Microbial biomass,N mineralization,and the activities of various enzymes in relation to nitrate leaching and root distribution in a slurry-amended grassland

High rates of cattle slurry application induce NO _inf3 ^sup- leaching from grassland soils. Therefore, field and lysimeter trials were conducted at Gumpenstein (Austria) to determine the residual effect of various rates of cattle slurry on microbial biomass, N mineralization, activities of soil enzymes, root densities, and N leaching in a grassland soil profile (Orthic Luvisol, sandy silt, pH 6.6). The cattle slurry applications corresponded to rates of 0, 96, 240, and 480 kg N ha^-1. N leaching was estimated in the lysimeter trial from 1981 to 1991. At a depth of 0.50 m, N leaching was elevated in the plot with the highest slurry application. In October 1991, deeper soil layers (0–10, 10–20, 20–30, 30–40, and 40–50 cm) from control and slurry-amended plots (480 kg N ha^-1) were investigated. Soil biological properties decreased with soil depth. N mineralization, nitrification, and enzymes involved in N cycling (protease, deaminase, and urease) were enhanced significantly (P<0.05) at all soil depths of the slurry-amended grassland. High rates of cattle slurry application reduced the weight of root dry matter and changed the root distribution in the different soil layers. In the slurry-amended plots the roots were mainly located in the topsoil (0–10 cm). As a result of this study, low root densities and high N mineralization rates are held to be the main reasons for NO _inf3 ^sup- leaching after heavy slurry applications on grassland.     

Potential use of rare earth oxides as tracers of organic matter in grassland

Tracing organic matter (OM) in soil is challenging, because runoff and leaching processes are interrelated and have multiple sources. Therefore, multiple tracers with low background concentrations such as rare earth element oxides (REOs) are necessary to delineate the origin of sources of the organic materials in groundwater, rivers or in catchments. The main objective of this study was to examine the potential use of REOs as a tracer in various forms of OM (1) whole slurry, (2) solid, and (3) liquid phase of cattle slurry after mechanical separation. A laboratory experiment was carried out using five REOs (La, Gd, Sm, Pr, and Nd oxides) mixed directly into soil or mixed with various fractions of cattle slurry and then applied to the soil surface. In the additional grassland experiment, Gd oxide was spiked with soil and cattle slurry and then applied to the soil surface. The mineral N in the liquid phase (urine) of the slurry in the grassland experiment was labelled with ¹⁵N urea (16 atom%). In the laboratory experiment, results showed that the five REOs concentration of soil in 0–1 cm soil section after the rainfall simulation was still up to 20 times more than the background values. In 1–2 cm soil section, the concentration of only Gd (two fold higher) and La oxides (50% higher) were significantly higher than the soil background values. Therefore, we hypothesized that Gd and La oxides were associated also with relatively finer organic particles in slurry, thus 1–2 cm soil section were enriched with these oxides. The five REOs concentration below 2 cm soil depth were similar to the background values in all treatments. In line with the laboratory experiment, Gd concentrations in the deeper soil layers (2–4 and 4–8 cm) in the grassland experiment were not significantly affected by any treatment. Both in grassland and laboratory experiment, solid phase of the slurry (dung) was collected from the soil surface after rainfall simulation. Here, about 56% of REOs were measured on the solid phase of the slurry which indicates the strong binding potential of REOs on slurry OM. The present novel study, where REO tagged slurry was uniquely tested to study geochemical cycle of organic fertilizers, clearly highlighted the potential for their use as multiple‐tracers of (animal derived‐) OM in agricultural soils.     

