Distribution characteristics and stability of soil aggregates as compounded by soft rock and sand under different planting years of corn in Mu Us sandy land in China

Field plot experiments of compound soil mixing with soft rock and sand with ratios of 1 : 1, 1 : 2 and 1 : 5 during 2010-2018 years of corn cultivation in Mu Us Sandy Land in china., was carried out to observe the change characteristics of composition, distribution and mean weight diameter (MWD) of compound soil water stable aggregate (WSA) under different corn planting years. The results showed that with the increase of planting years, the content of WSA in composite soils of three portions with a particle size of < 0.25 mm gradually decreased, and WSA with a particle size of > 0.25 mm showed a continuous increasing trend. The WSA with a particle size of 0.25 - 0.5 mm accounted high for the maximum ratio, which plays an important role in the agglomeration of the compound soil. After 9 years of planting, the MWD of 1 : 1, 1 : 2 and 1 : 5 compound soil WSA increased by 1.13, 1.85 and 1.58 times, respectively, and t 1:2 compound soil WSA with particle size > 0.25 mm and MWD increase at a faster rate, which lead to a higher soil agglomeration and stability. The interaction between the mixture ratio of soft rock to sand and the planting years of corn has a significant impact on the formation and stability of WSA in the compound soil. With the increase of planting years of corn, the agglomeration effect of compound soil in different proportions was found to enhance, and the development of soil structure improve continuously. Bangladesh J. Bot. 50(3): 917-923, 2021 (September) Special

Soil Aggregate-Associated Carbon Fraction Dynamics during the Process of Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Planting in Southern Guangxi, China

Revealing the variation in soil aggregate-associated organic carbon (Corg) in tea plantations of various planting ages is crucial to shed more light on the accumulation and decomposition of soil Corg in the tea-planting period. This study measured the concentrations of soil Corg, active carbon (Cact), and recalcitrant carbon (Crec) in different-sized aggregates obtained from tea plantations of various planting ages (8, 17, 25, and 43 years old) at the soil depths of 0–20 and 20–40 cm in southern Guangxi, China. According to the wet-sieving approach, soil aggregates were classified as macro- (>0.25 mm) and micro- (<0.25 mm) aggregates, and the former were further divided into coarse (>2 mm), medium (2–1 mm), and fine (1–0.25 mm) fractions. Based on the mean weight diameter (MWD), the stability of soil aggregates was the highest in the 17-year-old tea plantations, and it was closely related to the concentration of soil Cact (0–20 cm: R2 = 0.9744, p < 0.05; 20–40 cm: R2 = 0.8951, p < 0.05), but not Corg (0–20 cm: R2 = 0.1532, p > 0.05; 20–40 cm: R2 = 0.4538, p > 0.05), during the tea-planting process. In the 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil layers, the coarse and medium macro-aggregates had higher concentrations of Corg, Cact, and Crec, regardless of the tea-planting age; meanwhile, the soil Cact/Crec ratio, indicating the Corg availability, increased as aggregate size increased, implying that the soil Corg was younger and more labile in coarse macro-aggregates relative to finer aggregates. Moreover, the tea-planting age significantly affected the Corg, Cact, and Crec reserves in both soil layers. To be specific, continuous tea planting facilitated the accumulation of soil Corg and Crec, but their reserves’ increase rates decreased over time; meanwhile, the soil Cact reserve increased during the early (from 8 to 17 years) tea-planting stage and later decreased. Therefore, during the middle (from 17 to 25 years) and late (from 25 to 43 years) tea-planting stages, maintaining the soil as an Cact pool plays a vital role in facilitating the formation and stabilization of soil aggregates in southern Guangxi, China.

Effects of organic mulching on soil aggregate stability and aggregate binding agents in an urban forest in Beijing, China

Urban forest soil is often disturbed by rapid urbanization. Organic mulching is effective for improving soil quality and aggregate stability. This study evaluated how soil binding agents changed aggregate stability through organic mulching in urban forest soils. Three treatments were applied in Jiufeng National Forest Park, Beijing: (1) no organic mulch (control); (2) wood chips alone (5 cm thickness); and, (3) wood chips + wood compost (This mulch was divided into two layers, the upper layer of wood chips (2.5 cm), the lower layer wood compost (2.5 cm)). Soil samples were collected from the surface 10- cm soil layer and fraction into four aggregates. Glomalin-related soil protein and soil organic carbon were measured in bulk soil and the four aggregates. The results show that wood chips + wood compost increased the proportion of large and small macroaggregates, mean weight diameter and geometric mean diameter. The total and easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein were higher in the wood chips + wood compost. However, soil organic carbon was lower in the wood chips alone application compared to the controls and wood chips + wood compost. Easily extractable / total glomalin-related soil protein and glomalin-related soil protein / soil organic carbon ratios of wood chips alone and wood chips + wood compost had increased trend compared to the controls but did not reach significant levels (p > 0.05). Mean weight diameter and geometric mean diameter correlated positively with total and easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein but were not positively correlated with soil organic carbon, the ratios of easily extractable and total glomalin-related soil protein, and the ratios of glomalin-related soil protein and soil organic carbon. Redundancy analysis revealed that total glomalin-related soil protein was the most important driver for soil aggregate stability, especially the total glomalin-related soil protein of small macroaggregates. The results suggest that wood chips + wood compost enhanced soil aggregate stability through the increase of glomalin-related soil protein. Wood chips alone cannot enhance soil aggregate stability in urban forests in the short term.

