Effect of farm management on topsoil organic carbon and aggregate stability in water: A case study from Southwest England,UK

There are few reliable data sets to inspire confidence in policymakers that soil organic carbon (SOC) can be measured on farms. We worked with farmers in the Tamar Valley region of southwest England to select sampling sites under similar conditions (soil type, aspect and slope) and management types. Topsoils (2–15 cm) were sampled in autumn 2015, and percentage soil organic matter (%SOM) was determined by loss on ignition and used to calculate %SOC. We also used the stability of macroaggregates in cold water (WSA) (‘soil slaking’) as a measure of ‘soil health’ and investigated its relationship with SOC in the clay‐rich soils. %SOM was significantly different between management types in the order woodland (11.1%) = permanent pasture (9.5%) > ley‐arable rotation (7.7%) = arable (7.3%). This related directly to SOC stocks that were larger in fields under permanent pasture and woodland compared with those under arable or ley‐arable rotation whether corrected for clay content (F = 8.500, p < .0001) or not (F = 8.516, p < .0001). WSA scores were strongly correlated with SOC content whether corrected for clay content (SOC_adj R² = .571, p < .0001) or not (SOC_unadj R² = 0.490, p = .002). Time since tillage controlled SOC stocks and WSA scores, accounting for 75.5% and 51.3% of the total variation, respectively. We conclude that (1) SOC can be reliably measured in farmed soils using accepted protocols and related to land management and (2) WSA scores can be rapidly measured in clay soils and related to SOC stocks and soil management.     

土壤团聚体有机碳研究进展

土壤有机碳是衡量土壤肥力的重要指标,对于促进土壤养分循环、增加养分有效性有重要作用。土壤团聚体是土壤的重要组成部分,是组成土壤结构的最小单元,受到自然因素和人为因素的影响,其形成转化过程与土壤固碳过程息息相关,因而研究团聚体和有机碳的关系及团聚体有机碳影响因素对于土壤结构的改善和土壤质量的提升具有重要意义。本文通过对文献的总结,明晰了土壤团聚体和有机碳的关系,阐述了土壤类型、施肥方式、土地利用和矿区复垦对土壤团聚体有机碳的影响,并从生物质炭的长期定位研究和复垦矿区的土壤修复两方面对土壤团聚体有机碳的研究进行展望,研究结果可为合理的农业生产提供科学依据。     

生物炭和黄腐酸对滨海滩涂盐碱地土壤性质的提升

为探讨生物炭和黄腐酸对滨海滩涂围垦盐碱地的改良作用,采用田间玉米种植试验法,设置生物炭使用量7.5 t/hm2(BC1)、30 t/hm2(BC2)和黄腐酸用量1.5 t/hm2(FA)及其组合,共6种处理:CK、BC1、BC2、FA、BC1+FA、BC2+FA,研究材料施加对土壤重要盐碱状况表征指标的影响。结果表明,BC2处理降低土壤容重,但低用量BC1处理下土壤容重没有降低,研究区土壤呈逐渐自然板结退化状态;随着生物炭施用量的增加,土壤持水能力呈减小的趋势。生物炭和黄腐酸施用明显提高土壤有机质含量,BC2+FA最高,达到6.31 g/kg;各处理中,周期性脱盐和返盐现象在各处理间的土壤表层呈现一致规律,但BC1+FA和BC2+FA处理的盐分累积明显低于其他处理。结果表明适量生物炭和黄腐酸施用可提高土壤肥力,改善土壤结构,抑制盐分累积,有利于滩涂围垦土地的快速耕地化利用,生物炭使用量为30 t/hm2并黄腐酸用量1.5 t/hm2处理效果最好。     

Structure liming enhances aggregate stability and gives varying crop responses on clayey soils

It has been suggested that liming can improve soil structure and thereby decrease losses of particles and associated nutrients. In this study, two types of structure lime, slaked lime (Ca(OH)₂) and a mixed product of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and slaked lime (Ca(OH)₂), were applied at three different rates in field trials on clayey soils (23%–40% clay). A combination of primary tillage and structure liming was also studied, in a split-plot trial on a clayey soil (25% clay). Aggregate (2–5?mm) stability, measured as reduction in turbidity (which is strongly correlated with losses of particulate phosphorus), was significantly increased with the highest application rates of both structure lime products. Aggregate size distribution was also improved with structure lime, creating a finer tilth in the seedbed. Yield response to structure lime was not consistent, with both negative and positive responses over the four-year study period. Positive yield responses can possibly be attributed to the finer tilth preventing evaporation in two dry growing seasons. Negative yield responses were probably an effect of impaired phosphorus availability associated with limited precipitation in May-July in 2011 and 2013. Two years after liming, soil pH levels were significantly elevated in plots with the highest application rate of structure lime, whereas no significant increases were found three years after liming. However, a lingering effect of liming was still detectable, as manganese concentration in barley grain was significantly lower in plots with the highest application rates of both structure lime products in the fourth study year. These results indicate that structure liming can be used as a measure to mitigate phosphorus losses from clayey soils, thereby preventing eutrophication of nearby waters. However, the yield response was varying and unpredictable and thus further investigations are needed to determine the circumstances in which field liming can act efficiently not only to prevent phosphorus losses, but also to ensure consistent yield increases.     