Response of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Different Soil Tillage Systems to Long‐Term Swine Slurry Application

Swine slurry is a common agricultural fertilizer in many countries. However, its long‐term use in large amounts can cause excess nutrient accumulation, alter soil compounds, and potentially influence critical microbial populations such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which have important roles in plant nutrition and soil sustainability. This work determined if arbuscular mycorrhizal status, external mycelium, and glomalin‐related soil protein content were affected by long‐term swine slurry application to different soil tillage systems. The experiment was conducted on a clayey oxisol, in southern Brazil. Swine slurry (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 m³ ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) was applied for 15 years to conventional tillage and no tillage soil prior to the summer (soybean or maize) and winter (wheat or oats) crop seasons. Swine slurry decreased mycorrhizal root colonization, spore number, and total external mycelium. Swine slurry increased active external mycelium and both easily extractable and total glomalin‐related soil protein. No‐tillage soil had more glomalin‐related soil protein than conventional tillage soil. The most significant response variables were root colonization, easily extractable glomalin‐related soil protein, and total external arbuscular mycorrhizal mycelia. Long‐term application of swine slurry in this environment, even at high rates, did not adversely affect crop yield but did influence arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi and their products in the soil environment. Benefits of swine slurry application for crop nutrition must be weighed against potential adverse consequences for the size, activity, and benefits of the mycorrhizal community to subsequent annual crops. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of tillage and reseeding on phosphorus transfers from grassland

Pasture tillage and reseeding is part of the normal rotation cycle of grassland systems in the UK and a process that could increase the rate of phosphorus (P) transfer to water, thus potentially contributing to eutrophication. The effect of tillage and reseeding on P transfer was investigated at two scales: from drained and undrained 1 ha hydrologically isolated pasture plots within the Rowden Drainage Experiment in Devon, during a 6‐month winter drainage period in 1998–1999, and in replicated soil box experiments during simulated rainfall ‘events’. At the plot scale, total P exports of 3.75 kg P ha^?1 were determined over a 16‐day period, indicating that soil and P were most vulnerable to detachment and mobilization during rainfall and run‐off in this period. Once the sward had developed, and the vulnerability to soil detachment reduced, reseeded swards with pipe drainage transferred less P (approx. 0.3 kg P ha^?1 yr^?1) to water than is commonly measured on permanent grassland (approx. 1 kg P ha^?1 yr^?1). Soil box experiments showed that tilled soil transferred more P > 0.45 μm but P < 0.45 μm was retained. Sward cover is critical to reducing detachment and resulting P transfer from surface soil, and therefore careful consideration should be taken for the need to reseed. The effects of tillage and reseeding on phosphorus transfers from grassland can be potentially significant and ought to be mitigated against using low‐till practices to reduce potential contribution to water quality.     

Short‐term sequestration of slurry‐derived carbon and nitrogen in temperate grassland soil as assessed by 13C and 15N natural abundance measurements

Land application of animal wastes from intensive grassland farming has caused growing environmental problems during the last decade. This study aimed to elucidate the short‐term sequestration of slurry‐derived C and N in a temperate grassland soil (Southwest England) using natural abundance ¹³C and ¹⁵N stable isotope techniques. Slurry was collected from cows fed either on perennial ryegrass (C3) or maize (C4) silages. 50 m³ ha^—1 of each of the obtained C3 or C4 slurries (δ¹³C = —30.7 and —21.3‰, δ¹⁵N = +12.2 and + 13.8 ‰, respectively) were applied to a C₃ soil with δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values of —30.0 ± 0.2‰ and + 4.9 ± 0.3‰, respectively. Triplicate soil samples were taken from 0—2, 2—7.5, and 7.5—15 cm soil depth 90 and 10 days before, at 2 and 12 h, as well as at 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14 days after slurry application and analyzed for total C, N, δ¹³C, and δ¹⁵N. No significant differences in soil C and N content were observed following slurry application using conventional C and N analysis techniques. However, natural abundance ¹³C and ¹⁵N isotope analysis allowed for a sensitive temporal quantification of the slurry‐derived C and N sequestration in the grassland soil. Our results showed that within 12 hours more than one‐third of the applied slurry C was found in the uppermost soil layer (0—2 cm), decreasing to 18% after 2 days, but subsequently increasing to 36% after 2 weeks. The tentative estimate of slurry‐derived N in the soil suggested a decrease from 50% 2 hours after slurry application to only 26% after 2 weeks, assuming that the increase in δ¹⁵N of the slurry plots compared to the control is proportional to the amount of slurry‐incorporated N. We conclude that the natural abundance tracer technique can provide a rapid new clue to the fate of slurry in agricultural C and N budgets, which is important for environmental impacts, farm waste management, and climate change studies.     

