Soil organic carbon and nutrient content in aggregate‐size fractions of a subtropical rice soil under variable tillage

The effects of tillage on soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrient content of soil aggregates can vary spatially and temporally, and for different soil types and cropping systems. We assessed SOC and nutrient levels within water‐stable aggregates in ridges with no tillage (RNT) and also under conventional tillage (CT) for a subtropical rice soil in order to determine relationships between tillage, cation concentrations and soil organic matter. Surface soil (0–15 cm) was fractionated into aggregate sizes (>4.76 mm, 4.76–2.00 mm, 2.00–1.00 mm, 1.00–0.25 mm, 0.25–0.053 mm, <0.053 mm) under two tillage regimes. Tillage significantly reduced the proportion of macroaggregate fractions (>2.00 mm) and thus aggregate stability was reduced by 35% compared with RNT, indicating that tillage practices led to soil structural change for this subtropical soil. The patterns in SOC, total N, exchangeable Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and total exchangeable bases (TEB) were similar between tillage regimes, but concentrations were significantly higher under RNT than CT. This suggests that RNT in subtropical rice soils may be a better way to enhance soil productivity and improve soil C sequestration potential than CT. The highest SOC was in the 1.00–0.25 mm fraction (35.7 and 30.4 mg/kg for RNT and CT, respectively), while the lowest SOC was in microaggregate (<0.025 mm) and silt + clay (<0.053 mm) fractions (19.5 and 15.7 mg/kg for RNT and CT, respectively). Tillage did not influence the patterns in SOC across aggregates but did change the aggregate‐size distribution, indicating that tillage affected soil fertility primarily by changing soil structure.     

Tillage and N application effects on crop yield,N uptake and soil properties in a corn-based rotation

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of tillage methods (conventional tillage (CT) and minimum tillage (MT)) and N rates (0, 50, 150, 250 kg N ha^?1) on crop yield, N uptake and soil organic carbon (SOC), bulk density (BD), total N (TN), electrical conductivity (EC), pH and soil nutrient contents on a clay-loam near Hashtgerd, Iran. A successive corn-based rotation (2012–2014) was conducted as a split-plot in a randomized complete block design in which tillage methods were considered as main plots, and N rates as subplots. Tillage had no significant effect on corn 2012 and canola 2012–2013 grain yields. CT and MT systems showed different critical N rates to reach their maximum grain yield in corn (2013) and wheat (2013–2014). MT system required more N application to reach its maximum grain yield. Tillage × N rate effect on none of the soil properties was significant. Tillage had no significant (P ≤ 0.05) effect on soil pH, BD, TN and SOC. However, soil EC of 0–5 cm depth in MT system was higher than CT system by 64%. MT system under higher N application could increase corn grain yield, but on the other hand probably adversely changes soil chemical properties.     

Effect of conservation agriculture on stratification of soil organic matter under cereal-based cropping systems

ABSTRACT

Degradation of soil quality caused by conventional tillage practices is a major concern for the sustainability of rice-wheat cropping systems in South Asian region. Therefore, suitable conservation agriculture (CA) practices are required. This study investigates the stratification and storage of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) as affected by eight years of different CA practices in the North-West Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. There were four treatments: (1) conventionally tilled rice-wheat cropping system, (2) reduced-till CA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system, (3) no-till CA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system, and (4) no-till CA-based maize-wheat-mungbean system. The mean stratification ratio (SR) (i.e. a ratio of the concentrations of SOC and TN in the soil surface to those in a deeper layer) of SOC and TN for 0–5:5–10, 10–15, 15–20, 20–25 and 25–30 cm were found higher (> 2) under CA practices compared to intensive tillage-based conventional agricultural practice (< 2). No-till CA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system stored the highest amount of SOC (25.32 Mg ha^?1) whereas reduced till CA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system stored highest amount of TN (3.21 Mg ha^?1) at 0–30 cm soil depth. This study shows that CA stratifies SOC and TN and helps to enhance SOC sequestration and soil quality.     