Cultivation effects on soil texture and fertility in an arid desert region of northwestern China

In arid desert regions of northwestern China, reclamation and subsequent irrigated cultivation have become effective ways to prevent desertification, expand arable croplands, and develop sustainable agricultural production. Improvement in soil texture and fertility is crucial to high soil quality and stable crop yield. However, knowledge on the long-term effects of the conversion of desert lands into arable croplands is very limited. To address this problem, we conducted this study in an arid desert region of northwestern China to understand the changes in soil physical-chemical properties after 0, 2, 5, 10, 17, and 24 years of cultivation. Our results showed that silt and clay contents at the 17-year-old sites increased 17.5 and 152.3 folds, respectively, compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The soil aggregate size fraction and its stability exhibited an exponential growth trend with increasing cultivation ages, but no significant change was found for the proportion of soil macroaggregates (>5.00 mm) during the 17 years of cultivation. The soil organic carbon (SOC) content at the 24-year-old sites was 6.86 g/kg and increased 8.8 folds compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The total (or available) nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents showed significant increasing trends and reached higher values after 17 (or 24) years of cultivation. Changes in soil physical-chemical properties successively experienced slow, rapid, and stable development stages, but some key properties (such as soil aggregate stability and SOC) were still too low to meet the sustainable agricultural production. The results of this long-term study indicated that reasonable agricultural management, such as expanding no-tillage land area, returning straw to the fields, applying organic fertilizer, reducing chemical fertilizer application, and carrying out soil testing for formula fertilization, is urgently needed in arid desert regions.     

Effects of sediment load on the abrasion of soil aggregate and hydraulic parameters in experimental overland flow

The breakdown of soil aggregates under rainfall and their abrasion in overland flow are important processes in water erosion due to the production of more fine and transportable particles and, the subsequent significant effect on the erosion intensity. Currently, little is known about the effects of sediment load on the soil aggregate abrasion and the relationship of this abrasion with some related hydraulic parameters. Here, the potential effects of sediment load on soil aggregate abrasion and hydraulic parameters in overland flow were investigated through a series of experiments in a 3.8-m-long hydraulic flume at the slope gradients of 8.7 and 26.8%, unit flow discharges from 2×10~(–3) to 6×10~(–3) m~2 s~(-1), and the sediment concentration from 0 to 110 kg m~(–3). All the aggregates from Ultisols developed Quaternary red clay, Central China. The results indicated that discharge had the most significant(P0.01) effect on the aggregates abrasion with the contributions of 58.76 and 60.34%, followed by sediment feed rate, with contributions of 39.66 and 34.12% at the slope gradients of 8.7 and 26.8%, respectively. The abrasion degree of aggregates was found to increase as a power function of the sediment concentration. Meanwhile, the flow depth, friction factor, and shear stress increased as a power function along with the increase of sediment concentration at different slope gradients and discharges. Reynolds number was obviously affected by sediment concentration and it decreased as sediment concentration increased. The ratio of the residual weight to the initial weight of soil aggregates(Wr/Wi) was found to increase as the linear function with an increasing flow depth(P=0.008) or Reynolds number(P=0.002) in the sediment-laden flow. The Wr/Wi values followed a power function decrease with increasing friction factor or shear stress in the sediment-laden flow, indicating that friction factor is the best hydraulic parameter for prediction of soil aggregate abrasion under different sediment load conditions. The information regarding the soil aggregate abrasion under various sediment load conditions can facilitate soil process-based erosion modeling.     

