Effect of Contrasting Trophic Conditions on the Priming Effect in Gray Forest Soils

Priming effects initiated by the addition of ¹⁴С glucose have been compared for humus horizons of soils existing under continuous input of fresh organic substrates and for buried soil horizons, in which entering of organic matter has been essentially limited. The effect of microrelief on the manifestation of priming effect in the humus horizons of gray forest soil on microhigh and in microlow has been estimated. Humus horizon in soils on microhigh, not activated by glucose, produced two times more СО₂ in comparison with soils of microlow. However, the introduction of glucose canceled the effect of microrelief on СО₂ emission. The intensity of absolute priming effect correlated with the С_org pool, initial microbial biomass, and enzyme activity, decreasing from humus horizons to the buried ones, and did not depend on microrelief. The effect of microrelief was observed, when assessing the priming effect relative to control (soil not activated by glucose): the value of relative priming effect was 1.5 times greater in А horizon of gray forest soil in microlow in comparison with that on microhigh being the result of increasing activity of enzymes.     

The results of an NPK-fertilisation trial of long-term crop rotation on carbonate-rich soil in Estonia

ABSTRACT

Soil is an element of crop cultivation that demands consistent fertilisation to compensate for the nutrients that are removed by the harvest. Changes in soil because of prolonged fertilisation can only be estimated by long-term field trials. Experiments in long-term field trial site Kuusiku (since 1965) include crop rotation of potato, late harvest barley, early harvest barley undersown with forage grasses (red clover?+?timothy), 1-year forage grasses, 2-year forage grasses, and winter rye. Various combinations of mineral and organic fertilisers were used to investigate the yield, soil humus, phosphorus, and potassium content (available and total) of the top- and subsoil. Fertilisation improved the yield of different crops by 1.3–2.6 times; meteorological conditions caused the yield to vary up to 6.4 times. The concentration of humus decreased 0.2% when not using inorganic and organic fertilisers; use of fertilisers increased the concentration of humus by 0.2–0.6%. The humus-rich subsoil (3.5% humus) contained less available phosphorus than humus-poor subsoil (humus 3.0%), which had 29 and 63?mg P_DL kg^?1, respectively. Grasses in crop rotation enriched the soil with organic matter and reduced the excess of nutrients remaining from previous fertilisation, thereby decreasing nutrient leakage and eutrophication of bodies of water.     

Light Gray Surface-Gleyed Loamy Sandy Soils of the Northern Part of Tambov Plain: Agroecology,Properties, and Diagnostics

Light gray soils of Tambov oblast mainly develop from sandy and loamy sandy parent materials; these are the least studied soils in this region. Despite their coarse texture, these soils are subjected to surface waterlogging. They are stronger affected by the agrogenic degradation in comparison with chernozems and dark gray soils. Morphology, major elements of water regime, physical properties, and productivity of loamy sandy light gray soils with different degrees of gleyzation have been studied in the northern part of Tambov Plain in order to substantiate the appropriate methods of their management. The texture of these soils changes at the depth of 70–100 cm. The upper part is enriched in silt particles (16–30%); in the lower part, the sand content reaches 80–85%. In the nongleyed variants, middle-profile horizons contain thin iron-cemented lamellae (pseudofibers); in surface-gleyed variants, iron nodules are present in the humus horizon. The removal of clay from the humus horizon and its accumulation at the lithological contact and in pseudofibers promote surface subsidence and formation of microlows in the years with moderate and intense winter precipitation. The low range of active moisture favors desiccation of the upper horizons to the wilting point in dry years. The yield of cereal crops reaches 3.5–4.5 t/ha in the years with high and moderate summer precipitation on nongleyed and slightly gleyed light gray soils and decreases by 20–50% on strongly gleyed light gray soils. On light gray soils without irrigation, crop yields are unstable, and productivity of pastures is low. High yields of cereals and vegetables can be obtained on irrigated soils. In this case, local drainage measures should be applied to microlows; liming can be recommended to improve soil productivity.     

