scholarly journals The soil organic carbon stabilization potential of old and new wheat cultivars: a <sup>13</sup>CO<sub>2</sub>-labeling study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 2971-2986
Author(s):  
Marijn Van de Broek ◽  
Shiva Ghiasi ◽  
Charlotte Decock ◽  
Andreas Hund ◽  
Samuel Abiven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Wheat Breeding ◽  
Wheat Cultivars ◽  
Cultivar Selection ◽  
Long Term Effect ◽  
Soc Stocks

Abstract. Over the past decades, average global wheat yields have increased by about 250 %, mainly due to the cultivation of high-yielding wheat cultivars. This selection process not only affected aboveground parts of plants, but in some cases also reduced root biomass, with potentially large consequences for the amount of organic carbon (OC) transferred to the soil. To study the effect of wheat breeding for high-yielding cultivars on subsoil OC dynamics, two old and two new wheat cultivars from the Swiss wheat breeding program were grown for one growing season in 1.5 m deep lysimeters and pulse labeled with 13CO2 to quantify the amount of assimilated carbon that was transferred belowground and can potentially be stabilized in the soil. The results show that although the old wheat cultivars with higher root biomass transferred more assimilated carbon belowground compared to more recent cultivars, no significant differences in net rhizodeposition were found between the different cultivars. As a consequence, the long-term effect of wheat cultivar selection on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks will depend on the amount of root biomass that is stabilized in the soil. Our results suggest that the process of wheat selection for high-yielding cultivars resulted in lower amounts of belowground carbon translocation, with potentially important effects on SOC stocks. Further research is necessary to quantify the long-term importance of this effect.

scholarly journals The soil organic carbon stabilization potential of old and new wheat cultivars: a <sup>13</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> labelling study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marijn Van de Broek ◽  
Shiva Ghiasi ◽  
Charlotte Decock ◽  
Andreas Hund ◽  
Samuel Abiven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Wheat Breeding ◽  
Wheat Cultivars ◽  
Cultivar Selection ◽  
Long Term Effect ◽  
Soc Stocks

Abstract. Over the past decades, average global wheat yields have increased by about 250 %, mainly due to the cultivation of high-yielding wheat cultivars. This selection process not only affected aboveground parts of plants, but in some cases also reduced the root biomass, with potentially large consequences for the amount of organic carbon (OC) transferred to the soil. To study the effect of wheat breeding for high-yielding cultivars on subsoil OC dynamics, two old and two new wheat cultivars from the Swiss wheat breeding program were grown for one growing season in 1.5 m-deep lysimeters and pulse-labelled with 13CO2, to quantify the amount of assimilated carbon that was transferred belowground and potentially stabilized in the soil. The results show that although the old wheat cultivars with higher root biomass transferred more assimilated carbon belowground compared to more recent cultivars, no significant differences in net soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization were found between the different cultivars. As a consequence, the long-term effect of wheat cultivar selection on SOC stocks will depend on the amount of root biomass that is stabilized in the soil. Our results suggest that the process of wheat selection for high-yielding cultivars resulted in lower amounts of belowground carbon translocation, with potentially important effects on SOC stocks. Further research is necessary to quantify the long-term importance of this effect.

Influence of agricultural management on soil organic carbon: A compendium and assessment of Canadian studies

2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 363-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. VandenBygaart ◽  
E. G. Gregorich ◽  
D. A. Angers
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Management ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Native Land ◽  
Soc Stocks ◽  
Long Term Studies