Soil Sensitivity to Wind and Water Erosion as Affected by Land Use in Southern Iran

Land degradation by soil erosion is one of the most severe environmental issues that is greatly dependent on land use management. In this study, the effects of long-term land use management (including annual cultivated field (ACF), fallow field (FF), rangeland (R), and orchard field (OF)), soil depth (0–10 and 10–20 cm), and soil organic matter content (SOM) on wind- and water-erosion indices were investigated in calcareous soils of southern Iran. Soil samples were collected from four above-mentioned land-use types, and some soil properties and erosion indices were measured. Results showed that the most of soil aggregates stability indices in the surface layer (0–10 cm) of OF were higher than those in ACF, FF, and R, respectively, by nearly 39%, 32%, and 47% for dry mean weight diameter of aggregates (MWDdry); 10%, 10%, and 48% for dry geometric mean weight diameter of aggregates (GMDdry); 21%, 17%, and 15% for water-stable aggregates (WSA); and 11%, 16%, and 31% for aggregate stability index (ASI). Moreover, the mean of the soil wind erosion indicators in OF (0–10 cm) were lower than those in ACF, FF, and R, respectively, by nearly 18%, 24%, and 26%, for wind-erodible fraction (EF); 43%, 38%, and 49% for soil erodibility to wind erosion (K); and 36%, 32%, and 41% for wind erosion rate (ER). In ACF, despite the high clay content, some aggregate stability indices such as MWøDdry and WSA were the lowest among studied land-use types which showed the negative effects of conventional tillage practices. Depth factor had only a significant effect on dust emission potential (DEP) in ACF, FF, and OF. In addition, there were significant and strong correlations between SOM and MWDdry (r = 0.79), WSA (r = 0.77), EF (r = −0.85), K (r = 0.74), and ER (r = 0.74) in all datasets.

A Novel Index (RI) to Evaluate the Relative Stability of Soils Using Ultrasonic Agitation

As soil stability is a complex phenomenon, various methods and indexes were introduced to assess the strength of soils. Because of the limitations of different stability methods and indexes (including wet sieving-based), we aimed to presents a relative stability index (RI) that was based on the estimated components of the soil overall disruptive characteristic curve (SODC): (1) soil disruption constant (Ki, that is based upon dispersion energy of soils); (2) resulting change in mean weight diameter (ΔMWD). To evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of RI as well as to compare it with classical soil stability indexes of mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD). Ultrasonic agitation (UA) along with a wet sieving method (followed by dry sieving) was applied against four different soils named on the basis of sample location, Qingling soil (QL), Guanzhong soil (GZ), Ansai soil (AS), and Jingbian soil (JB). To evaluate the relative strength of soils at different applied energies (increase in sonication duration usually resulted in increased input energy and temperature of soil–water suspension), soils were subjected to six sonication durations (0, 30, 60, 120, 210, and 300 s) with a fixed (and exact) initial amplitude and temperature. Output energy was calculated based on the amplitude and temperature of the suspension, vessel, and system. The most abrupt and maximum disruption of soil aggregates was observed at a dispersion energy level of 0–200 J g−1. The MWD value of surface and subsurface ranged between 0.58 to 0.15 mm and 0.37 to 0.17 mm, respectively, while GMD was ranged from 0.14 to 0.33 mm overall. The results for MWD and GMD showed a similar trend. MWD and GMD showed more strong associations with physicochemical characteristics of soil than RI. A non-significant correlation was found between RI and MWD/GMD. Contrary to MWD and GMD, RI was significantly positively correlated with sand content; this finding indicated the influential role of sand in assessing the soil’s relative strength. The results indicated that JB soil possessed the least MWD and GMD but proved to be relatively stable because of having the highest RI value.

Biochar Effects on Soil Compaction in Two Contrasting Soils

&lt;p&gt;Although research on biochar use in soils has increased, its influence on soil compaction has been reported relatively little.&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;The primary objective of this study was to measure the effects of biochar amendment on soil compaction, including infiltration capacity and aggregation, of two contrasting soils: a low soil organic carbon and hydrophilic degraded vineyard soil and a wildfire-degraded high soil organic carbon and hydrophobic forest soil.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We conducted a controlled laboratory soil column study (6 replicates), with PVC tubes filled with control soils and soil-biochar mixtures at a range of moisture contents. The mixtures were compacted under a falling load height that mimicked the standard proctor test. After the compaction procedure, infiltration capacity was determined with a mini disk infiltrometer, and bulk density and mean weight diameter were determined for the upper and lower halves of the soil column.&lt;/p&gt;