中国黄土高原区轮耕对土壤团聚体、有机碳氮含量的影响

In rain-fed semi-arid agroecosystems, continuous conventional tillage can cause serious problems in soil quality and crop production, whereas rotational tillage (no-tillage and subsoiling) could decrease soil bulk density, and increase soil aggregates and organic carbon in the 0-40 cm soil layer. A 3-year field study was conducted to determine the effect of tillage practices on soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), water-stable aggregate size distribution and aggregate C and N sequestration from 0 to 40 cm soil in semi-arid areas of southern Ningxia. Three tillage treatments were tested: no-tillage in year 1, subsoiling in year 2, and no-tillage in year 3 (NT-ST-NT); subsoiling in year 1, no-tillage in year 2, and subsoiling in year 3 (ST-NT-ST); and conventional tillage over years 1-3 (CT). Mean values of soil bulk density in 0-40 cm under NT-ST-NT and ST-NT-ST were significantly decreased by 3.3% and 6.5%, respectively, compared with CT, while soil total porosity was greatly improved. Rotational tillage increased SOC, TN, and water-stable aggregates in the 0-40 cm soil, with the greatest effect under ST-NT-ST. In 0-20 and 20-40 cm soils, the tillage effect was confined to the 2-0.25 mm size fraction of soil aggregates, and rotational tillage treatments obtained significantly higher SOC and TN contents than conventional tillage. No significant differences were detected in SOC and TN contents in the >2 mm and <0.25 mm aggregates among all treatments. In conclusion, rotational tillage practices could significantly increase SOC and TN levels, due to a fundamental change in soil structure, and maintain agroecosystem sustainability in the Loess Plateau area of China.     

Short-term effects of tillage practices on soil aggregate fractions in a Chinese Mollisol

Abstract

Soil aggregate-size distribution and soil aggregate stability are used to characterize soil structure. Quantifying the changes of structural stability of soil is an important element in assessing soil and crop management practices. A 5-year tillage experiment consisting of no till (NT), moldboard plow (MP) and ridge tillage (RT), was used to study soil water-stable aggregate size distribution, aggregate stability and aggregate-associated soil organic carbon (SOC) at four soil depths (0–5, 5–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm) of a clay loam soil in northeast China. Nonlinear fractal dimension (D_m) was used to characterize soil aggregate stability. No tillage led to a significantly greater aggregation for >1 mm aggregate and significant SOC changes in this fraction at 0–5 cm depth. There were significant positive relationships between SOC and >1 mm aggregate, SOC in each aggregate fraction, but there was no relationship between soil aggregate parameters (the proportion of soil aggregates, aggregate-associated SOC and soil stability) and soil bulk density. After 5 years, there was no difference in D_m of soil aggregate size distribution among tillage treatments, which suggested that D_m could not be used as an indicator to assess short-term effects of tillage practices on soil aggregation. In the short term, > 1 mm soil aggregate was a better indicator to characterize the impacts of tillage practices on quality of a Chinese Mollisol, particularly in the near-surface layer of the soil.     

Changes in soil organic carbon and nutrient pools in aggregate-sized fractions along a chronosequence of wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) plantations in arid areas of Northwest China

Different land use and management actions can affect soil aggregates (SAs) and nutrient stocks, which are crucial for sustainable agriculture. The impacts of various chrono-sequences on the soil aggregate structure, soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrients associated with aggregate fractions in wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) plantations are still not fully understood. This study examined the composition and stability of SAs, SOC, total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP) and exchangeable cations (K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺) in bulk soil and various aggregate-size fractions from five wolfberry plantations with varying ages (1, 4, 6, 10 and 13 years) and a corn field (0 years) in the arid region of northwest Ningxia in China. The results indicated that silt–clay (<53 μm) fractions were dominant in the soil, accounting for 51%–66%, under different plantation ages. The proportion of the macro-aggregates (>250 μm) increased significantly, by 40%–47%, over the 4 years of wolfberry plantation. Likewise, the soil aggregate stability was improved, and total exchangeable bases (TEB) along with numerous cations concentrations (K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺) in SAs were significantly reduced as the wolfberry plantings became older. Both concentrations of SOC and TN in the soil aggregates peaked in the 13th year. The silt–clay fractions stored a considerable amount of SOC and nutrients. However, short-term (under 6 years) cultivation of wolfberry reduced the stocks of SOC, TN and AP in the soil, while long-term (over 10 years) cultivation increased them, particularly in macro-aggregates. These findings indicated that long-term wolfberry farming had several advantages, such as enhancing soil structure, accumulating SOC and nutrients and ameliorating alkaline soils, especially after 10 years, in the arid northwest of China.     