To fulfill commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, Canada is required to provide verifiable estimates and uncertainties for soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, and for changes in those stocks over time. Estimates and uncertainties for agricultural soils can be derived from long-term studies that have measured differences in SOC between different management practices. We compiled published data from long-term studies in Canada to assess the effect of agricultural management on SOC. A total of 62 studies were compiled, in which the difference in SOC was determined for conversion from native land to cropland, and for different tillage, crop rotation and fertilizer management practices. There was a loss of 24 ± 6% of the SOC after native land was converted to agricultural land. No-till (NT) increased the storage of SOC in western Canada by 2.9 ± 1.3 Mg ha-1; however, in eastern Canada conversion to NT did not increase SOC. In general, the potential to store SOC when NT was adopted decreased with increasing background levels of SOC. Using no-tillage, reducing summer fallow, including hay in rotation with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), plowing green manures into the soil, and applying N and organic fertilizers were the practices that tended to show the most consistent in creases in SOC storage. By relating treatment SOC levels to those in the control treatments, SOC stock change factors and their levels of uncertainty were derived for use in empirical models, such as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Guidelines model for C stock changes. However, we must be careful when attempting to extrapolate research plot data to farmers’ fields since the history of soil and crop management has a significant influence on existing and future SOC stocks. Key words: C sequestration, tillage, crop rotations, fertilizer, cropping intensity, Canada

scholarly journals Surface-Applied Biosolids Enhance Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Stocks but Have Contrasting Effects on Soil Physical Quality

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia L. Jin ◽  
Kenneth N. Potter ◽  
Mari-Vaughn V. Johnson ◽  
R. Daren Harmel ◽  
Jeffrey G. Arnold
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Physical Properties ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Soil Physical Properties ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Long Term Treatment ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Soc Stocks

Mid- to long-term impacts of land applying biosolids will depend on application rate, duration, and method; biosolids composition; and site-specific characteristics (e.g., climate, soils). This study evaluates the effects of surface-broadcast biosolids application rate and duration on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, soil aggregate stability, and selected soil hydraulic properties in a municipally operated, no-till forage production system. Total SOC stocks (0–45 cm soil) increased nonlinearly with application rate in perennial grass fields treated for 8 years with 0, 20, 40, or 60 Mg of Class B biosolids (DM) ha−1 yr−1(midterm treatments). Soil organic C stocks in long-term treatment fields receiving 20 years of 20 Mg ha−1 yr−1were 36% higher than those in midterm fields treated at the same rate. Surface-applying biosolids had contrasting effects on soil physical properties. Soil bulk density was little affected by biosolids applications, but applications were associated with decreased water-stable soil aggregates, increased soil water retention, and increased available water-holding capacity. This study contrasts the potential for C storage in soils treated with surface-applied biosolids with application effects on soil physical properties, underscoring the importance of site-specific management decisions for the beneficial reuse of biosolids in agricultural settings.

scholarly journals Long-term effect of tillage, nitrogen fertilization and cover crops on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content

2011 ◽  
Vol 114 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Mazzoncini ◽  
Tek Bahadur Sapkota ◽  
Paolo Bàrberi ◽  
Daniele Antichi ◽  
Rosalba Risaliti
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Nitrogen Content ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilization ◽  
Term Effect ◽  
Total Nitrogen Content ◽  
Long Term Effect

Long-term effect of sediment laden Yellow River irrigation water on soil organic carbon stocks in Ningxia, China

2015 ◽  
Vol 145 ◽  
pp. 148-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linlin Dong ◽  
Dongsheng Yu ◽  
Haidong Zhang ◽  
Mingli Zhang ◽  
Wenhao Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Yellow River ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Term Effect ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon Stocks ◽  
Long Term Effect

Effect of cropping practices on soil organic carbon: evidence from long-term field experiments in Victoria, Australia

Soil Research ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Robertson ◽  
Roger Armstrong ◽  
Debra Partington ◽  
Roger Perris ◽  
Ivanah Oliver ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Residue Management ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
Zero Tillage ◽  
Stubble Retention ◽  
Soc Stocks

