Indicators of soil functioning in conventional, conservation and organic agriculture

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monique Carnol ◽  
Caroline Chartin ◽  
Inken Krüger ◽  
Bas van Wesemael
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Microbial Processes ◽  
Reduced Tillage ◽  
Soil Functioning ◽  
C And N ◽  
Water Extractable

<p>Sustainable management of agricultural systems is a major challenge for ensuring food security of the growing world population. Organic farming and reduced tillage are assumed to be sustainable agricultural practices improving soil quality relative to conventional management strategies. However, assessment of soil quality is often restrained to either physical, chemical or biological parameters. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the most widely used indicator of soil quality, but it is not necessarily reactive to change, nor representative of the functioning of soil systems, in particular in relation to the realization of soil microbial processes, as it is composed of fractions with different availability for microbial activity and decomposition.</p><p>The objective of this study was to assess the influence of three major cropping systems: organic agriculture and conservation agriculture (no/reduced-tillage) vs. conventional agriculture on SOC fractions and microbial processes related to C and N cycling and to establish relationships between carbon fractions and microbial processes in order to identify the most relevant indicator of soil functioning. We hypothesized that 1) organic farming and conservation agriculture would improve soil functioning, 2) labile organic fractions would be better indicators of soil functioning.</p><p>We measured C and N in physical and chemical fractions (bulk, <20 µm, 20-2000µm, dissolved organic C, hot water extractable C, water soluble C, K<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> extractable C, microbial biomass C) and microbial processes (respiration potential, net N mineralization, metabolic diversity of soil bacteria) in 16 cropland sites in Wallonia, south Belgium (CARBIOSOL project).</p><p>Preliminary data analyses indicate improved soil functioning in organic managed sites relative to sites under conventional and conservation management and reveal hot water extractable carbon as a promising proxy for monitoring changes in soil functioning in response to agricultural practices. Final detailed data analyses will be presented.</p>

Soil quality indicators as influenced by 5-year diversified and monoculture cropping systems

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
H. Feng ◽  
G. O. Abagandura ◽  
S. Senturklu ◽  
D. G. Landblom ◽  
L. Lai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Crop Diversity ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Soil Quality Indicators ◽  
Water Extractable

Abstract Increasing crop diversity has been highly recommended because of its environmental and economic benefits. However, the impacts of crop diversity on soil properties are not well documented. Thus, the present study was conducted to assess the impacts of crop diversity on selected soil quality indicators. The cropping systems investigated here included wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown continuously for 5 years as mono-cropping (MC), and a 5-year cropping sequence [(wheat–cover crop (CC)–corn (Zea mays L.)–pea (Pisum sativum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)–sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)]. Each crop was present every year. This study was conducted in the northern Great Plains of North America, and soil quality data were collected for 2016 and 2017. Selected soil quality indicators that include: soil pH, organic carbon (SOC), cold water-extractable C (CWC) and N (CWN), hot water-extractable C (HWC) and N (HWN), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), bulk density (BD), water retention (SWR), wet soil aggregate stability (WAS), and urease and β-glucoside enzyme activity were measured after the completion of 5-year rotation cycle and the following year. Crop diversity did not affect soil pH, CWC, CWN, HWC, HWN and SWR. Cropping systems that contained CC increased SOC at shallow depths compared to the systems that did not have CC. Crop diversity increased WAS, MBC, and urease and β-glucoside enzyme activity compared with the MC. Comparison of electrical conductivity (EC) measured in this study to the baseline values at the research site prior to the establishment of treatments revealed that crop rotation decreased EC over time. Results indicate that crop diversity can improve soil quality, thus promoting sustainable agriculture.

scholarly journals Long-Term Effects of Forest Plantation Species on Chemical Soil Properties in Southern Rwanda

Soil Systems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Peter Rwibasira ◽  
Francois Xavier Naramabuye ◽  
Donat Nsabimana ◽  
Monique Carnol
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Eucalyptus Species ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Soil Functioning ◽  
C And N