Distribution of carbon and nitrogen in water-stable aggregates and soil stability under long-term manure application in solonetzic soils of the Songnen plain,northeast China

Purpose

Excessive exchangeable sodium and high pH significantly decrease soil structural stability and permeability. Long-term application of cattle manure is an important management practice that can affect water-stable aggregates (WSAs), as well as aggregate stability and distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in solonetzic soils.

Material and methods

Experiments were carried out in a randomized complete block design comprising five treatments according to the cattle manure application history: corn (Zea mays) with manure applied for 1, 5, 12, and 17 years were used as the experimental treatments and corn without manure application was used as a control. Soil properties, including WSAs, mean weight diameter (MWD), and SOC and TN concentrations in bulk soils and WSAs, were measured across all treatments. The relationships among the measured soil attributes were determined using stepwise regression analysis.

Results and discussion

Results indicated that micro-aggregates mainly accumulated in soils without manure application, while manure application significantly increased macro-aggregates formation. MWD was highest when manure was applied to the soil for 1 year, decreased after 5 years, and increased again after 12 years. SOC and TN concentrations in bulk soils and WSAs increased with the number of years of manure application, with the highest concentrations observed for 17 years in bulk soils. Stepwise regression analysis showed that WSAs 2–5 mm, SOC in WSAs 0.25–0.5 mm, and TN in WSAs 0.1–0.25 mm were dominant independent variables affecting aggregate stability, and that SOC in WSAs 0.25–0.5 mm and TN in WSAs <0.1 mm were dominant independent variables affecting SOC and TN concentrations in bulk soils, respectively.

Conclusions

Long-term application of manure to a solonetz significantly increased macro-aggregates and aggregate stability as well as SOC and TN in bulk soils and all aggregate sizes. These results are likely related to binding agent production as well as C and N accumulation from manure application.     

Long‐term cropping systems and tillage management effects on soil organic carbon stock and steady state level of C sequestration rates in a semiarid environment

A calcareous and clayey xeric Chromic Haploxerept of a long‐term experimental site in Sicily (Italy) was sampled (0–15 cm depth) under different land use management and cropping systems (CSs) to study their effect on soil aggregate stability and organic carbon (SOC). The experimental site had three tillage managements (no till [NT], dual‐layer [DL] and conventional tillage [CT]) and two CSs (durum wheat monocropping [W] and durum wheat/faba bean rotation [WB]). The annually sequestered SOC with W was 2·75‐times higher than with WB. SOC concentrations were also higher. Both NT and CT management systems were the most effective in SOC sequestration whereas with DL system no C was sequestered. The differences in SOC concentrations between NT and CT were surprisingly small. Cumulative C input of all cropping and tillage systems and the annually sequestered SOC indicated that a steady state occurred at a sequestration rate of 7·4 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. Independent of the CSs, most of the SOC was stored in the silt and clay fraction. This fraction had a high N content which is typical for organic matter interacting with minerals. Macroaggregates (>250 µm) and large microaggregates (75–250 µm) were influenced by the treatments whereas the finest fractions were not. DL reduced the SOC in macroaggregates while NT and CT gave rise to higher SOC contents. In Mediterranean areas with Vertisols, agricultural strategies aimed at increasing the SOC contents should probably consider enhancing the proportion of coarser soil fractions so that, in the short‐term, organic C can be accumulated. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Contrasting grain crop and grassland management effects on soil quality properties for a north-central Missouri claypan soil landscape