Tillage intensity and fertility level effects on nitrogen and carbon cycling in a vertisol

Abstract

Because of erosion problems, an effort has been undertaken to evaluate the effect of tillage intensity on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling on a vertisol. Soil samples at 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm depth were collected from a split plot experiment with five different levels of tillage intensity on Houston Black soil (fine, montmorillonitic, thermic Udic Pellusterts). The experiment was a split plot design with 5 replications. The main plots were chisel tillage, reduced tillage, row tillage, strip tillage, and no tillage. The subplots were soil fertility levels with either high or low fertilizer application rate. Total N, total phosphorus (P), organic C, inorganic N, and C:N ratio were measured on soil samples as well as the potential C mineralization, N mineralization, C turnover, and C:N mineralization ratio during a 30 d incubation. Total P and organic C in soil were increased, with 0.9 and 0.8 kg P ha^‐1 and 20.6 and 20.0 kg C ha^‐1, for high and low soil fertility, respectively. Fertilizer application had no effect on either total N at the 0–10 cm depth, or on soil nutrient status below 10 cm. Potential soil N mineralization was decreased at the 0–10 cm depth and increased at the 20–30 cm depth by the high fertilizer treatment. Chisel tillage decreased total N and P in the 0–10 cm depth, with 1.4 and 1.6 kg N ha^‐1 and 0.8 and 0.9 kg P ha^‐1. However, chisel tillage increased total N and P at the 10–20 cm depth, with 1.3 and 1.2 kg N ha^‐1, and 0.72 and 0.66 kg P ha^‐1 for chisel tillage and no tillage, respectively. Tillage intensity increased C mineralization and C turnover, but reduced N mineralization at the 0–10 cm depth. The results indicate that intensively tilled soil had a greater capacity for C mineralization and for reductions in soil organic C levels compared to less intensively tilled systems.     

Nitrous oxide emission from a grassland soil fertilized with slurry and calcium nitrate

Concentrations of nitrous oxide (N₂O) and oxygen were monitored over a 2-yr period in an imperfectly drained grassland soil receiving applications of N as cattle slurry or Ca(NO₃)₂. In both years N₂O concentrations in the different treatments were in the order nitrate > slurry > control. Gaseous diffusion coefficients were determined in soil cores by a krypton-85 tracer method and used to calculate approximate N₂O fluxes from the soil. Only 1–5 kg N ha^?1 was lost as N₂O after a single application of > 1200 kg N ha ^?1 as slurry compared with 3–11 kg N ha ^?1 lost after 100 kg was added as NO₃^?. Total gaseous losses (N₂O+N₂) could be expected to be higher in both cases.     

Assessing the agronomic benefit of noninversion tillage for improving soil structure following winter grazing of cattle and sheep

Severe treading damage to soils often occurs when cattle and sheep graze standing forage crops during winter. Soil recovery is a long process that may take several months if not years. Noninversion tillage can speed up the recovery process by improving drainage and air diffusion. This research assessed the ongoing benefit of noninversion tillage for improving soil structure relative to non‐tillage. This assessment was made following a land‐use transition from winter forage cropping to re‐establishment of seasonal pasture that was rotationally grazed by cattle or sheep. Prior to commencement of this study, the research site had poor soil structure due to four consecutive years of cattle and sheep grazing of winter forage crops [macroporosity (0–100 mm) <0.075 and 0.113 m³/m³ under cattle and sheep, respectively]. Tillage was effective in increasing soil macroporosity to ca. 0.175 m³/m³ under both grazing classes, which was significantly higher than nontilled soils (ca. 0.140 m³/m³, 0–100 mm depth). Improvements gained from tillage generally did not persist longer than 18 months. Average annual pasture production in tilled plots was 22.1 and 20.9 tons of dry matter per hectare (t DM/ha) for respective cattle‐ and sheep‐grazed plots, while in the nontilled plots, it was 19.1 and 18.6 t DM/ha, respectively. Results indicate noninversion tillage can provide an immediate increase in the porosity of compacted soils and improve pasture growth. However, processes involved in the formation of resilient soil aggregates are curtailed if subsequent grazing events coincide with high moisture content that causes recompaction.     