Ursachen kleinräumiger Ertragsschwankungen im bayerischen Tertiärhügelland und Folgerungen für eine teilschlagbezogene Düngung

Site effects of small-scale yield variation in the Tertiary hills north of Munich (Germany) and conclusions for site specific farming The effect of numerous soil factors on small-scale yield variation of winter wheat and spring barley were examined: soil structure and soil texture, soil nitrate content and soil water at different times, P_CAL-, K_CAL-, N_t- and C_t-content, pH, soil microbiology characteristics, relief, root growth and important plant diseases. The varying annual influence of soil parameters on crop yield was interrelated with climatic factors. In soils with low sand content soil productivity was largely influenced by soil structure. This effect was less pronounced on soils with medium sand content. On sandy soils, however, yield was reduced by available water capacity. Yield potential was also lowered by frequent cereal growing associated with take-all root desease of winter wheat. High yield variation from year to year confirmed that a site-specific crop management should consider annual variability of yield in addition to soil conditions and yield measurement. Site-specific N fertilization should be adapted to the actual progress of plant growth.     

Effects and residual effects of straw,farmyard manuring,and mineral fertilization at Field F of the long‐term trial in Halle (Saale), Germany

The effects and residual effects of farmyard manure (FYM), straw fertilization and mineral N fertilization were investigated in Field F of the long‐term fertilization trial in Halle (Saale), Germany. With sufficient mineral N fertilization, FYM and straw did not directly affect yield. The application of FYM alone increased the yield of potato less than those of silage maize and sugar beet. With low mineral N fertilization, however, residual effects of FYM, applied to root crops, were observed in the following cereal crops. Application of more mineral N to root crops had the same residual effects. In case of omitted mineral N fertilization, the humus content of the soil decreased rapidly. This implies that almost no stable humic material had been accumulated by application of FYM and straw. The calculated N loss increased with enhanced organic fertilization. In case of mineral N fertilization the content of organic C (C_org) was slightly higher (1.4 to 1.5%) than without any N fertilization (1.3%). FYM and straw (with same amounts of dry matter) likewise enhanced the C_org‐content and, consequently, the content of decomposable C (C_dec). In general, organic fertilizers should not be applied in too large amounts to avoid N losses.     

锌肥不同施用方式及施用量对我国主要粮食作物增产效果的影响

【目的】施用锌肥是改善作物缺锌、 提高产量和籽粒锌含量的重要措施。锌肥的施用效果受多种因素的影响,通过总结自70年代以来锌肥施用对我国主要粮食作物小麦、 玉米、 水稻产量的影响,分析不同年代、 锌肥施用方式、 锌肥用量对这三大作物产量影响的进程,探讨锌肥的适宜用量和施用方式。【方法】利用万方数据库、 中国知网,查阅了1970至2013年间,我国主要粮食作物水稻、 小麦和玉米锌肥施用相关的田间试验文献333篇,剔除文献中没有产量数据、 没有具体施肥相关信息如施肥量、 施肥方式等文献,有效样本数总计为1656个。采用相关分析、 方差分析等统计分析方法,Microsoft Excel 2010软件分析。【结果】锌肥增产效果受锌肥施用方式、 施用量、 年代的影响,具体结果如下, 1)锌肥施用方式土壤施用、 叶面喷施和种子处理在小麦上的平均增产率分别为11.3%、 10.0%和11.1%; 在玉米上的平均增产率分别为13.7%、 12.7%和12.1%; 水稻上的平均增产率分别为15.0%、 9.8%和9.7%。与叶面喷施和种子处理相比,无论是小麦、 玉米还是水稻,土施锌肥的增产效果最好。2)锌肥施用量小麦、 玉米和水稻的增产率随土施锌肥量增加而增加,当施锌量达到一定量后,随施肥用量的进一步增大,增产率有所降低。小麦、 玉米和水稻土施锌肥的合适用量分别为1545 kg /hm2、 2030 kg/hm2、 2030 kg/hm2。小麦增产率与喷施锌肥的浓度关系不明显,叶面喷施浓度在0.4%~0.5% ZnSO47H2O时增产效果最佳; 而玉米、 水稻增产率和叶面喷施锌肥的浓度变化趋势与土施锌肥变化趋势一致。过去40年玉米和水稻适宜喷施锌肥浓度分别是0.1%~0.3%、 0.2%~0.4% ZnSO47H2O。3)施肥年代随着年代的变化,不同作物施用锌肥的增产幅度不同。随着年代的推进,同一锌肥施用方式在小麦上增产率呈逐渐增高的趋势; 锌肥土施和叶面喷施在玉米上的增产率呈下降趋势; 锌肥土施在水稻上的增产率呈下降趋势,而叶面喷施在水稻的增产率呈先降低后增加的趋势; 种子处理方式在水稻和玉米上的增产率随年代的变化不明显。【结论】施用锌肥能有效提高小麦、 玉米和水稻的产量,但是其增产效果受锌肥施用方式、 施用量、 年代的影响。因此,今后在锌肥施用方面,农户应根据作物、 土壤、 环境等条件,选择恰当的施肥方式及锌肥用量,来提高锌肥的增产效果。     