Understanding the long-term effects of tree species on soil properties is crucial for the development of forest restoration policies in relation to the choice of species that meet both environmental and local livelihood needs. This study was performed in the Arboretum of Ruhande, Southern Rwanda, where monocultures of 148 deciduous and 56 conifer species have been established in 0.25 ha replicated plots from 1933 onwards. We investigated the effects of six exotic and two native tree species planted in monoculture plots and native species mixed within one self-regenerated plot on soil properties in two layers (0–5 cm and 5–10 cm depth). We measured general soil properties (pH, SOM, exchangeable base cations) and water-soluble C and N as a proxy for soil functioning. Changes in soil properties were observed in the upper soil layer for all tree species. Planting Eucalyptus species caused soil acidification, whereas soil exchangeable cations and pH were higher under native species (Entandrophragma excelsum and Polyschias fulva) and mixed native species. The effects of tree species were more pronounced for hot water-extractable C and N than for other soil properties. Their analyses could be used for detecting changes in soil functioning linked to vegetation types.

scholarly journals Role of Conservation Agriculture for Sustaining Soil Quality and Improving Crop Productivity- A Review

2020 ◽  
pp. 44-54
Author(s):  
Tanveer Ahmad Ahngar ◽  
Zahida Rashid ◽  
Raies Ahmad Bhat ◽  
Waseem Raja ◽  
Sadaf Iqbal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Mineral N

Intensive agriculture and excessive use of external inputs are leading to degradation of soil and water resources and negatively affecting agricultural production. This review article aims to determine the role of conservation agriculture for sustaining soil quality and improving crop productivity. Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices cause prominent changes in physical, chemical and biological properties of soil compared to conventional agricultural practices. The improved bio-physico-chemical qualities of soil in turn, affect the ecosystem services and sustainability of crop production system through counterbalancing the climate variability with the help of increasing sink for carbon sequestration within the soil. There was significant interaction of tillage and cropping system on mineral nitrogen measured at the beginning of the cropping system. Mineral N contents were higher with manual tillage and no tillage systems compared with conventional tillage in the soybean maize rotation system. Conservation agriculture also helps in improving the crop production in a sustainable way hence there is an intense need of conservation agriculture which will not only meet the present and future demand of ever increasing population, but also seize degradation of environmental quality.

Changes in soil quality following humping/hollowing and flipping of pakihi soils on the West Coast, South Island New Zealand

2007 ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.M. Thomas ◽  
M.H.Beare C.D. Ford ◽  
V. Rietveld
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
West Coast ◽  
Land Development ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
The West ◽  
Organic Matter Quality ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Soil C

Humping/hollowing and flipping are land development practices widely used on the West Coast to overcome waterlogging constraints to pasture production. However, there is very limited information about how the resulting "new" soils function and how their properties change over time following these extreme modifications. We hypothesised that soil quality will improve in response to organic matter inputs from plants and excreta, which will in turn increase nutrient availability. We tested this hypothesis by quantifying the soil organic matter and nutrient content of soils at different stages of development after modification. We observed improvements in soil quality with increasing time following soil modification under both land development practices. Total soil C and N values were very low following flipping, but over 8 years these values had increased nearly five-fold. Other indicators of organic matter quality such as hot water extractable C (HWC) and anaerobically mineralisable N (AMN) showed similar increases. With large capital applications of superphosphate fertiliser to flipped soils in the first year and regular applications of maintenance fertiliser, Olsen P levels also increased from values

SOIL C AND N AS INDICATORS OF VINEYARD SOIL QUALITY IN THE RAVNI KOTARI REGION OF CROATIA

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia C. Clemens ◽  
◽  
Mia Brkljaca ◽  
Delaina Pearson ◽  
C. Brannon Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Vineyard Soil ◽  
Soil C And N ◽  
C And N

Corrigendum to: Conservation agriculture effects on soil properties and crop productivity in a semiarid region of India

Soil Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 200 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Somasundaram ◽  
M. Salikram ◽  
N. K. Sinha ◽  
M. Mohanty ◽  
R. S. Chaudhary ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Semiarid Region ◽  
Reduced Tillage ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Residue Retention