Soil structure and its relationship with soybean yield

ABSTRACT Soil structure conditions the interaction between the physical-hydraulic, chemical, and biological attributes and determines the potential of soil productivity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the structure of soils of areas subjected to soybean production and the impacts of soil structure on crop yield. In total, 28 soybean production areas were selected in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil, and analyzed for particle size, soil organic carbon and aggregates. Data of soil attributes were subjected to descriptive analysis, Pearson’s correlation and Kruskal-Wallis test at p ≤ 0.05. In general, considering the non-irrigated soybean production areas, it was found that soils with mean sand content between 100.00 and 800.10 g kg-1 and clay content between 120.00 and 627.80 g kg-1 showed average soybean yield of 3,536.36 kg ha-1. Soils that had aggregates with mean weight diameter and mean geometric diameter above 1.50 mm showed soybean yield equal to or greater than 3,370.67 kg ha-1. Soils of similar textural groups can define different levels of soybean yield, depending on characteristics such as the type of management adopted and production technology applied in the soybean production area.

Effect of Organic Manures Application on Soil Physicochemical Properties of Coarse-textured Ultisol and Okra Productivity in Nsukka, Southeastern Nigeria

Background: The greenhouse and field studies were carried out to assess the effect of different rates of poultry manure (PM), pig slurry (PS) and the recommended NPK fertilizer on some soil physico-chemical properties and okra yield of coarse-textured Ultisols in Nsukka, southeastern Nigeria. Methods: The PM and PS were applied at three different rates (10, 20 and 40 t ha-1) as well as no amendment as control and the recommended NPK fertilizer (300 kg/ha) and replicated five times. Soil and agronomic data collected were analyzed for variance (ANOVA) using Genstat 4.0.Result: The PM and PS significantly (p less than 0.05) improved soil pH, soil organic matter, available phosphorous, total nitrogen, aggregate stability, mean weight diameter, bulk density, porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity in greenhouse and field studies. Significant improvement in CEC was obtained in the field study. The PM and PS significantly (p less than 0.05) improved agronomic parameters e.g. plant height, number of leaves, biomass weight and yield of okra than the control. Poultry manure showed its superiority over other amendments in improving soil and agronomic properties. The study recommended 20 t ha-1 of PM and 40 t ha-1 of PS for sustainable soil and optimum productivity of okra in Nsukka, southeastern Nigeria.

Soil Management and Slope Impacts on Soil Properties, Hydrological Response, and Erosion in Hazelnut Orchard

Proper soil management is crucial to mitigate soil degradation. Hazelnut orchards are often raised on slopes and intensively managed, which makes them similar to the already defined highly erodible land uses like vineyards. This research aims to assess the impacts of soil management and the slope on the soil properties, hydrological response, and erosion in the hazelnut orchard. At eastern Croatia on Cambisols, four treatments were chosen, representing two soil managements in the study area (herbicide and mulched) on two different slope inclinations (high ~9° and low ~4.5°), for rainfall simulation experiments and soil sampling. The herbicide treatments on both slopes removed soil cover and reduced (p < 0.05) soil organic matter, mean weight diameter, and water-stable aggregates. Mulched treatments recorded a lower (p < 0.05) bulk density. These soil properties affected soil hydrological response, as the reduction of infiltration in herbicide plots lead to higher water and sediment losses. The higher slope increased erosion in herbicide soil to over 2.2 t ha−1. Mulching was shown as a superior practice as it enhances soil properties and reduces soil erosion, even reducing the effect of the higher slope on erosional processes.

Exploring the use of spectral indices to assess alterations in soil properties in pine stands affected by crown fire in Spain

Background Forest fires have increased in extent and intensity in the Mediterranean area in recent years, threatening forest ecosystems through loss of vegetation, changes in soil properties, and increased soil erosion rates, particularly in severely burned areas. However, establishing the relationships between burn severity and soil properties that determine infiltration remain challenging. Determining where soil burn severity evaluation should be carried out is critical for planning urgent measures to mitigate post-fire soil erosion. Although previous research has indicated that spectral indices are suitable for assessing fire severity, most of the classifications used consider combined effects in vegetation and soil. Moreover, the relationship between spectral indices and soil burn severity has scarcely been explored until now. Results We selected three pine stands in Spain for study immediately after being burned by wildfires. We analyzed various soil properties (soil saturated hydraulic conductivity, mean weight diameter of soil aggregates, and soil organic carbon) in relation to six levels of soil burn severity in all three stands. In addition, we established 25 field plots in the burned areas. We computed ten spectral indices for each plot by using Sentinel-2 satellite data. The soil burn severity categories indicated the degree of degradation of important soil properties related to soil erosion susceptibility. Of the spectral indices considered, the relativized burn ratio (RBR) was the best predictor of cumulative infiltration and mean weight diameter of soil aggregates. The differenced mid-infrared bispectral index (dMIRBI) was most closely correlated with soil organic carbon content. Conclusions The findings demonstrate the potential applicability of remote sensing to determining changes in soil properties after fire.