Relationships between soil properties and morphometric parameters of depressions in clayey semidesert of the trans-volga region

The relationships between the morphometric parameters (area and depth) of microdepressions calculated using several methods and the properties of soils (the thickness of humus horizons and the depth of effervescence) forming on plots with different types of microrelief were assessed. The boundaries of the depressions determined by different methods (using microrelief and vegetation maps) do not coincide, and the mapping units and depressions have different areas. The tightest correlation was found between the soil properties and the parameters of the depressions calculated using the vegetation map for the territories with the flat type of microrelief, where the depressions are the largest (> 70 m²) and the deepest. In smaller depressions within the elevated radial-dome-shaped type of microrelief, the properties of the soils in the depressions are determined not only by the size of the depressions but also by other factors, such as the catchment area, the age of the depression, its position relative to other depressions, and the general stability of the territory.     

Humus balances of different farm production systems in main production areas in Austria

The importance of the soil humus content is indisputable. Soil humus plays an important role in preserving soil fertility and exerts great influence on plant production and yield potential. However, proofing that management‐related changes in the stock of soil organic matter (SOM) have taken place against the background of spatial and temporal variation is a difficult task. In most cases, sampling over a long period of time is needed to verify these changes. Alternatively, potential changes in the SOM stock can be estimated using humus balancing models, which help to identify the need for humus reproduction on a farm. In general, a humus balance is the difference between the humus demand of cultivated crops and humus supply through crops and organic fertilizers. In this study, the ‘Dynamic Humus Unit Method' within the modelling program REPRO was applied to calculate the humus balance for 29 model‐farms that are representative of most of the agricultural production in Austria. Each model‐farm represents a specific production type (PT) and farming system in a defined region or main production area (MPA). This approach gives an overview of the humus balances at a large scale and allows a general trend in Austria to be estimated. Besides differing between conventional and organic farming systems, specific site conditions can also be selected in the model. The constructed model‐farms belong to different PTs such as “forage production”, “cash crops”, “refinement”, and “permanent crops”. The PT “permanent crops” refers to the cultivation of wine. The cropping system of each PT was analyzed in detail, while livestock keeping was considered only when applicable. Positive humus balances were found for all PTs except for permanent crops. The results ranged from –122 to 890 kg C ha^?1 y^?1. Regions and farm structure, e.g., forage production compared to cash crop, were found to have a greater influence than the kind of farming system (i.e., organic vs. conventional farming). Comparing the different PTs, forage production had the highest positive humus balances (219 to 890 kg C ha^?1 y^?1), followed by cash crop (24 to 239 kg C ha^?1 y^?1), refinement (–64 to 402 kg C ha^?1 y^?1) and permanent crops (–122 to –38 kg C ha^?1 y^?1). Regarding the farming system, organic farming led to more humus accumulation than conventional farming due to a higher share of fodder legumes and catch crops and more diverse crop rotations. The results were within the range of available empirical data on SOM change, and it was therefore concluded that the results are reasonable. In general, humus reproduction can be regarded as sufficient for agricultural production.     

