Variation of intra‐aggregate organic carbon affects aggregate formation and stability during organic manure fertilization in a fluvo‐aquic soil

The aggregate formation and stability are controlled by the dynamics of soil organic matters (SOM), but how it is related to SOM chemical composition within different‐sized aggregates is largely unknown during manure fertilization. In this study, the variations of intra‐aggregate organic carbon (OC), including intra‐particulate organic matter (iPOM) and mineral‐associated organic matter, were quantitatively and qualitatively analysed, and then, their effects on aggregate formation and stability were assessed under four treatments: control (CK), mineral fertilizer (NPK), reduced manure (30%M) and manure fertilizers (M). Manure application (M) significantly increased macroaggregate proportion, mean weight diameter (MWD), and OC contents within different‐sized aggregates compared to CK, NPK, and 30%M. The OC accumulation of macroaggregate in M was attributed to OC content increase in silt plus clay subfraction rather than iPOM with more labile organic groups; oppositely, in microaggregate it was located in the relatively stable fine iPOM. The macroaggregate formation and stability were controlled by the fine iPOM within macroaggregates, whose abundant polysaccharide‐C and aliphatic‐C after manure fertilization advanced the microbial growth except for Gram‐positive bacteria, which further promoted macroaggregate formation and stability. The free silt plus clay fraction also affected macroaggregate formation and stability, and its polysaccharide‐C derived from microorganisms or decomposing SOM was positively associated with MWD and macroaggregate proportion. Because polysaccharide‐C can be easily associated with mineral particles, further improving micro‐ or macroaggregation. We conclude that continuous manure fertilization could increase labile SOM accumulation within aggregates and then facilitate microbial growth, which collectively are responsible for aggregate formation and stabilization.     

Relative importance of sorption versus aggregation for organic matter storage in subsoil horizons of two contrasting soils

Soil organic matter (OM) stabilization by the mineral phase can take place through sorption and aggregation. In this study we examined both of these processes, (i) organic carbon (OC) sorption onto clay‐sized particles and (ii) OC occlusion in silt‐size aggregates, with the objective of evaluating their relative importance in OM storage and stabilization in soil. We studied two loamy soil profiles (Haplic Luvisol and Plinthic Cambisol) currently under agricultural use down to a depth of 2 m. Our approach was based on two parallel fractionation methods using different dispersion intensities; these methods isolated a free clay fraction (non‐occluded) and a clay fraction occluded within water‐stable silt‐size aggregates. The two clay fractions were analysed for their C content and ¹⁴C activity. The proportion of sorbed OC was estimated as OC loss after hydrofluoric acid (HF) demineralization. Our results showed an important contribution to SOM stabilization by occlusion of OC into silt‐size aggregates with depth through both soil profiles. In the Haplic Luvisol, OC associated with clay and located in silt‐size aggregates accounted for 34–64% of the total soil OC, whereas in the Plinthic Cambisol this occluded material represented 34–40% of total OC. In the Haplic Luvisol, more OC was located in silt‐size aggregates than was sorbed onto clay‐size minerals, suggesting that silt‐size aggregation plays a dominant role in OC storage in this soil. In the Plinthic Cambisol, the abundance of sorbed OC increased with depth and contributed more to the stored C than that associated with silt‐size aggregates. Radiocarbon dating of both clay fractions (either occluded within silt‐size aggregates or not) suggests, in the case of the Plinthic Cambisol, a preferential stabilization of OC within silt‐size aggregates.     