Abstract

Crop management has the potential to either enhance or degrade soil quality, which in turn impacts on crop production and the environment. Few studies have investigated how crop management affects soil quality over different landscape positions. The objective of the present study was to investigate how 12 years of annual cropping system (ACS) and conservation reserve program (CRP) practices impacted soil quality indicators at summit, backslope and footslope landscape positions of a claypan soil in north-central Missouri. Claypan soils are particularly poorly drained because of a restrictive high-clay subsoil layer and are vulnerable to high water erosion. Three replicates of four management systems were established in 1991 in a randomized complete block design, with landscape position as a split-block treatment. The management systems were investigated: (1) annual cropping system 1 (ACS1) was a mulch tillage (typically ≥ 30% of soil covered with residue after tillage operations) corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) rotation system, (2) annual cropping system 2 (ACS2) was a no-till corn–soybean rotation system, (3) annual cropping system 3 (ACS3) was a no-till corn–soybean–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation system, with a cover crop following wheat, (4) CRP was a continuous cool-season grass and legume system. In 2002, soil cores (at depths of 0–7.5, 7.5–15 and 15–30 cm) were collected by landscape position and analyzed for physical, chemical and biological soil quality properties. No interactions were observed between landscape and crop management. Relative to management effects, soil organic carbon (SOC) significantly increased with 12 years of CRP management, but not with the other management systems. At the 0–7.5-cm soil depth in the CRP system, SOC increased over this period by 33% and soil total nitrogen storage increased by 34%. Soil aggregate stability was approximately 40% higher in the no-till management systems (ACS2 and ACS3) than in the tilled system (ACS1). Soil aggregation under CRP management was more than double that of the three grain-cropping systems. Soil bulk density at the shallow sampling depth was greater in ACS3 than in ACS1 and ACS2. In contrast to studies on other soil types, these results indicate only minor changes to claypan soil quality after 12 years of no-till management. The landscape had minor effects on the soil properties. Of note, SOC was significantly lower in the 7.5–15-cm soil depth at the footslope compared with the other landscape positions. We attribute this to wetter and more humid conditions at this position and extended periods of high microbial activity and SOC mineralization. We conclude that claypan soils degraded by historical cropping practices will benefit most from the adoption of CRP or CRP-like management.     

有机物料与化肥配施提高黄泥田水稻产量和土壤肥力

农业有机物料具有资源化再利用的特点,与化肥配施既可以保证作物产量,也可以提升地力。为了建立最适宜的南方低产黄泥田培肥模式,该文在浙江金衢盆地开展3年田间试验研究化肥与不同有机物料(菇渣、紫云英、牛粪和秸秆)配施对水稻产量和土壤肥力的影响。结果表明:1)有机物料与化肥配施可以显著提高水稻产量,化肥+菇渣、化肥+紫云英、化肥+牛粪和化肥+秸秆处理下,水稻三年的平均产量分别比单施化肥提高了9.7%、9.5%、12.3%和9.5%;2)有机物料与化肥配合施用,土壤有机质、土壤养分(全氮、有效磷、速效钾和CEC)及土壤容重较单施化肥处理有一定程度的改善,其中,化肥+牛粪效果最明显,有机质质量分数提高了12.5%,土壤有效磷质量分数提高了37.7%,CEC提高了16.1%;3)与单施化肥相比,化肥+菇渣、化肥+牛粪处理下5 mm机械稳定性大团聚体分别提高了10.4%和6.7%,各配施处理均显著降低了团聚体破坏率。总得来讲,连续三年有机物料与化肥配施较单施化肥处理提高了水稻产量、改善了土壤肥力状况、增加了土壤团聚体稳定性,其中又以牛粪与化肥配合施用效果最佳。     

SOIL POTASSIUM FRACTIONS IN RICE-WHEAT CROPPING SYSTEM AFTER TWELVE YEARS OF LANTANA RESIDUE INCORPORATION IN A NORTHWEST HIMALAYAN ACID ALFISOL