Impact of tillage intensity on carbon and nitrogen pools in surface and sub‐surface soils of three long‐term field experiments

Management options such as the intensity of tillage are known to influence the turnover dynamics of soil organic matter. However, less information is available about the influence of the tillage intensity on individual soil organic matter pools with different turnover dynamics in surface as compared with sub‐surface soils. This study aimed to analyse the impact of no tillage (NT), reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT) on labile, intermediate and stable carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools in surface and sub‐surface soils. We took surface and sub‐surface soil samples from the three tillage systems in three long‐term field experiments in Germany. The labile, intermediate and stable C and N pool sizes were determined by using the combined application of a decomposition experiment and a physical‐chemical separation procedure. For the surface soils, we found larger stocks of the labile C and N pool under NT and RT (C, 1.7 and 1.3 t ha^?1; N, 180 and 160 kg ha^?1) than with CT (C, 0.5 t ha^?1; N, 60 kg ha^?1). In contrast, we found significantly larger stocks of the labile C pool under CT (2.7 t ha^?1) than with NT and RT (2 t ha^?1) for the sub‐surface soils. The intermediate pool accounted for 75–84% of the soil organic C and total N stocks. However, the stocks of the intermediate N and C pools were only distinctly larger for NT than for CT in the surface soils. The stocks of the stable C and N pools were not affected by the tillage intensity but were positively correlated with the stocks of the clay‐size fraction and oxalate soluble aluminum, indicating a strong influence of site‐specific mineral characteristics on the size of these pools. Our results indicate soil depth‐specific variations in the response of organic matter pools to tillage of different intensity. This means that the potential benefits of decreasing tillage intensity with respect to soil functions that are closely related to organic matter dynamics have to be evaluated separately for surface and sub‐surface soils.     

Specific response of fungal and bacterial residues to one-season tillage and repeated slurry application in a permanent grassland soil

The dynamics of fungal and bacterial residues to a one-season tillage event in combination with manure application in a grassland soil are unknown. The objectives of this study were (1) to assess the effects of one-season tillage event in two field trials on the stocks of microbial biomass, fungal biomass, microbial residues, soil organic C (SOC) and total N in comparison with permanent grassland; (2) to determine the effects of repeated manure application to restore negative tillage effects on soil microbial biomass and residues. One trial was started 2 years before sampling and the other 5 years before sampling. Mouldboard ploughing decreased the stocks of SOC, total N, microbial biomass C, and microbial residues (muramic acid and glucosamine), but increased those of the fungal biomarker ergosterol in both trials. Slurry application increased stocks of SOC and total N only in the short-term, whereas the stocks of microbial biomass C, ergosterol and microbial residues were generally increased in both trials, especially in combination with tillage. The ergosterol to microbial biomass C ratio was increased by tillage, and decreased by slurry application in both trials. The fungal C to bacterial C ratio was generally decreased by these two treatments. The metabolic quotient qCO₂ showed a significant negative linear relationship with the microbial biomass C to SOC ratio and a significant positive relationship with the soil C/N ratio. The ergosterol to microbial biomass C ratio revealed a significant positive linear relationship with the fungal C to bacterial C ratio, but a negative one with the SOC content. Our results suggest that slurry application in grassland soil may promote SOC storage without increasing the role of saprotrophic fungi in soil organic matter dynamics relative to that of bacteria.     