Carbon content in soil particle size and consequence on cation exchange capacity of Alfisols

Abstract

Many of the cultivated soils of sub‐Saharan Africa typically have a surface horizon low in clay and with a low cation exchange capacity (CEC). In these soils, CEC is largely due to the soil organic matter (SOM). Measurements made on long‐term trials show that changes in CEC and SOM are positively correlated to one another, but not of same magnitude, suggesting that not all of the SOM plays an equal role as regards the soil CEC. To study the influence of the different SOM size fractions on the CEC, soils with or without application of manure or compost coming from trials in Chad and Côte d'Ivoire were separated without destruction of the SOM into five organo‐mineral fractions: “coarse sand”;, “fine sand”;, “coarse silt”;, “fine silt”;, and “clay”; made up of particles of sizes between 2,000 and 200, 200 and 50, 50 and 20, 20 and 2, and 2 and 0 μm, respectively. Fractionation was carried out by mechanical dispersion of the soil, wet sieving of the fractions larger than 20 μm, and decanting of the “clay”; and “fine silt”; fractions. The CEC of these fractions increases inversely with their size. The “clay”; fraction which contains half of the SOM contributes about 80% of the CEC of the soils. The CEC of the fractions is largely a function of their carbon (C) content, but the organic CEC per unit C of the “clay”; fraction appears to be four times greater than that of the other fractions (1,000 as against 270 cmol_c kg^‐1). Applications of manure or compost increase the CEC of the soils by increasing the soil C only when this C increase concerns the fine fractions of the SOM.     

The effects of compost in a rice–wheat cropping system on aggregate size,carbon and nitrogen content of the size–density fraction and chemical composition of soil organic matter,as shown by 13C CP NMR spectroscopy

We investigated whether the long‐term application of compost from agricultural waste improved soil physical structure, fertility and soil organic matter (SOM) storage. In 2006, we began a long‐term field experiment based on a rice–wheat rotation cropping system, having a control without fertilizer (NF) and three treatments: chemical fertilizers (CF), pig manure compost (PMC) and a prilled mixture of PMC and inorganic fertilizers (OICF). Following the harvest of wheat in 2010, the mean‐weight diameter (MWD) of water‐stable aggregates and the concentration of C and N in bulk soil (0–20 cm; <2 mm fraction) were significantly greater (P < 0.05) in PMC and NF plots than in CF or OICF plots. Pig manure compost significantly increased the proportion of >5‐mm aggregates, whereas CF significantly increased the proportion of 0.45‐ to 1‐mm aggregates. The C and N contents of all density fractions were greater in PMC than in other treatments with levels decreasing in the following order: free particulate organic matter (fPOM) >occluded particulate organic matter (oPOM) > mineral‐combined SOM (mineral–SOM). Solid‐state ¹³C CPMAS NMR spectra showed that alkyl C/O‐alkyl C ratios and aromatic component levels of SOM were smaller in PMC and OICF plots than in CF plots, suggesting that SOM in PMC and OICF plots was less degraded than that in CF plots. Nevertheless, yields of wheat in PMC and NF plots were smaller than those in CF and OICF plots, indicating that conditions for producing large grain yields did not maintain soil fertility.     

Acid hydrolysis of easily dispersed and microaggregate-derived silt- and clay-sized fractions to isolate resistant soil organic matter

The current paradigm in soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics is that the proportion of biologically resistant SOM will increase when total SOM decreases. Recently, several studies have focused on identifying functional pools of resistant SOM consistent with expected behaviours. Our objective was to combine physical and chemical approaches to isolate and quantify biologically resistant SOM by applying acid hydrolysis treatments to physically isolated silt‐ and clay‐sized soil fractions. Microaggegrate‐derived and easily dispersed silt‐ and clay‐sized fractions were isolated from surface soil samples collected from six long‐term agricultural experiment sites across North America. These fractions were hydrolysed to quantify the non‐hydrolysable fraction, which was hypothesized to represent a functional pool of resistant SOM. Organic C and total N concentrations in the four isolated fractions decreased in the order: native > no‐till > conventional‐till at all sites. Concentrations of non‐hydrolysable C (NHC) and N (NHN) were strongly correlated with initial concentrations, and C hydrolysability was found to be invariant with management treatment. Organic C was less hydrolysable than N, and overall, resistance to acid hydrolysis was greater in the silt‐sized fractions compared with the clay‐sized fractions. The acid hydrolysis results are inconsistent with the current behaviour of increasing recalcitrance with decreasing SOM content: while %NHN was greater in cultivated soils compared with their native analogues, %NHC did not increase with decreasing total organic C concentrations. The analyses revealed an interaction between biochemical and physical protection mechanisms that acts to preserve SOM in fine mineral fractions, but the inconsistency of the pool size with expected behaviour remains to be fully explained.     