A long-term field experiment with rice-wheat cropping was started in the wet season of 1988 with four levels of lantana (Lantana camara L.) (0, 10, 20, and 30 Mg ha^?1 on fresh weight basis) and three tillage practices (No puddling, puddling, and soil compaction). From wet season of 1997, however, three tillage practices were replaced with three levels of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) to rice (33, 66, and 100% of recommended) and 66% of recommended N, phosphorus (P), and K to wheat. Phosphorus was totally omitted for the rice crop. The recommended N and K for rice was 90 and 40 kg ha^?1, whereas the recommendations for N, P, and K for wheat were 120, 90 and 30 kg ha^?1. Organic amendments are known to improve soil productivity under rice-wheat cropping by improving physical conditions and nutrient status of the soil, but their availability is restricted. There is a need to identify locally available and cost-effective organic materials that have minimal alternate uses as fodder and fuel. We evaluated Lantana camara L. residues, a fast-growing weed in nearby wastelands, as a potential soil organic amendment. Among the different fractions of K, nonexchangeable K was dominant followed by exchangeable and water soluble K. The incorporation of lantana (10 to 30 Mg ha^?1) over the last 12 years has resulted in a significant build-up of all the K fractions, the maximum being in water-soluble K (10 to 32%) followed by exchangeable K (18 to 27%) and least in nonexchangeable K (5 to 7%) over no lantana incorporation. The increasing levels of these two inputs significantly and consistently increased ammonium acetate (NH₄OAc)- extracted K (available K) content in soil and also resulted in significantly higher accumulation of K by the crops during the years of experimentation. Among different K fractions, exchangeable K was observed to be the most important K fraction contributing towards wheat and rice yields as well as K accumulation by wheat and rice. Stepwise multiple regression equations indicated that exchangeable K was the most important variable contributing towards total variation in grain yield and K accumulation by wheat or rice.     

Effects of zone-tillage in rotation with no-tillage on soil properties and crop yields in a semi-arid soil from central Spain

A limiting factor to the no-tillage system in arid and semi-arid regions is the possibility of soil densification from lack of tillage. This research examines the extent and duration of the effects of periodic (rotational) zone-tillage over 2 years, on selected soil physical and chemical properties and crop yields. In the first year four tillage treatments were applied: conventional tillage with mouldboard plow (CT), minimum tillage with chisel plow (MT), no-tillage (NT) and zone-tillage subsoiling with a paraplow (ZT). In the second year, the ZT plots were returned to NT to follow the residual effects of ZT. The soil was a loamy sand (Calcic Haploxeralf) from semi-arid Central Spain and the crop rotation was grey pea (Pisum sativum L.)–barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Crop residues on the soil surface after sowing grey pea were 85% in NT plots, 55% in ZT plots and 15% in MT plots. When comparing NT and ZT, the immediate effects of subsoiling on soil physical properties were significant (P < 0.05). Soil strength as measured by cone index approached 3.0 MPa in NT and was reduced to <1.0 MPa by ZT over 300 mm sampling depth. Soil moisture content and bulk density were improved by ZT. No-till and ZT favoured surface accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC), total N and available P and K. Stratification ratio of SOC was not different among tillage systems, but soil N stratification ratio followed the order NT > ZT > MT > CT. Grey pea yields were reduced by 3 Mg ha⁻¹ in the NT and MT compared with ZT. Crop residues on the soil surface after barley sowing were 80% in NT, 56% in ZT, and 12% in MT. At the end of the second year, soil strength, soil moisture and bulk density in ZT declined to NT levels at all soil depths. The positive effect of ZT in increasing SOC in the top layer had also disappeared. However, total N, and available P and K concentrations under NT and ZT were still significantly higher than in MT and CT. Stratification ratios of SOC under NT and ZT were >2 and more than two-fold those under MT and CT. Nitrogen stratification ratio under ZT increased and no significant differences between NT and ZT could be reported. Barley yield was 0.6 Mg ha⁻¹ higher in ZT compared with NT. Our results suggest that ZT improved the physical and chemical condition of the soil studied in months following subsoiling. These positive effects, however, diminished with time and only some residual effects on total N and available P and K content in the top-layer were still evident after 2 years.     