Despite considerable research, predicting how soil organic carbon (SOC) in grain production systems will respond to conservation management practices, such as reduced tillage, residue retention and alternative rotations, remains difficult because of the slowness of change and apparent site specificity of the effects. We compared SOC stocks (equivalent soil mass to ~0–0.3 m depth) under various tillage, residue management and rotation treatments in three long-term (12-, 28- and 94-year-old) field experiments in two contrasting environments (Mallee and Wimmera regions). Our hypotheses were that SOC stocks are increased by: (1) minimum tillage rather than traditional tillage; (2) continuous cropping, rather than crop–fallow rotations; and (3) phases of crop or pasture legumes in rotations, relative to continuous cropping with cereals. We found that zero tillage and stubble retention increased SOC in some circumstances (by up to 1.5 Mg C ha–1, or 8%) but not in others. Inclusion of bare fallow in rotations reduced SOC (by 1.4–2.4 Mg C ha–1, or 8–12%) compared with continuous cropping. Including a pulse crop (field pea, where the grain was harvested) in rotations also increased SOC in some instances (by ~6–8 Mg C ha–1, or 29–35%) but not in others. Similarly, leguminous pasture (medic or lucerne) phases in rotations either increased SOC (by 3.5 Mg C ha–1, or 21%) or had no significant effect compared with continuous wheat. Inclusion of a vetch green manure or unfertilised oat pasture in the rotation did not significantly increase SOC compared with continuous wheat. The responses in SOC to these management treatments were likely to be due, in part, to differences in nitrogen and water availability (and their effects on carbon inputs and decomposition) and, in part, to other, unidentified, interactions. We conclude that the management practices examined in the present study may not reliably increase SOC on their own, but that significant increases in SOC are possible under some circumstances through the long-term use of multiple practices, such as stubble retention + zero tillage + legume N input + elimination of fallow. The circumstances under which increases in SOC can be achieved require further investigation.

Impacts of fire on soil organic carbon stocks in a grazed semi-arid tropical Australian savanna: accounting for landscape variability

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 359 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. Allen ◽  
P. M. Bloesch ◽  
R. A. Cowley ◽  
T. G. Orton ◽  
J. E. Payne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon Stocks ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Soc Stocks

Fire and grazing are commonplace in Australian tropical savannas and the effects of these management practices on soil organic carbon stocks (SOC) is not well understood. A long-term (20 years) experiment studying the effects of fire on a grazed semi-arid tropical savanna was used to increase this understanding. Treatments, including frequency of fire (every 2, 4 and 6 years), season of fire [early (June) vs late (October) dry season] and unburnt control plots, were imposed on Vertosol grassland and Calcarosol woodland sites, which were grazed. Additionally long-term enclosures [unburnt (except the Calcarosol in 2001) and ungrazed since 1973] on each soil type adjacent to each site were sampled, although not included in statistical analyses. SOC stocks were measured to a soil depth of 0.3 m using a wet oxidation method (to avoid interference by carbonates) and compared on an equivalent soil mass basis. Significant treatment differences in SOC stocks were tested for, while accounting for spatial background variation within each site. SOC stocks (0–0.3 m soil depth) ranged between 10.1 and 28.9 t ha–1 (Vertosol site) and 20.7 and 54.9 t ha–1 (Calcarosol site). There were no consistent effects of frequency or season of fire on SOC stocks, possibly reflecting the limited statistical power of the study and inherent spatial variability observed. Differences in the response to frequency and season of fire observed between these soils may have been due to differences in clay type, plant species composition and/or preferential grazing activity associated with fire management. There may also have been differences in C input between treatments and sites due to differences in the herbage mass and post-fire grazing activity on both sites and changed pasture composition, higher herbage fuel load, and a reduction in woody cover on the Vertosol site. This study demonstrated the importance of accounting for background spatial variability and treatment replication (in the absence of baseline values) when assessing SOC stocks in relation to management practices. Given the absence of baseline SOC values and the potentially long period required to obtain changes in SOC in rangelands, modelling of turnover of SOC in relation to background spatial variability would enable management scenarios to be considered in relation to landscape variation that may be unrelated to management. These considerations are important for reducing uncertainty in C-flux accounting and to provide accurate and cost-effective methods for land managers considering participation in the C economy.

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