施肥措施对复垦土壤团聚体碳氮含量和作物产量的影响

研究复垦后不同施肥措施下有机碳（OC）和全氮（TN）在水稳性团聚体及粉黏粒组分中的分布特征，以期深入理解不同施肥措施下土壤有机碳的固持机制。以生土和连续6年不同施肥措施的复垦土壤为研究对象，采集0～20 cm耕层土壤样品，利用湿筛法进行土壤粒径分组，分析大粒径大团聚体（> 2 mm）、小粒径大团聚体（0.25～2 mm）、微团聚体（0.053～0.25 mm）和粉黏粒组分（< 0.053 mm）中OC和TN含量，判断各粒径团聚体及粉黏粒组分中有机碳储量的驱动因素，探究团聚体及粉黏粒组分中有机碳含量与作物产量之间的关系。试验设不施肥（CK）、施氮磷钾化肥（NPK）、单施有机肥（M）和有机无机肥配施（MNPK）4个处理。结果表明：1）整个试验周期（2008-2013年），同CK相比， NPK、M以及MNPK处理均显著提高了玉米籽粒产量，且以MNPK处理的效果最显著，分别提高了79.49%、116.07%和113.85%。     

Long‐term effects of cropped vs. fallow and fertilizer amendments on soil organic matter I. Organic carbon

A long‐term field experiment, conducted since 1962 in Gumpenstein (Austria) on a Dystric Cambisol, was used for the present investigation. We combined a physical fractionation procedure with the determination of natural abundance of ¹³C and FT‐IR spectroscopy to study the influence of fertilizer amendments (organic manure and mineral fertilizers) and management practices (fallow vs. cropped) on changes in organic carbon (OC) associated with different particle‐size fractions. The OC content in bulk soil decreased or was not affected by slurry+straw, PK, and NPK treatments in both fallow and cropped plots after 28 and 38 yr of treatment. However, OC in plots receiving organic manures increased depending on the quality of the organic manures applied. The ranking among the different treatments under both fallow and cropped plots was: animal manure (liquid) > animal manure (solid) > cattle slurry = slurry+straw = PK = NPK. Results showed that the two types of management practices, fallow (non‐tilled) vs. cropped (tilled) had effects on OC concentrations. Comparing the OC contribution of particle‐size fractions to the total OC amount revealed the following ranking: silt > clay > fine sand > coarse sand except in the plots receiving solid or liquid animal manure. Size fractions within treatments showed larger variations of ¹³C abundances than bulk samples between treatments. The natural abundances of ¹³C increased especially in cropped (and tilled) plots. It was shown by cluster analysis that FT‐IR spectra differentiated between the different treatments originating from different land management practices. The present study revealed that below‐ground C deposition by agricultural plants can hardly compensate the C losses due to tillage.     

Long-term effects of mineral and organic fertilization on soil organic matter fractions and sorghum yield under Sudano-Sahelian conditions