The impact of soil and crop management practices on soil-borne root diseases and wheat yields

Abstract. The most important root diseases of wheat in southern Australia are take-all, rhizoctonia bare patch and cereal cyst nematode. Control of grasses in annual pastures in the year preceding wheat crops decreased take-all on wheat and the amount of the take-all fungus in soil, decreased the damage caused by Rhizoctonia , and gave yield increases. Fumigation of cereal-growing soils gave yield increases in wheat of 0.75 to 2.8 tonnes per hectare, indicating that in southern Australia soil-borne root diseases impose a major constraint on productivity. Residues of the herbicide chlorsulfuron one year after application to an alkaline soil increased root damage by Rhizoctonia in barley and decreased grain yields by 1.5 tonnes per hectare. Root damage by cereal cyst nematode was decreased by direct drilling wheat and also by having a barley cultivar resistant to the pathogen as a preceding crop. The number of cysts of cereal cyst nematode on wheat roots was increased by the application of superphosphate in bands with the seed. These results show that in southern Australia soil management strategies which decrease the levels of root disease greatly increase grain yields.     

The effect of the microrelief on salinization of semidesert soils

The microrelief affects the distribution of soluble salts in the upper horizons of salt-affected soils. This has been shown for semidesert soils—meadow solonchak, solonchakous meadow, and meadow soils—within the Sulak Lowland in the Republic of Dagestan. The total content of salts and the concentrations of sodium, magnesium, chlorine, and sulfate ions are higher in the soils of microelevations. However, no significant effect of the microrelief on the distribution of calcium in the soil water extracts has been found. The properties of the solid soil phase (the humus content and the content of adsorbed bases, including calcium, magnesium, and sodium) and the soil pH are not reliably differentiated by the elements of the local microtopography.     

Enhancing Environmental Performance with Winter Cover Cropping after Potato Harvest in Eastern Canada

ABSTRACT

In humid climates, the risk of nitrate leaching and topsoil loss due to erosion is high on bare soil in the fall after potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) harvest and in the spring with snowmelt. This 2-year study (2016–2017) compared three winter cover crops. Two of these are used as cash crops (winter rye [Secale cereale L.], winter wheat [Triticum aestivum L.]), and one is a winter-killed cover crop (spring barley, Hordeum vulgare L.). They were all seeded on two dates after potato harvest (end of September or first week of October) in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The measured parameters included soil nitrate measured at different times in fall and in the following spring and summer, splash detachment, C and N contents in splashed sediments, cereal straw dry matter yield, and cereal grain yield. In both years, all winter cover crops decreased splash detachment compared with the no winter cover control, with winter rye having the greatest reduction. A similar trend was observed for C and N contents in splashed sediments. There was a trend toward lower soil nitrate following winter cover crops in comparison with bare soil, but the trend was not consistent across trials and sampling dates. Winter wheat grain yield ranged from 4.5 to 7.6 Mg ha^?1, while that associated with winter rye ranged from 3.2 to 5.1 Mg ha^?1. Therefore, winter cereal seeded after potato harvest can constitute a good source of revenue while mitigating the risk of soil erosion and reducing nitrate leaching in some cases.     

Transformation of humus substances in the long-drained surface-gleyed soddy-podzolic soils under conditions of pronounced microrelief and different agrogenic loads

The transformation of humus substances resulting from artificial drainage of the surface-gleyed soddy-podzolic soils under conditions of pronounced microtopography and different agrogenic loads was studied. The studied soil characteristics included acid–base conditions, the content and group composition of humus, the ratios between the fractions of humus acids, and optical density of humic acids. The features attesting to humus degradation were found in the soils of microdepressions periodically subjected to excessive surface moistening, in the soils of different landforms upon the construction of drainage trenches, and in the plowed non-fertilized soils. The response of humus characteristics to the changes in the ecological situation in the period of active application of agrochemicals for reclamation of the agrotechnogenically disturbed soils was traced. It was shown that the long-term dynamics of the particular parameters of the biological productivity of the soil depend on the hydrological and agrogenic factors, as well as on the weather conditions.     