Soil organic carbon and nutrients in smallholding land uses in southern Ethiopia

This study assessed the soil organic C (SOC) and soil nutrients in smallholding home garden, woodlot, grazing land, and cropland at two soil depths and two sites in Wolaita Zone, southern Ethiopia. The results showed that soil properties were significantly influenced by land use. The home garden had significantly higher (p < 0.05) SOC and soil nutrients when compared to the cropland. When the home garden was compared to the woodlot and grazing land uses, it had significantly higher (p < 0.05) values except in SOC, total N (TN), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and exchangeable Ca. Cropland, in comparison with grazing land and woodlot, had a non‐significant difference except TN. The SOC stock (0–40 cm) in the home garden, woodlot, grazing land and cropland was 79.5, 68.0, 65.0, and 58.1 Mg ha^?1, respectively. Home garden significantly differed (p ≤ 0.05) in SOC only from cropland, and this was attributed not only to the relatively higher organic input in the home garden but also to the little organic matter input and frequently tillage of the cropland. The similar SOC among the home garden, woodlot and grazing lands may imply that the balance between inputs and outputs could be nearly similar for the land uses. Soil TN and CEC had a nearly similar pattern of difference as in SOC among the land uses because of their close relationship with SOC. In general, the land use influence on soil nutrients can be in the order: home garden > wood land ≈ grazing land ≈ cropland, with home garden showing the least difference from the woodlot and the greatest from the cropland. In the agroecosystem, in general, the influence of smallholding home garden on SOC and soil nutrient was marginally different from Eucalyptus woodlot and grazing lands but evidently different from cropland.     

Soil organic carbon changes after seven years of conservation agriculture in a rice–wheat system of the eastern Indo‐Gangetic Plains

Sequestration of soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important strategy to improve soil quality and to mitigate climate change. To investigate changes in SOC under conservation agriculture (CA), we measured SOC concentrations after seven years of rice (Oryza sativa L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotations in the eastern Indo‐Gangetic Plains (IGP) of India under various combinations of tillage and crop establishment methods. The six treatments were as follows: conventional till transplanted rice followed by conventional till wheat (CTR‐CTW), CTR followed by zero‐till wheat (CTR‐ZTW), ZT direct‐seeded rice followed by CTW (ZTDSR‐CTW), ZTDSR followed by ZT wheat both on permanent raised beds with residue (PBDSR‐PBW+R), and ZTDSR followed by ZTW both with (ZTDSR‐ZTW+R) and without residues (ZTDSR‐ZTW). We hypothesized that CA systems (i.e. ZT with residue retention) would sequester more carbon (C) than CT. After seven years, ZTDSR‐ZTW+R and PBDSR‐PBW+R increased SOC at 0–0.6 m depth by 4.7 and 3.0 t C/ha, respectively, whereas the CTR‐CTW system resulted in a decrease in SOC of 0.9 t C/ha. Over the same soil depth, ZT without residue retention (ZTDSR‐ZTW) only increased SOC by 1.1 t C/ha. There was no increase in SOC where ZT in either rice or wheat was followed by CT in the next crop (i.e. CTR‐ZTW and ZTDSR‐CTW), most likely because the benefit of ZT is lost when followed by tillage. Tillage and crop establishment methods had no significant effect on the SOC stock below the 0.15‐m soil layer. Over the seven years, the total carbon input from above‐ground residues was ca. 14.5 t/ha in ZTDSR‐ZTW+R and PBDSR‐PBW+R, almost sixfold greater than in the other systems. Our findings suggest that the increased biomass production achieved through a combination of ZT and partial residue retention offers an opportunity to increase SOC whilst allowing residues to be used for other purposes.     

Effect of Cropping System on Physical Properties of Clay Soil Under Intensive Rice Cultivation

Cropping systems are thought to alter soil quality in paddy rice fields. This study was conducted to quantify the long‐term effects of continuous crop production under different cropping systems with different crop rotations on physical properties of alluvial clay soil in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Soil samples were collected from four treatments: (i) traditional intensive rice monoculture with three rice crops per year (R–R–R); (ii) rotation with two rice crops and maize (R–M–R); (iii) rotation with two rice crops and mung bean (R–Mb–R); and (iv) rotation with one rice and two upland crops, mung bean and maize (R–Mb–M). We hypothesized that cropping systems with rotations of upland crops and their temporary beds improve the physical quality of paddy rice soil; hence, they are better options towards sustainable agriculture. Results show an improvement of soil physical quality for systems with two rice crops and one upland crop (R–M–R and R–Mb–R) and those with one rice crop with two upland crops (R–Mb–M) compared with intensive rice monoculture (R–R–R). This was translated in decreased bulk density and soil strength, increased soil organic carbon and total porosity, and higher aggregate stability index, plant‐available water capacity, and Dexter's S index, especially at depths of 10–20 and 20–30 cm. The systems with different upland crops (maize or mung bean) showed similar high physical quality improvement. To maintain soil quality in future seasons, introducing a cropping system with at least one upland crop in rotation with rice is recommended. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dissolved and Soil Organic Carbon after Long‐Term Conventional and No‐Tillage Sorghum Cropping