Abstract. Knowledge of changes in soil organic matter (SOM) fractions resulting from agricultural practice is important for decision‐making at farm level because of the contrasting effects of different SOM fractions on soils. A long‐term trial sited under Sudano‐Sahelian conditions was used to assess the effect of organic and inorganic fertilization on SOM fractions and sorghum performance. Sorghum straw and kraal manure were applied annually at 10 t ha^?1, with and without urea at 60 kg N ha^?1. The other treatments included fallowing, a control (no fertilization), and inorganic fertilization only (urea, 60 kg N ha^?1). Fallowing gave significantly larger soil organic carbon and nitrogen (N) levels than any other treatment. Total soil SOM and N concentrations increased in the following order: urea only < straw < control < straw+urea < manure with or without urea < fallow. Farming had an adverse effect on SOM and N status; however, this mostly affected the fraction of SOM >0.053 mm (particulate organic matter, POM). The POM concentrations in the control, straw and urea‐only treatments were about one‐half of the POM concentrations in the fallow treatment. POM concentrations increased in the following order: urea only < control < straw with or without urea < manure with or without urea < fallow. The fraction of SOM <0.053 mm (fine organic matter, FOM) was greater than POM in all plots except in fallow and manure+urea plots. Total N concentration followed the same trend as SOM, but cultivation led to a decline in both POM‐N and FOM‐N. Crop yield was greatest in the manure plots and lowest in the straw, control and urea‐only plots. Results indicate that under Sudano‐Sahelian conditions, SOM, POM and FOM fractions and crop performance were better maintained using organic materials with a low C/N ratio (manure) than with organic material with a high C/N ratio (straw). Urea improved the effect of straw on crop yield and SOM concentration.     

Land‐use effects on the distribution of soil organic carbon within particle‐size fractions of volcanic soils in the Transmexican Volcanic Belt (Mexico)

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of land‐use and forest cover depletion on the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) within particle‐size fractions in a volcanic soil. Emphasis was given to the thermal properties of soils. Six representative sites in Mexico were selected in an area dominated by Andosols: a grassland site, four forested sites with different levels of degradation and an agricultural site. Soils were fractionated using ultrasonic energy until complete dispersion was achieved. The particle‐size fractions were coarse sand, fine sand, silt, clay and particulate organic matter from the coarse sand sized fraction (POM‐CS) and fine sand (POM‐FS). Soil organic carbon decreased by 70% after forest conversion to cropland and long‐term cultivation; forest cover loss resulted in a decrease in SOC of up to 60%. The grassland soil contained 45% more SOC than the cropland one. Soil organic carbon was mainly associated with the silt‐size fraction; the most sensitive fractions to land‐use change and forest cover depletion were POM followed by SOC associated with the silt and clay‐sized fractions. Particulate organic matter can be used as an early indicator of SOC loss. The C lost from the clay and silt‐sized fractions was thermally labile; therefore, the SOC stored in the more degraded forest soils was more recalcitrant (thermally resistant). Only the transformation of forest to agricultural land produced a similar loss of thermally stable C associated with the silt‐sized fraction.     

Analysis and simulation of soil organic‐carbon stocks in grassland ecosystems in SW Germany

Grassland extensification is followed by a change of soil organic‐matter (SOM) contents. In order to give a better assessment of these developments on grassland sites in SW Germany, the CENTURY Soil Organic Matter Model was used on five long‐term experimental sites under three different management practices (“Mowing”, “Mulching” (mowing without removal of the phytomass), and “Natural succession”). On these sites, soil‐organic‐carbon (SOC) monitoring was continuously done for soil depths of 0–4 and 4–8 cm from 1975 to 2002. The contents of organic carbon (OC) were at steady state or showed a slight decrease for the mulched and succession plots. Carbon contents of the mowed plots were decreasing. Measured C contents were transferred into stocks and compared with the simulated OC stocks. Linear regressions between observed and simulated C stocks were calculated separately for mulched and succession plots. The regressions for OC yielded significant relationships (R² = 0.8) for both kinds of plots. However, the model did not reproduce the short‐term dynamics of C stocks. Whereas SOC stocks on mulched and succession plots are expected to stay stable for the next decades according to the simulation, they are expected to decrease for a couple of years before stabilization on mowed plots.     

The role of iron oxides in the preservation of soil organic matter under long-term fertilization

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to enlighten the role of highly reactive iron (Fe) minerals in soil organic carbon (SOC) preservation in soil aggregates.