Influence of crop rotation, intermediate crops, and organic fertilizers on the soil enzymatic activity and humus content in organic farming systems

The influence of crop rotation systems with different portions of nitrogen-fixing crops, intermediate crops, and organic fertilizers on the enzymatic activity and humus content of soils in organic farming was studied. The highest activity of the urease and invertase enzymes was determined in the soil under the crop rotation with 43% nitrogen-fixing crops and with perennial grasses applied twice per rotation. The application of manure and the growing of intermediate crops for green fertilizers did not provide any significant increase in the content of humus. The activity of urease slightly correlated with the humus content (r = 0.30 at the significance level of 0.05 and r = 0.39 at the significance level of 0.01).     

Genesis,hydrology, and properties of soils in mesodepressions waterlogged by surface water in the northern Ryazan forest-steppe

On the interfluves and in small depressions of the Ryazan forest-steppe, under periodic stagnation of surface water, acid chernozem-like soils with a relatively thick humus horizon, podzolic horizons, and marble-colored gleyed B1 and B2 horizons are formed. The eluvial horizons of these soils contain Mn-Fe nodules, and dark humus coatings occur in the illuvial horizons. In the spring, the eluvial horizons of these soils are excessively moistened and gravitational water stagnates on the soil surface for 3–4 weeks. The formation of the acid light-colored eluvial horizons of the soils on leached rocks is related to gleying under the conditions of the stagnant-percolative regime. Their total thickness is 15–25 cm and more. According to the properties of their solid phase, these horizons are similar to the podzolic horizons of soddy-podzolic gleyed soils. These soils have not been represented in the classification systems of soils of the USSR and Russia. Based on the principles of the substantial-genetic classification, one of the authors of this article [9] referred this soil to gleyed podzolic chernozem-like soils, thus, considering it as an individual genetic soil type. The gleyed podzolic chernozem-like soils differ from the leached chernozems by their low productivity and difficulty of tillage. In humid and moderately moist years, the death of crops or a reduction in yield are probable because of the excess of moisture.     

Emission of CO2 from the surface of oligotrophic bogs with due account for their microrelief in the southern taiga of European Russia

The results of studying the carbon dioxide fluxes from the soil’s surface during three years taking into account the microrelief are summarized. More precise estimates were obtained for the annual CO₂ emission from the oligotrophic peat bogs differing in vegetation and waterlogging in the southern taiga of European Russia. The maximum differences in the rates of the CO₂ emission related to the microrelief elements are characteristic of the treeless ridge-pool complex, where the hollows (without vegetation) emitted CO₂ twice less than the flat areas and thrice less than the hummocks. In the forest bogs, the differences related to the microrelief were significantly lower. In the areas with the ridge-pool microrelief, the weighted average (for 3 years) CO₂ emission was 436 g C/m² per year; in the better drained natural dwarf shrub-cotton grass-sphagnum pine forest, 930; and in the drained pine forest, 1292 g C/m² per year. The share of the CO₂ amount emitted in the cold period (November–April) amounted to 10% of its annual flux from the peat soils of the ridge-pool complex and 17 and 24%, respectively, in the natural and drained pine forests.     

Experimentally substantiated equations of the interrelations between the agrochemical characteristics of tundra soils

The detailed analysis of the results obtained in the course of experimental studying of the tundra soils in Western and Central Siberia and in the European part of Russia has revealed the general regularities of the variability and the relationships between the agrochemical and other properties of the soils. On the basis of these data, the calculated methods for the assessment of a complex of agrochemical properties of natural and disturbed tundra soils under different moisture and thermal conditions were elaborated. Among the properties analyzed, the following are important for plant growth: the acidity and the content of humus, organic carbon, total nitrogen, mobile phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium. The relationships between the soil agro-chemical properties and the plant productivity allowed applying them for the quantitative evaluation of the environmental threat of the soil-plant cover’s degradation because of different predominantly mechanical disturbances.     