Short-term responses of soil nutrients and corn yield to tillage and organic amendment

Field experiments were conducted in 2010 and 2011 at the Agricultural College of Shiraz University to evaluate the effects of cattle manure and nitrogen (N) fertilizers on soil properties such as soil organic carbon (SOC), soil organic nitrogen (SON), soil electrical conductivity, soil pH and corn yield under two tillage systems. Treatments included tillage systems in two levels as conventional tillage and reduced tillage as subplots, cattle manure (0, 25 and 50 tons ha^?1) and N fertilizer (0, 125 and 250 kg N ha^?1) as sub-subplots. Results showed that SOC and SON were significantly affected by tillage system in both years of the experiment. SOC and SON were higher in reduced tillage compared to conventional tillage. Tillage system had no significant effect on grain yield, plant height and 1000 seed weight. Increased cattle manure rates at 25 and 50 tons ha^?1 increased grain yield by 27% and 38%, respectively, in 2010 and 25% and 25% in 2011. The results showed that application of cattle manure combined with N fertilizer might be an efficient management to increase soil productivity in southern Iran, in soils with poor organic content. Additionally, reduced tillage showed to be an efficient method to increase soil organic matter.     

Evaluation of chemical amendments to control phosphorus losses from dairy slurry

Land application of dairy slurry can result in incidental losses of phosphorus (P) to runoff in addition to increased loss of P from soil as a result of a buildup in soil test P (STP). An agitator test was used to identify the most effective amendments to reduce dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) loss from the soil surface after land application of chemically amended dairy cattle slurry. This test involved adding slurry mixed with various amendments (mixed in a beaker using a jar test flocculator at 100 rpm), to intact soil samples at approximate field capacity. Slurry/amended slurry was applied with a spatula, submerged with overlying water and then mixed to simulate overland flow. In order of effectiveness, at optimum application rates, ferric chloride (FeCl₂) reduced the DRP in overlying water by 88%, aluminium chloride (AlCl₂) by 87%, alum (Al₂(SO₄)₃·nH₂O) by 83%, lime by 81%, aluminium water treatment residuals (Al‐WTR; sieved to <2 mm) by 77%, flyash by 72%, flue gas desulphurization by‐product by 72% and Al‐WTR sludge by 71%. Ferric chloride (€4.82/m³ treated slurry) was the most cost‐effective chemical amendment. However, Al compounds are preferred owing to stability of Al–P compared with Fe–P bonds. Alum is less expensive than AlCl₂ (€6.67/m³), but the risk of effervescence needs further investigation at field‐scale. Phosphorus sorbing materials (PSM) were not as efficient as chemicals in reducing DRP in overlying water. The amendments all reduced P loss from dairy slurry, but the feasibility of these amendments may be limited because of the cost of treatment.     

Influence of Two Nitrification Inhibitors (DCD and DMPP) on Annual Ryegrass Yield and Soil Mineral N Dynamics after Incorporation with Cattle Slurry

Nitrogen (N) losses through nitrate leaching, occurring after slurry spreading, can be reduced by the use of nitrification inhibitors (NIs) such as dicyandiamide (DCD) and 3,4‐dimethyl pyrazole phosphate (DMPP). In the present work, the effects of DCD and DMPP, applied at two rates with cattle slurry, on soil mineral N profiles, annual ryegrass yield, and N uptake were compared under similar pedoclimatic conditions. Both NIs delayed the nitrate formation in soil; however, DMPP ensured that the soil mineral N was predominantly in the ammonium form rather than in the nitrate form for about 100 days, whereas with DCD such effect was observed only during the first 40 days after sowing. Furthermore, the use of NIs led to an increase of the dry‐matter (DM) yields in a range of 32–54% and of the forage N removal in a range of 34–68% relative to the slurry‐only (SO) treatment (without NIs). A DM yield of 8698 kg ha^?1 was obtained with the DMPP applied at the greater rate against only 7444 kg ha^?1 obtained with the greater rate of DCD (4767 kg ha^?1 in the SO treatment). Therefore, it can be concluded that DMPP is more efficient as an NI than DCD when combined with cattle slurry.     