Materials and methods

The effects of four long-term (37-year) fertilization regimes (NPK, chemical fertilization; NPKM, chemical fertilization + cattle manure; M, cattle manure; CK, non-fertilization control) on organic carbon (OC) stability, soil iron fractions in bulk soil, and soil aggregates were studied to characterize the capacity and mechanism of Fe minerals to preserve SOM in soil.

Results and discussion

Long-term fertilization significantly altered the Fe fractions in soil and soil aggregates. The two applications with manure (NPKM and M) increased the non-crystalline Fe content, while the chemical fertilizer (NPK) increased the crystalline Fe content. Besides, long-term fertilization with manure greatly increased the content of SOC and soil total nitrogen (STN). The non-crystalline Fe was positively correlated with the SOC content in both soil and soil aggregates. Meanwhile, the long-term fertilization treatments greatly changed the mass distribution and OC content of soil aggregates.

Conclusions

Long-term manure fertilization promoted the formation of non-crystalline Fe fractions, which bounds to SOC to form soil macro-aggregates. Thus, the formation of SOC-Fe association in soil and soil aggregates plays a crucial role in SOC preservation.

     

Quantifying soil organic carbon fractions by infrared-spectroscopy

Methods to quantify organic carbon (OC) in soil fractions of different stabilities often involve time-consuming physical and chemical treatments. The aim of the present study was to test a more rapid alternative, which is based on the spectroscopic analysis of bulk soils in the mid-infrared region (4000-400 cm⁻¹), combined with partial least-squares regression (PLS). One hundred eleven soil samples from arable and grassland sites across Switzerland were separated into fractions of dissolved OC, particulate organic matter (POM), sand and stable aggregates, silt and clay particles, and oxidation resistant OC. Measured contents of OC in each fraction were then correlated by PLS with infrared spectra to obtain prediction models. For every prediction model, 100 soil spectra were used in the PLS calibration and the residual 11 spectra for validation of the models. Correlation coefficients (r) between measured and PLS-predicted values ranged between 0.89 and 0.97 for OC in different fractions. By combining different fractions to one labile, one stabilized and one resistant fraction, predictions could even be improved (r=0.98, standard error of prediction=16%). Based on these statistical parameters, we conclude that mid-infrared spectroscopy in combination with PLS is an appropriate and very fast tool to quantify OC contents in different soil fractions.     

Changes in soil organic matter composition are associated with forest encroachment into grassland with long-term fire history

This study investigates if Araucaria forest (C₃ metabolism) expansion on frequently burnt grassland (C₄ metabolism) in the southern Brazilian highland is linked to the chemical composition of soil organic matter (SOM) in non‐allophanic Andosols. We used the ¹³C/¹²C isotopic signature to group heavy organo‐mineral fractions according to source vegetation and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, lignin analyses (CuO oxidation) and measurement of soil colour lightness to characterize their chemical compositions. Large proportions of aromatic carbon (C) combined with small contents of lignin‐derived phenols in the heavy fractions of grassland soils and grass‐derived lower horizons of Araucaria forest soils indicate the presence of charred grass residues in SOM. The contribution of this material may have led to the unusual increase in C/N ratios with depth in burnt grassland soils and to the differentiation of C₃‐ and C₄‐derived SOM, because heavy fractions from unburnt Araucaria forest and shrubland soils have smaller proportions of aromatic C, smaller C/N ratios and are paler compared with those with C₄ signatures. We found that lignins are not applicable as biomarkers for plant origin in these soils with small contents of strongly degraded and modified lignins as the plant‐specific lignin patterns are absent in heavy fractions. In contrast, the characteristic contents of alkyl C and O/N‐alkyl C of C₃ trees or shrubs and C₄ grasses are reflected in the heavy fractions. They show consistent changes of the (alkyl C)/(O/N‐alkyl C) ratio and the ¹³C/¹²C isotopic signature with soil depth, indicating their association with C₄ and C₃ vegetation origin. This study demonstrates that soils may preserve organic matter components from earlier vegetation and land‐use, indicating that the knowledge of past vegetation covers is necessary to interpret SOM composition.     

