comparable HRS wheat rotation between 1990 and 1996 indicating that higher grain yields do not always equate to higher SOC. Weather conditions were favourable for cereals from 1990 to 1996 and we measured significant increases in SOC (up to 5.5 Mg ha−1 in 6 yr). This is encouraging for producers who may be contemplating participating in "C trading", although this also suggests that periods of less favourable weather will limit gains in SOC. Summerfallowing once in 4 yr in this semiarid environment did not reduce SOC gains compared to continuous wheat (Cont W). For example, a F-W-W-W rotation gained 4.88 Mg C ha−1 in 6 yr while continuous wheat gained 5 Mg ha−1. Growing Indianhead lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) as a legume green manure crop (GM) with wheat in a GM-W-W rotation did not increase SOC more than F-W-W. The efficiencies of conversion of residue C to SOC were high, ranging between 9% for frequently fallowed systems to 29% for continuously cropped systems, likely due to the favourable weather conditions experienced. Key words: Carbon sequestration, legume green manure, crested wheatgrass, harvest index effect, C conversion efficiencies

Effect of crop rotations and fertilization on soil organic matter and some biochemical properties of a thick Black Chernozem

1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
R. P. Zentner ◽  
K. E. Bowren ◽  
L. Townley-Smith ◽  
M. Schnitzer
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
Biochemical Properties ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Cropping Frequency

The effects of crop rotation and various cultural practices on soil organic matter and some biochemical characteristics of a heavy-textured, Orthic Black Chernozem with a thick A horizon were determined after 31 yr at Melfort, Saskatchewan. Treatments investigated included: fertilization, cropping frequency, green manuring, and inclusion of grass-legume hay crops in predominantly spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) systems. The results showed that neither soil organic C nor N in the top 15 cm of soil, nor hydrolyzable amino acids, nor C mineralized in 14 d at 20 °C were influenced by fertilization. However, the relative molar distribution (RMD) of the amino acids reflected the influence of fertilization and the phase (Rot-yr) of the legume green manure rotation sampled. Some characteristics assessed increased marginally with increasing cropping frequency but differences were less marked than results obtained earlier in a heavy-textured Black Chernozem with a thin A horizon at Indian Head, Saskatchewan. The relationship between soil organic matter or C mineralization versus estimated crop residues, residue C, or residue N returned to the land over the 31-yr period, were not significant in the Melfort soil. This contrasts with our findings for the thin Black soil. We speculate that the lack of soil organic matter response in the Melfort soil was due to its very high organic matter content (about 64 t ha−1C and 6.5 t ha−1N in the top 15 cm). We also hypothesized that the amino acid RMD results, which differed from most of those reported in the literature, may be reflecting the more recent cropping history of the soil. This aspect requires further research into the composition and distribution of the humic materials in this soil. Key words: Amino acids, relative molar distribution, C respiration, green manures, fertilization

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

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-151 ◽  
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

scholarly journals Assessing the response of soil carbon in Australia to changing inputs and climate using a consistent modelling framework

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 5185-5202
Author(s):  
Juhwan Lee ◽  
Raphael A. Viscarra Rossel ◽  
Mingxi Zhang ◽  
Zhongkui Luo ◽  
Ying-Ping Wang
Keyword(s):  
Global Change ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Modelling Framework ◽  
C Stocks

Abstract. Land use and management practices affect the response of soil organic carbon (C) to global change. Process-based models of soil C are useful tools to simulate C dynamics, but it is important to bridge any disconnect that exists between the data used to inform the models and the processes that they depict. To minimise that disconnect, we developed a consistent modelling framework that integrates new spatially explicit soil measurements and data with the Rothamsted carbon model (Roth C) and simulates the response of soil organic C to future climate change across Australia. We compiled publicly available continental-scale datasets and pre-processed, standardised and configured them to the required spatial and temporal resolutions. We then calibrated Roth C and ran simulations to estimate the baseline soil organic C stocks and composition in the 0–0.3 m layer at 4043 sites in cropping, modified grazing, native grazing and natural environments across Australia. We used data on the C fractions, the particulate, mineral-associated and resistant organic C (POC, MAOC and ROC, respectively) to represent the three main C pools in the Roth C model's structure. The model explained 97 %–98 % of the variation in measured total organic C in soils under cropping and grazing and 65 % in soils under natural environments. We optimised the model at each site and experimented with different amounts of C inputs to simulate the potential for C accumulation under constant climate in a 100-year simulation. With an annual increase of 1 Mg C ha−1 in C inputs, the model simulated a potential soil C increase of 13.58 (interquartile range 12.19–15.80), 14.21 (12.38–16.03) and 15.57 (12.07–17.82) Mg C ha−1 under cropping, modified grazing and native grazing and 3.52 (3.15–4.09) Mg C ha−1 under natural environments. With projected future changes in climate (+1.5, 2 and 5.0 ∘C) over 100 years, the simulations showed that soils under natural environments lost the most C, between 3.1 and 4.5 Mg C ha−1, while soils under native grazing lost the least, between 0.4 and 0.7 Mg C ha−1. Soil under cropping lost between 1 and 2.7 Mg C ha−1, while those under modified grazing showed a slight increase with temperature increases of 1.5 ∘C, but with further increases of 2 and 5 ∘C the median loss of TOC was 0.28 and 3.4 Mg C ha−1, respectively. For the different land uses, the changes in the C fractions varied with changes in climate. An empirical assessment of the controls on the C change showed that climate, pH, total N, the C : N ratio and cropping were the most important controls on POC change. Clay content and climate were dominant controls on MAOC change. Consistent and explicit soil organic C simulations improve confidence in the model's estimations, facilitating the development of sustainable soil management under global change.

scholarly journals Crop residue decomposition in Minnesota biochar amended plots

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 599-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. L. Weyers ◽  
K. A. Spokas
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Crop Residue ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Wood Pellet ◽  
First Order ◽  
Residue Decomposition ◽  
Continuous Corn ◽  
Crop Residue Decomposition ◽  
Charred Wood

Abstract. Impacts of biochar application at laboratory scales are routinely studied, but impacts of biochar application on decomposition of crop residues at field scales have not been widely addressed. The priming or hindrance of crop residue decomposition could have a cascading impact on soil processes, particularly those influencing nutrient availability. Our objectives were to evaluate biochar effects on field decomposition of crop residue, using plots that were amended with biochars made from different feedstocks and pyrolysis platforms prior to the start of this study. Litterbags containing wheat straw material were buried below the soil surface in a continuous-corn cropped field in plots that had received one of seven different biochar amendments or a non-charred wood pellet amendment 2.5 yr prior to start of this study. Litterbags were collected over the course of 14 weeks. Microbial biomass was assessed in treatment plots the previous fall. Though first-order decomposition rate constants were positively correlated to microbial biomass, neither parameter was statistically affected by biochar or wood-pellet treatments. The findings indicated only a residual of potentially positive and negative initial impacts of biochars on residue decomposition, which fit in line with established feedstock and pyrolysis influences. Though no significant impacts were observed with field-weathered biochars, effective soil management may yet have to account for repeat applications of biochar.

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