Starter fertilizer and the method and rate of potassium fertilizer effects on cotton grown on soils with and without winter grazing by cattle

Abstract

A three‐year field study was conducted on a Decatur silt loam (clayey, kaolinitic, thermic Rhodic Paleudult) in North Alabama. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of winter grazing by cattle on the potassium (K) and starter fertilizer needs of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) the following season. Grazed and non‐grazed treatments were established by planting a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cover crop in the fall and allowing cattle to graze half of the treatment area for 35 to 65 days in late winter‐early spring. After grazing, the grazed and non‐grazed wheat was killed and cotton was planted using a strip‐tillage system. Test areas had medium to high soil test ratings for K. Fertility treatments consisted of three rates of K (0, 37, and 74 kg K ha^‐1), three methods of K application (surface broadcast; in‐row, band application at a depth of 30.5 cm; and surface banding using a spacing of 50.8 cm) and two rates of starter fertilizer (no starter and 168 kg#lbha^‐l of a liquid 15–15–0). Seed cotton yields were affected by grazing of the winter cover crop prior to planting, but not by the method of K fertilizer application. During the two years that a yield reduction was observed, winter grazing reduced seed cotton yields by an average of 14%. Cotton responded to K rate only under the ungrazed system. During the first and second year of the test, an application of 37 kg K ha^‐1 increased seed cotton yields by an average of 351 kg#lbha^‐1. Starter fertilizer consistently gave slightly higher yields with a significant response occurring in two out of the three years.     

Tillage effects on N2O emissions as influenced by a winter cover crop

Conservation tillage practices are widely used to protect against soil erosion and soil C losses, whereas winter cover crops are used mainly to protect against N losses during autumn and winter. For the greenhouse gas balance of a cropping system the effect of reduced tillage and cover crops on N₂O emissions may be more important than the effect on soil C. This study monitored emissions of N₂O between September 2008 and May 2009 in three tillage treatments, i.e., conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT) and direct drilling (DD), all with (+CC) or without (−CC) fodder radish as a winter cover crop. Cover crop growth, soil mineral N dynamics, and other soil characteristics were recorded. Furthermore, soil concentrations of N₂O were determined eight times during the monitoring period using permanently installed needles. There was little evidence for effects of the cover crop on soil mineral N. Following spring tillage and slurry application soil mineral N was dominated by the input from slurry. Nitrous oxide emissions during autumn, winter and early spring remained low, although higher emissions from +CC treatments were indicated after freezing events. Following spring tillage and slurry application by direct injection N₂O emissions were stimulated in all tillage treatments, reaching 250-400 μg N m⁻² h⁻¹ except in the CT + CC treatment, where emissions peaked at 900 μg N m⁻² h⁻¹. Accumulated emissions ranged from 1.6 to 3.9 kg N₂O ha⁻¹. A strong positive interaction between cover crop and tillage was observed. Soil concentration profiles of N₂O showed a significant accumulation of N₂O in CT relative to RT and DD treatments after spring tillage and slurry application, and a positive interaction between slurry and cover crop residues. A comparison in early May of N₂O emissions with flux estimates based on soil concentration profiles indicated that much of the N₂O emitted was produced near the soil surface.     

Potassium leaching from cut grassland and from urine patches

In grassland farming, especially on coarse‐textured soils, K can be a critical element. On these soils, the actual K management as well as fertilizer history to a large extent determine the leaching of K. The effects of four fertilizer regimes on the nutrient balances and leaching of K from grassland grown on a sandy soil were investigated. The swards differed in the source and level of N input and K fertilizer: no fertilizer N + 166 kg K ha^?1 year^?1 (Control), 320 kg inorganic N ha^?1 + 300 kg K ha^?1 year^?1 (MIN 320), 320 kg N + 425 kg K ha^?1 year^?1 in form of cattle slurry (SLR 320) and a grass–clover sward + 166 kg K ha^?1 year^?1 (WCL 0) without any inorganic N input. In a second experimental phase, cores from these swards were used in a mini‐lysimeter study on the fate of K from urine patches. On cut grassland after 6 years K input minus removal in herbage resulted in average K surpluses per year of 47, 39, 56 and 159 kg K ha^?1 for the Control, MIN 320, WCL 0 and SLR 320, respectively. Related leaching losses per year averaged 7.5, 5, 15 and 25 kg K ha^?1. Losses of urinary‐K through leaching were 2.2–4.5 and 5.7–8.4% of the K supplied in summer and autumn applications, respectively. Plant and soil were the major sinks for K from fertilizer or urine. High levels of exchangeable K in the soil and/or large and late fertilizer or urine applications stimulated leaching of K.     