有机肥对棕壤不同粒级有机碳和氮的影响

采集棕壤长期肥料定位试验站不施肥和施用不同用量有机肥的土壤,通过超声波分散—离心分离得到细黏粒(<0.2μm)、粗黏粒(0.2～2μm)、粉粒(2～53μm)、细砂粒(53～250μm)和粗砂粒(250～2000μm)5个颗粒级别后,分析全土及不同粒级中土壤有机碳和氮并进行含量与分布的比较。结果表明,有机质主要分布于黏粒级中,其含量占全土有机碳的42.8%、全氮的58.3%,碳氮比随着粒级的增加而逐渐增大,表明氮易于在小粒级中富集。长期施用有机肥后,全土及各粒级有机碳和氮含量均有显著增加;砂粒级中有机碳和氮的富集系数升高,黏粒级中富集系数降低,粉粒级和砂粒级中的碳氮比降低。增加有机肥的用量加强了全土和各粒级对有机碳和氮的积累,同时加强了粉粒级和砂粒级碳氮比降低的程度。     

Nitrogen distribution and 15N natural abundances in particle size fractions of a long‐term agricultural field experiment

The present study combined a physical fractionation procedure with the determination of the natural abundance of ¹⁵N to investigate the impact of organic manure and mineral fertilizer application, and fallow on changes of N associated with different soil particle size fractions. The long‐term field experiment was conducted since 1956 in Ultuna, Sweden, on an Eutric Cambisol. Nitrogen in bulk soil and in particle size fractions changed significantly since 1956. The N_t concentrations in bulk soil decreased in all treatments not receiving organic materials. Comparing the N contribution of particle‐size fractions to the total N amount revealed the following ranking: silt > clay > fine clay > fine sand > coarse sand. The relative contribution of N in silt sized particles significantly increased from low to high bulk soil N contents, whereas N in clay and fine clay fractions decreased. The C : N ratios of particle size fractions differed considerably more between treatments than C : N ratios in bulk soils. Generally, the C : N ratios decreased from coarse to fine fractions emphasizing the tendency of smaller fractions being more significant as N sink than as C_org sink. ¹⁵N abundances varied more between particle size fractions of single treatments than between bulk soil from differently treated plots. Within treatments we observed differences of up to 7.1 ‰ between particle size fractions. In most cases δ ¹⁵N values increased with decreasing particle sizes. This pattern on average was similar to changes in δ ¹³ C. Our results suggest that silt sized particles acted as medium‐term sink of introduced N and that ¹⁵N abundances in particle size fractions sensitively reflect changes in N status in response to soil management.     

The quality of exogenous organic matter: short-term effects on soil physical properties and soil organic matter fractions

We examined the short-term effect of five organic amendments and compared them to plots fertilized with inorganic fertilizer and unfertilized plots on aggregate stability and hydraulic conductivity, and on the OC and ON distribution in physically separated SOM fractions. After less than 1 year, the addition of organic amendments significantly increased ( P  <   0.01) the aggregate stability and hydraulic conductivity. The stability index ranged between 0.97 and 1.76 and the hydraulic conductivity between 1.23 and 2.80 × 10⁻³ m/s for the plots receiving organic amendments, compared with 0.34–0.43, and 0.42–0.64 × 10⁻³ m/s, respectively, for the unamended plots. There were significant differences between the organic amendments (P <  0.01), although these results were not unequivocal for both soil physical parameters. The total OC and ON content were significantly increased ( P  <   0.05) by only two applications of organic fertilizers: between 1.10 and 1.51% OC for the amended plots versus 0.98–1.08% for the unamended and between 0.092 and 0.131% ON versus 0.092–0.098% respectively. The amount of OC and ON in the free particulate organic matter fraction was also significantly increased ( P  <   0.05), but there were no significant differences ( P  <   0.05) in the OC and ON content in the POM occluded in micro-aggregates and in the silt + clay-sized organic matter fraction. The results showed that even in less than 1 year pronounced effects on soil physical properties and on the distribution of OC and ON in the SOM fractions occurred.     