Abstract

Distribution of dissolved (DOC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) with depth may indicate soil and crop‐management effects on subsurface soil C sequestration. The objectives of this study were to investigate impacts of conventional tillage (CT), no tillage (NT), and cropping sequence on the depth distribution of DOC, SOC, and total nitrogen (N) for a silty clay loam soil after 20 years of continuous sorghum cropping. Conventional tillage consisted of disking, chiseling, ridging, and residue incorporation into soil, while residues remained on the soil surface for NT. Soil was sampled from six depth intervals ranging from 0 to 105 cm. Tillage effects on DOC and total N were primarily observed at 0–5 cm, whereas cropping sequence effects were observed to 55 cm. Soil organic carbon (C) was higher under NT than CT at 0–5 cm but higher under CT for subsurface soils. Dissolved organic C, SOC, and total N were 37, 36, and 66%, respectively, greater under NT than CT at 0–5 cm, and 171, 659, and 837% greater at 0–5 than 80–105 cm. The DOC decreased with each depth increment and averaged 18% higher under a sorghum–wheat–soybean rotation than a continuous sorghum monoculture. Both SOC and total N were higher for sorghum–wheat–soybean than continuous sorghum from 0–55 cm. Conventional tillage increased SOC and DOC in subsurface soils for intensive crop rotations, indicating that assessment of C in subsurface soils may be important for determining effects of tillage practices and crop rotations on soil C sequestration.     

Depth Distribution of Soil Organic Carbon Fractions in Relation to Tillage and Cropping Sequences in Some Dry Lands of Punjab,Pakistan

Depth distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions depends on the efficiency of agro‐technical managements. Information on depth distribution of SOC fractions mostly confined to the plow layer and scant in dry lands of Punjab, Pakistan. Therefore, a field experiment was laid out with moldboard plow (MP) (control), tine cultivator (TC), and minimum tillage (MT) as main plots, and cropping sequences fallow wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), (FW, control), mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) wheat (MW), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) wheat (SW), green manure wheat (GW), and mungbean‐chickpea (MC) (Cicer arietinum L.) as sub‐plots. Treatment effects were assessed for microbial biomass carbon (MBC), potentially mineralizeable carbon (PMC), particulate organic carbon (POC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), HCl insoluble carbon (HIC), and stratification ratio (SR) in Rawal series: Udic Haplustalf. Alfisols. The MBC concentration was the highest in MT system, at 15 to 30‐cm depth under MW and PMC concentration was highest under SW with MT at 45–60 cm. MP had higher POC in FW sequence. The highest DOC was at 0 to 15‐cm depth under MC with TC and stock of HIC was more under TC with FW sequence. The highest SR of PMC was under MT with FW at 0–15:15–30 and POC was under TC and MP with FW at depths of 0–15:45–60 cm. The highest SR for DOC was under MP with GW at 0–15:45–60 cm and HCl insoluble C was under MT with SW at 0–15:45–60. In broad‐spectrum, labile organic fractions revealed differential sensitivity, and POC stocks are also a sensitive indicator to detect the short‐management effects. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