Effects of soil properties and humidity regimes on semi-natural meadow productivity

ABSTRACT

The research has been conducted for four years in five phytocenoses affected by the processes of naturalization. Two of them are located in non-flooded, relatively abandoned meadows and the remaining - flooded meadows in different parts of the Nemunas delta (Western Lithuania). The aim of the research was to estimate the influence of ecological conditions (humidity regimes, soil agrochemical parameters) on semi-natural meadow productivity. Humidity regimes and nitrogen amount in the soil influenced dry matter (DM) yield of meadow phytocesosis. The biggest DM yield (8.64 ± 0.77 t ha^-1) was found in flooded meadow in the central part of the Nemunas delta in Terric Histosol (HSs) soil, which had moderate acidity and was rich in nitrogen. The economic value depended on the prevailing plant species and was the highest in non-flooded meadows. Botanical composition and plant species number depended on agrochemical characteristics of the soil and management activities: the greatest plant species diversity and the best plant population stability were established in flooded meadow in the riverside part of the Nemunas delta behind a levee in soil rich in phosphorus and potassium and low acidity. A similar number of plant species and similar ecological stability parameters were found in non-flooded meadow, whose soil was low in nutrients, but there was intensified farming.     

Influence of Potassium Fertilizer on Yield of Plantain Intercropped with Cassava on an Oxic Paleustalf in Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

There is very little literature on the influence of plantain–cassava intercropped on this soil type. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in 1993 and 1995 cropping seasons on the influence of potassium (K) fertilizer on the yield of the two crops on a soil classified as Oxic paleustalf (or Ferric Luvisol) in the rain forest agroecological zone of Nigeria. Four rates of K fertilizer (120, 240, 360, and 480 kg K ha^?1) and control were evaluated on the yield and yield components of these two crops in sole and intercropping. The experimental design was a randomized complete block (RCBD) replicated four times. Results showed that the soil is acidic and the exchangeable cations contents were suboptimal when compared with the optimum required for a sustained cultivation of plantain. Furthermore, the plantain–cassava intercropped yields responded significantly (p<0.05) to fertilizer applied in terms of the yield and yield components of both crops in sole and intercropping. Highest bunch weight of plantain and tuber yield of cassava was recorded at 360 and 240 kg K ha^?1 (taking the mean of both years). Potassium fertilizer after this point resulted in lower yields of both crops when intercropped.     

Der Einfluß von Bewässerung und Fruchtfolge auf den Humus- und Stickstoffhaushalt sowie die Bodenproduktivität in der Gezira (Sudan)

The influence of irrigation and crop rotation on the humus and nitrogen balance and soil productivity in the Sudan Gezira . Yields of Sorghum and Cotton, but not of Dolichos increased up to 3 times from the 10th to the 30th year in an unfertilized, irrigated field experiment on a vertisol with crop rotations of Cotton, Sorghum and Dolichos, esspecially after preceding years of bare fallow. Nitrogen fixation by root nodules and asymbiotic fixation by Azotobacter and blue green algae are discussed as a cause of the increased soil productivity. In a field pot trial with 2.5 cm layers of flooded soil 75 ppm of nitrogen were fixed in 12 weeks by blue green algae. On fertilization with 0.1% K₂HPO₄ and 0.1% K₂HPO₄ + 50 ppm Na₂MoO₄ they fixed 244 and 290 ppm N respectively. Drying and reflooding the soil once to several times caused the N-fixation to decrease steadily until it stopped with weekly dryings. Strong increases and decreases of organic C and N were observed in moist and also in dry field soil in different seasons as well as short term fluctuations of organic N in dry field soil.     

Changes in the content and composition of humus in the sandy loamy soddy-podzolic soil in a long-term liming experiment

The effect of liming on organic matter in sandy loamy soddy-podzolic soil was studied. The study was performed on samples taken from the 50-year-long experiment established by Prof. Kornilov in 1957. It was shown that liming had almost no effect on the total humus content in the soil. The humus composition was studied using two fractionation methods of the humus substances by the Ponomareva-Plotnikova procedure. The regrouping of the humus fractions occurred due to the changes in the mobility of soil mineral components, which involved a regular increase in the content of the Ca-bound fraction of humic acids (HA-2) at the expense of the HA-1 fraction bound to the mobile forms of R₂O₃ reliable at the lime rates equivalent to the total acidity and higher. The levels of the stabilization of the different HA fractions were considered, as well as the stability of the changes in the humus composition during 50 years.