Long-term effects of fallow, tillage and manure application on soil organic matter and nitrogen fractions and on sorghum yield under Sudano-Sahelian conditions

Abstract. Soil organic matter (SOM) controls the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil and is a key factor in soil productivity. Data on SOM quantity and quality are therefore important for agricultural sustainability. In 1990, an experiment was set up at Saria, Burkina Faso on a sandy loam Lixisol to evaluate long-term effects of tillage (hand hoeing or oxen ploughing) with or without 10 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ of manure and fallowing on SOM and N concentrations and their distribution in particle size fractions. The field was sown annually to sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench). Ten years later, total organic C and total N, SOM fractions and their N concentrations, and sorghum yield were determined. Continuous sorghum cultivation without organic inputs caused significant losses of C and N in the hoed and ploughed plots. However, addition of manure to hoed plots was effective in maintaining similar levels of C and N to fallow plots. Without manure, SOM was mainly stored in the size-fraction <0.053 mm (fine organic matter, FOM). SOM was mainly stored in the size-fraction between 0.053 and 2 mm (particulate organic matter, POM). In plots with manure and in fallow plots, the addition of manure more than doubled POM concentrations, with levels in tilled plots exceeding those of the fallow plots, and the highest levels in manually hoed plots. Nitrogen associated with POM (POM-N) followed a similar trend to POM. Hoeing and ploughing led to a decline in sorghum grain yield. Manure application increased yields by 56% in the hoed plots and 70% in the ploughed plots. Grain yield was not correlated with total SOM but was positively correlated with total POM. This study indicated that POM was greatly affected by long-term soil management options.     

Soil organic matter pools in a volcanic-ash soil under fallow or cultivation with applied chicken manure

Frequent applications of chicken manure to a volcanic-ash soil resulted in an increased crop yield several years after the applications ceased. Improved nutrient cycling through the soil organic matter (SOM) was thought be the cause of this. An area that for several years had been under either unimproved fallow or continuous bean-maize intercropping (with chicken manure application) was planted with maize intercropped with the legume Arachis pintoi. Soil samples were fractionated into several sizes of aggregates and incubated for 6 weeks in intact form and after crushing the aggregates. Between 1.2 and 3.1% of the C in any aggregate size class exited in easily decomposable (i.e. not physically or chemically protected) form. Less than 0.8% of the macroaggregate C was physically protected by the aggregate structure. More than 97% of the C in any aggregate size class can be considered resistant. The large-or small-macroaggregate-protected SOM (i.e. in aggregates > 2000 μm and 250–2000 μm, respectively). once made available, was more easily decomposed than the unprotected SOM. The large SOM content (45.8–57.3 g C kg^?1) but yet limited mineralizability indicates that mechanisms other than soil macroaggregation are important for protecting SOM in this soil. Binding of organic molecules onto allophane minerals is likely to be such a mechanism. The larger yield and nutrient uptake by the maize in the former bean-maize plots compared with the former fallow plots could not be explained by differences in SOM decomposition. We think that the frequent application of chicken manure to the former bean-maize plots increased the available phosphorus in these strongly P-sorbing soils by increasing the cycling of organic-P or by blocking some of the P-reactive sites. This, however, needs to be further investigated.     