A review of fertilizer, lime and organic manure use on farm crops in Great Britain from 1983 to 1987

Abstract. In 1983, an annual Survey of Fertiliser Practice in England and Wales was extended to Scotland, to provide comprehensive information on inorganic fertilizer, lime and also organic manure use in mainland Britain. It was based on an annual sample of about 1500 farms, selected from the Agricultural Census and stratified by farm type and size. Results from the first fifteen years (1983–97) show that fertilizer nitrogen (N) rates on both tillage crops and grassland peaked at 157 and 132 kg ha^–1, respectively, in the mid 1980s and subsequently decreased by c.10%. The majority of N was applied in straight form (without P or K) to tillage crops and in compound form (containing two or more nutrients e.g. NPK; NK) to grassland. Total N use on cereals showed little change but autumn‐applied N decreased on both winter cereals and winter oilseed rape. Total N rates decreased on oilseed rape and, to a smaller extent, on maincrop potatoes and sugarbeet. Between 1983–87 and 1993–97, mean phosphate (P₂O₅) rates declined by almost 10% on both tillage crops (from 58 to 53 kg ha^–1) and on grassland (from 25 to 23kg ha^–1). The corresponding mean potash (K₂O) rates decreased slightly on both tillage crops (from 64 to 62 kg ha^–1), and on grassland (from 32 to 31 kg ha^–1), although annual usage was more variable on grassland. Sulphur use increased appreciably on cereal and oilseed rape crops between 1993, when S data were first recorded in the survey, and 1997 when 13% and 30%, respectively, of these crop areas received S‐fertilizer. However, on grassland, S use remained very low. Average lime use increased on both tillage crops and grassland between the mid 1980s and mid 1990s, from 10 to 12% and 4 to 7% of the total area, respectively. The proportion of land receiving organic manures remained at c. 16% for tillage cropping but increased slightly for grassland, from a mean of 40% in 1983–87 to 44% in 1993–97. Manures were applied throughout the year but about half the applications to tillage land, and a quarter of those to grassland, were made in autumn when the risk of subsequent nitrate leaching loss is greatest.     

Dissolved phosphorus composition of grassland leachates following application of dairy‐slurry size fractions

Appropriate management of P from slurry can increase crop production and decrease nutrient loss to water bodies. The present study examined how the application of different size fractions of dairy slurry influenced the quantity and composition of P leached from grassland in a temperate climate. Soil blocks were amended (day 0 = start of the experiment) with either whole slurry (WS), the > 425 μm fraction (coarse slurry fraction, CSF), the < 45 μm slurry fraction (fine liquid slurry fraction, FLF), or not amended, i.e., the control soil (CON). Deionized water was added to the soil blocks to simulate six sequential rainfall events, equivalent to 250 mm (day 0.2, 1.2, 4.2, 11.2) or 500 mm of rainfall (day 18.2 and 25.2), with leachates collected the following day. The results showed that total dissolved P (TDP), dissolved reactive P (DRP), dissolved unreactive P (DUP), orthophosphate, phosphomonoester, and pyrophosphate concentrations generally decreased with the increasing number of simulated rain events. Total dissolved P was leached in the following order WS > FLF ≈ CSF > CON. Dissolved organic C was correlated with TDP, DRP, and DUP in leachates of all treatments. The highest concentrations of dissolved phosphomonoesters and pyrophosphate (147 μg P L^–1 and 57 μg P L^–1, respectively) were detected using solution ³¹P‐NMR spectroscopy in the WS leachates. Overall, there were significant differences observed between slurry treatments (e.g., relative contributions of inorganic P vs. organic P of dissolved P in leachates). Differences were independent from the rate at which slurry P was applied, because the highest dissolved P losses per unit of slurry P applied were measured in the FLF, i.e., the treatment that received the smallest amount of P. We conclude that the specific particle‐size composition of applied slurry influences dissolved P losses from grassland systems. This information should be taken in account in farm‐management approaches which aim to minimizing dissolved slurry P losses from grassland systems.     