Conservation agriculture (CA) including reduced or no-tillage and crop residue retention, is known to be a self–sustainable system as well as an alternative to residue burning. The present study evaluated the effect of reduced tillage coupled with residue retention under different cropping systems on soil properties and crop yields in a Vertisol of a semiarid region of central India. Two tillage systems – conventional tillage (CT) with residue removed, and reduced tillage (RT) with residue retained – and six major cropping systems of this region were examined after 3 years of experimentation. Results demonstrated that soil moisture content, mean weight diameter, percent water stable aggregates (>0.25mm) for the 0–15cm soil layer were significantly (Pmoderately labile>less labile. At the 0–15cm depth, the contributions of moderately labile, less labile and non-labile C fractions to total organic C were 39.3%, 10.3% and 50.4% respectively in RT and corresponding values for CT were 38.9%, 11.7% and 49.4%. Significant differences in different C fractions were observed between RT and CT. Soil microbial biomass C concentration was significantly higher in RT than CT at 0–15cm depth. The maize–chickpea cropping system had significantly (P–1 followed by soybean+pigeon pea (2:1) intercropping (3.50 t ha–1) and soybean–wheat cropping systems (2.97 t ha–1). Thus, CA practices could be sustainable management practices for improving soil health and crop yields of rainfed Vertisols in these semiarid regions.

Labile carbon and other soil quality indicators in two tillage systems during transition to organic agriculture

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 342-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Bruce Lewis ◽  
Jason P. Kaye ◽  
Randa Jabbour ◽  
Mary E. Barbercheck
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Labile Carbon ◽  
Initial Field ◽  
Soil Attributes

AbstractWeed management is one of the primary challenges for producers transitioning from conventional to organic agriculture. Tillage and the use of cover crops are two weed control tactics available to farmers transitioning to organic management, but little is known about their interactive effects on soil quality during the transition period. We investigated the response of soils to tillage and initial cover crop during the 3-year transition to organic in a cover crop–soybean (Glycine max)–maize (Zea mays) rotation in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA. The tillage treatment contrasted full, inversion tillage with moldboard plowing (FT) versus reduced tillage with chisel plowing (RT). The cover crop treatment contrasted annual versus mostly perennial species during the first year of the rotation. The experiment was initiated twice (Start 1 and Start 2), in consecutive years in adjacent fields. By the end of the experiment, labile carbon, electrical conductivity, pH and soil moisture were all greater under RT than under FT in both starts. Soil organic matter and several other soil attributes were greater under RT than under FT in Start 1, but not in Start 2, perhaps owing to differences between starts in initial field conditions and realized weather. Soil attributes did not differ between the two cover crop treatments. Combining our soils results with agronomic and economic analyses on these plots suggests that using RT during the organic transition can increase soil quality without compromising yield and profitability.

scholarly journals Challenges of soil carbon sequestration in NENA Region

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talal Darwish ◽  
Therese Atallah ◽  
Ali Fadel
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Soil Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizers ◽  
Land Capability ◽  
North East ◽  
Modest Contribution

Abstract. North East North Africa (NENA) region spans over 14 % of the total surface of the Earth and hosts 10 % of its population. Soils of the NENA region are mostly highly vulnerable to degradation, and food security will depend much on sustainable agricultural measures. Weather variability, drought and depleting vegetation are dominant causes of the decline in soil organic carbon (SOC). In this work the situation of SOC was studied, using a land capability model and soil mapping. The land capability model showed that most NENA countries (17 out of 20), suffer from low productive lands (> 80 %). Stocks of SOC were mapped (1 : 5 Million) in topsoils (0–30 cm) and subsoils (30–100 cm). The maps showed that 69 % of soil resources present a stock of SOC below the threshold of 30 t ha−1. The stocks varied between ≈ 10 t ha−1 in shrublands and 60 t ha−1 for evergreen forests. Highest stocks were found in forests, irrigated crops, mixed orchards and saline flooded vegetation. The stocks of SIC were higher than those of SOC. In subsoils, the SIC ranged between 25 and 450 t ha−1, against 20 to 45 t ha−1 for SOC. This paper also highlights the modest contribution of NENA region to global SOC stock in the topsoil not exceeding 4.1 %. The paper also discusses agricultural practices that are favorable to carbon sequestration. Practices of conservation agriculture could be effective, as the presence of soil cover reduces the evaporation, water and wind erosions. Further, the introduction of legumes, as part of a cereal-legume rotation, and the application of nitrogen fertilizers to the cereal, caused a notable increase of SOC after 10 years. The effects of crop rotations on SOC are related to the amounts of above and belowground biomass produced and retained in the system. Some knowledge gaps exist especially in aspects related to the effect of irrigation on SOC, and on SIC at the level of soil profile and soil landscape. Still, major constraints facing soil carbon sequestration are policy relevant and socio-economic in nature, rather than scientific.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document