Dynamics of 13C‐labeled mustard litter (Sinapis alba) in particle‐size and aggregate fractions in an agricultural cropland with high‐ and low‐yield areas

The application of ¹³C‐labeled litter enables to study decomposition processes as well as the allocation of litter‐derived carbon to different soil C pools. ¹³Carbon‐labeled mustard litter was used in order to compare decomposition processes in an agricultural cropland with high‐yield (HY) and low‐yield (LY) areas, the latter being characterized by a finer texture and a lower organic‐C (OC) content. After tracer application, ¹³C concentrations were monitored in topsoil samples in particulate organic matter (POM) and in fine mineral fractions (silt‐ and clay‐sized fractions). After 568 d, approximately 5% and 10% of the initial ¹³C amount were found in POM fractions of LY and HY areas, respectively. Higher amounts were found in POM occluded in aggregates than in free POM. Medium‐term (0.5–2 y) storage of the initial ¹³C in fine silt‐ and clay‐sized fractions amounts to 10% in HY and LY soils, with faster enrichment but also faster disappearance of the ¹³C signal from LY soils. Amounts of 80%–90% of the added ¹³C were mineralized or leached in the observed period. Decomposition of free POM was faster in HY than in LY areas during the first year, but the remaining ¹³C amounts in occluded‐POM fractions were higher in HY soils after 568 d. High‐yield and low‐yield areas showed different ¹³C dynamics in fine mineral fractions. In LY soils, ¹³C amounts and concentrations in mineral‐associated fractions increased within 160 d after application and decreased in the following time period. In HY areas, a significant increase in ¹³C amounts did not occur until after 568 d. The results indicate initially faster decomposition processes in HY than in LY areas due to different soil conditions, such as soil texture and water regime. The higher silt and clay contents of LY areas seem to promote a faster aggregate formation and turnover, leading to a closer contact between POM and mineral surfaces in this area. This favors the OC storage in fine mineral fractions in the medium term. Lower aggregate formation and turnover in the coarser textured HY soil leads to a delayed C stabilization in silt‐ and clay‐sized fractions.     

Redistribution of particulate organic matter during ultrasonic dispersion of highly weathered soils

The use of ultrasonic energy for the dispersion of aggregates in studies of soil organic matter (SOM) fractionation entails a risk of redistribution of particulate organic matter (POM) to smaller particle‐size fractions. As the mechanical strength of straw also decreases with increasing state of decomposition, it can be expected that not all POM will be redistributed to the same extent during such dispersion. Therefore, we studied the redistribution of POM during ultrasonic dispersion and fractionation as a function of (i) dispersion energy applied and (ii) its state of decomposition. Three soils were dispersed at different ultrasonic energies (750, 1500 and 2250 J g^?1 soil) or with sodium carbonate and were fractionated by particle size. Fraction yields were compared with those obtained with a standard particle‐size analysis. Undecomposed or incubated (for 2, 4 or 6 months) ¹³C‐enriched wheat straw was added to the POM fraction (0.25–2 mm) of one of the soils before dispersion and fractionation. Dispersion with sodium carbonate resulted in the weakest dispersion and affected the chemical properties of the fractions obtained through its high pH and the introduction of carbonate. The mildest ultrasonic dispersion treatment (750 J g^?1) did not result in adequate soil dispersion as too much clay was still recovered in the larger fractions. Ultrasonic dispersion at 1500 J g^?1 soil obtained a nearly complete dispersion down to the clay level (0.002 mm), and it did not have a significant effect on the total amount of carbon and nitrogen in the POM fractions. The 2250 J g^?1 treatment was too destructive for the POM fractions since it redistributed up to 31 and 37%, respectively, of the total amount of carbon and nitrogen in these POM fractions to smaller particle‐size fractions. The amount of ¹³C‐enriched wheat straw that was redistributed to smaller particle‐size fractions during ultrasonic dispersion at 1500 J g^?1 increased with increasing incubation time of this straw. Straw particles incubated for 6 months were completely transferred to smaller particle‐size fractions. Therefore, ultrasonic dispersion resulted in fractionation of POM, leaving only the less decomposed particles in this fraction. The amounts of carbon and nitrogen transferred to the silt and clay fractions were, however, negligible compared with the total amounts of carbon and nitrogen in these fractions. It is concluded that ultrasonic dispersion seriously affects the amount and properties of POM fractions. However, it is still considered as an acceptable and appropriate method for the isolation and study of SOM associated with silt and clay fractions.