How do greenhouse gas emissions vary with biofertilizer type and soil temperature and moisture in a tropical grassland?

Greenhouse gases are known to play an important role in global warming. In this study, we determined the effects of selected soil and climate variables on nitrous oxide (N₂O), methane (CH₄), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from a tropical grassland fertilized with chicken slurry, swine slurry, cattle slurry, and cattle compost. Cumulative N₂O emissions did not differ between treatments and varied from 29.26 to 32.85 mg N m^-2. Similarly, cumulative CH₄ emissions were not significantly different among the treatments and ranged from 6.34 to 57.73 mg CH₄ m^-2. Slurry and compost application induced CO₂ emissions that were significantly different from those in the control treatment. The CH₄ conversion factors measured were 0.21%, 1.39%, 4.39%, and 5.07% for cattle compost, chicken slurry, swine slurry, and cattle slurry, respectively, differing from the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The fraction of added N emitted as N₂O was 0.39%, which was lower than the IPCC default value of 2%. Our findings suggest that N₂O emissions could be mitigated by replacing synthetic fertilizer sources with either biofertilizer or compost. Our results indicate the following:N₂O emission was mainly controlled by soil temperature, followed by soil moisture and then soil NH₄⁺ content; CH₄ fluxes were mainly controlled by soil moisture and chamber headspace temperature; and CO₂ fluxes were mainly controlled by chamber headspace temperature and soil moisture.     

Effect of optimal irrigation,different fertilization,and reduced tillage on soil organic carbon storage and crop yields in the North China Plain

The objective was to evaluate the effect of different agricultural managements on soil organic C (SOC) storage and crop yields in the North China Plain (NCP). The study was conducted at five experimental stations. Different agricultural managements were designed, including optimal (OPT) and conventional (CON) irrigation and fertilization treatments, different amounts of fertilization application and residue‐return treatments, and different tillage practices. Compared to the CON treatment, SOC storage in the 1 m soil profile under the OPT treatment increased by 2 t ha^–1, 8 t ha^–1, and 4 t ha^–1 at Quzhou, Wuqiao, and Dongbeiwang sites, respectively. The annual increasing rate of SOC storages in the topsoil (0–30 cm) under the OPT treatments at Wuqiao (0.88 t ha^–1 y^–1), Quzhou (0.93 t ha^–1 y^–1), and Dongbeiwang (1.86 t ha^–1 y^–1) were higher than those in the CON treatments at Wuqiao (0.15 t ha^–1 y^–1), Quzhou (0.54 t ha^–1 y^–1), and Dongbeiwang (0.28 t ha^–1 y^–1), but the difference of grain yields between the two treatments was not significant. The SOC storage in 1 m soil profile in the no‐tillage treatment with standing residue return (NT1) at Luancheng increased by 5 t ha^–1 and 7 t ha^–1 compared with rotary‐tillage (RT) and conventional‐tillage (CT) treatments, respectively, but the crop yield under no‐tillage treatment was the lowest. While at Quzhou site, it increased by 3 t ha^–1 in the top 40 cm soil under the NT treatment compared to the CT treatment. The annual increasing rate of SOC storage in the top 30 cm under NT treatment was also the highest (1.08 t ha^–1 y^–1 at Luancheng, 1.86 t ha^–1 y^–1 at Quzhou), compared to the other tillage treatments. At Henghsui site, the combination of the highest fertilization application and highest residue‐return treatments got the highest SOC storage and the highest crop yields. We concluded that the agricultural management practices, such as optimal irrigation and fertilization treatment, the higher fertilization, residue return and RT, has significant impact on the SOC storage and agricultural sustainability in the NCP.