长期保护性耕作对稻田土壤团聚体稳定性和碳氮含量的影响

为研究双季稻(Oryza sativa L.)土壤团聚体稳定性及C、N含量对耕作方式的响应,该研究利用已进行12 a的包括翻耕+秸秆不还田(CT),翻耕+秸秆还田(CTS),旋耕+秸秆还田(RTS)和免耕+秸秆还田(NTS)的保护性耕作稻田定位试验,运用湿筛等方法测算了团聚体的构成与稳定性,C、N含量及其对土壤总C、N的贡献。结果表明:长期秸秆还田显著增加0～10 cm土层大团聚体比重,弱化翻耕、旋耕和免耕等不同耕法对表层大团聚体的差异化影响(P0.05),但5～30 cm土层大团聚体随耕作强度的减弱有所提高。总体来看,稻田土壤团聚体以2 mm粒径为主(占35.02%～64.44%),其C、N贡献率分别达52.12%和52.16%;秸秆还田有利于微团聚体向大团聚体的转化,外源C、N更多被大团聚体固持和保护。NTS在0～20 cm的2 mm团聚体对土壤C、N的贡献率显著大于其他处理;土壤C、N含量与团聚体稳定性呈显著正相关关系(P0.05)。相比于CTS与RTS,长期采取NTS显著改善土壤C、N含量,促进大团聚体的形成和稳定,对改善稻田耕层(尤其0～20 cm)土壤团聚体稳定性具有显著的效果(P0.05)。因此,采取保护性耕作措施对南方双季稻田土壤质量及农业生态持续性具有积极的作用。     

Profile Distribution of Carbon Fractions Under Long‐term Rice‐wheat and Maize‐wheat Production in Alfisols and Inceptisols of Northwest India

The knowledge of profile distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) in long‐term agricultural systems could help to store atmospheric carbon in the soil. We investigated profile distribution of easily oxidisable Walkley–Black SOC pool (SOC_WB) under long‐term rice‐wheat (R‐W) and maize‐wheat (M‐W) cropping systems under soils of different pedogenesis. The soil samples were collected from the characteristic genetic horizons and analysed for carbon fractions. The SOC_WB was the highest in soils under R‐W systems in both Alfisols and Inceptisols. The SOC_WB stock in the deeper profile horizons under R‐W system was significantly (p < 0·05) higher than that under M‐W system especially in Typic Hapludalfs. Long‐term R‐W system could store on average 3·55 Mg ha⁻¹ more SOC_WB than M‐W system in the Ap horizon. The SOC_WB stock in the Ap horizon of all pedons was significantly (p < 0·05) higher in Alfisols than that in Inceptisols. About 60–90% of the total profile SOC_WB stock was contributed by B‐horizon because of its greater extent. Considering the whole profile, clay was negatively correlated with SOC fractions; however, the SOC fractions were closely related to each other. This study reveals that the distribution of SOC_WB is different in long‐term R‐W and M‐W systems not only in surface but also in the deeper horizons and the magnitude of the variation is influenced by the specific pedogenic processes. This indicates the significance of profile SOC_WB stock instead of topsoil SOC_WB stock in quantifying carbon retention potential of the long‐term management practices. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Carbon and nitrogen stocks in a Brazilian clayey Oxisol: 13-year effects of integrated crop–livestock management systems

Integrated crop–livestock management systems (ICLS) have been increasingly recommended in Brazilian agroecosystems. However, knowledge of their effect on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations and stocks is still limited. The study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of ICLS under two tillage and fertilization regimes on SOC and TN concentrations and stocks in the 0–30 cm soil layer, in comparison with continuous crops or pasture. The following soil management systems were studied: continuous pasture; continuous crop; 4 years’ crop followed by 4 years’ pasture and vice-versa. The adjacent native Cerrado area was used as a control. Under the rotation and continuous crop systems there were two levels of soil tillage (conventional and no-tillage) and fertility (maintenance and corrective fertility). The stock calculations were done using the equivalent soil mass approach. The land use systems had a significant effect on the concentrations of SOC and TN in the soil, but no effect was observed for the soil tillage and fertilizer regimes. For these two latter, some significant discrepancies appeared in the distribution of SOC and TN concentrations in the 0–30 cm layer. Carbon storage was 60.87 Mg ha⁻¹ under Cerrado, and ranged from 52.21 Mg ha⁻¹ under the ICLS rotation to 59.89 Mg ha⁻¹ with continuous cropping. The decrease in SOC stocks was approximately 8.5 and 7.5 Mg ha⁻¹, or 14 and 12%, for continuous pasture and ICLS respectively. No-tillage for 10 years after the conversion of conventional tillage to no-tillage under the continuous crop system, and 13 years of conventional tillage in continuous cropping did not result in significant changes in SOC stocks. The SOC and TN stocks in surface layers, using the equivalent soil mass approach rather than the equivalent depth, stress the differences induced by the calculation method. As soil compaction is the principal feature of variability of stocks determinations, the thickness should be avoid in these types of studies.