回流立式组合人工湿地对农村混合废水中重金属的净化效果

针对农村分散式混合废水中的重金属难以集中处理的问题,提出一种占地面积小、操作灵活、维护简单的新型回流立式组合人工湿地工艺,研究其对重金属混合废水的处理效果以及进水水质与运行条件对重金属去除的影响。结果显示,回流立式组合人工湿地在运行时间为6 h,回流周期T=30 min的条件下对CODCr、TN、TP和TSS的平均去除率分别为82.83%、27.67%、64.64%和92.58%,对As、Cd、Pb、Cu和Zn的平均去除率分别为50.01%、62.43%、91.02%、63.37%和51.92%;其去除负荷高达92.4、12.1、160.9、1 214.9、1 989.0 mg·m-2·d-1,约为其他研究平均值的4～27倍。进水pH和CODCr的波动以及回流周期的变化对重金属去除无显著影响(P0.05);将运行时间由6 h延长至24 h时,重金属的去除效率有明显的提高(Zn除外)。回流立式组合人工湿地对重金属的去除快速高效、去除负荷高,在农村分散式含重金属混合废水处理方面具有较好的利用前景。     

猪粪有机肥配施化肥对潮土速效养分及团聚体分布的影响

集约化养殖产生大量的畜禽粪便而且无序排放产生,是造成农业面源污染的重要原因之一。畜禽粪便田间消纳后对土壤性质及肥力的影响是现阶段研究的热点问题。本研究在施用等量氮、磷、钾养分的条件下,通过连续两年的盆栽试验,研究猪粪有机肥替代不同化学肥料后对潮土速效养分、团聚体组分及稳定性的影响。结果表明:施用猪粪有机肥增加了土壤碱解氮、速效磷及速效钾含量,且随猪粪有机肥施用量的增加而增加,其中土壤碱解氮、速效磷及速效钾含量比单施化肥处理(T1)分别提高了3.7%~165.8%、11.6%~197.7%和20.7%~364.8%;与第一年相比,第二年各处理碱解氮含量下降2.8%~48.9%,而速效磷、速效钾均有增加。施用猪粪有机肥处理土壤有机碳含量均高于单施化肥处理(T1),且随有机肥量的增加呈增加趋势,增加幅度达14.8%~175.7%;猪粪有机肥处理第二年后土壤有机碳含量比第一年土壤有机碳含量增加3.9%~96.9%。同时发现,潮土土壤团聚体以0.25 mm的微团聚体为主;化肥配施猪粪有机肥处理增加了潮土0.25 mm团聚体含量、团聚体MWD(平均重量直径)以及GWD(几何平均直径)和R_(0.25)值,且随有机肥施用量的增加而增加。由此可见,施用猪粪有机肥有利于潮土速效养分、有机碳含量的增加,并促进大团聚体的形成和稳定。     

生物炭引起的土体回弹变化：土壤质地和生物炭用量的影响

Biochars are,amongst other available amendment materials,considered as an attractive tool in agriculture for carbon sequestration and improvement of soil functions.The latter is widely discussed as a consequence of improved physical quality of the amended soil.However,the mechanisms for this improvement are still poorly understood.This study investigated the effect of woodchip biochar amendment on micro-structural development,micro-and macro-structural stability,and resilience of two differently textured soils,fine sand (FS) and sandy loam (SL).Test substrates were prepared by adding 50 or 100 g kg-1 biochar to FS or SL.Total porosity and plant available water were significantly increased in both soils.Moreover,compressive strength of the aggregates was significantly decreased when biochar amount was doubled.Mechanical resilience of the aggregates at both micro-and macro-scale was improved in the biochar-amended soils,impacting the cohesion and compressive behavior.A combination of these effects will result in an improved pore structure and aeration.Consequently,the physicochemical environment for plants and microbes is improved.Furthermore,the improved stability properties will result in better capacity of the biochar-amended soil to recover from the myriad of mechanical stresses imposed under arable systems,including vehicle traffic,to the weight of overburden soil.However,it was noted that doubling the amendment rate did not in any case offer any remarkable additional improvement in these properties,suggesting a further need to investigate the optimal amendment rate.     

滇东岩溶山地不同类型云南松林地土壤团聚体稳定性差异

[目的]研究滇东岩溶山地不同类型云南松林地土壤团聚体稳定性差异,为岩溶脆弱生境土壤培肥、质量提升、水土固持提供依据。[方法]通过野外调查和室内分析,研究了滇东岩溶山地云南松纯林、云南松人工混交林、云南松天然混交林、灌丛和原生林5种植被类型水稳性团聚体及团聚体有机碳分布特征,揭示不同类型云南松林团聚体稳定性差异。[结果]①云南松纯林、人工混交林和天然混交林的0.25 mm粒径质量分数(5.77%～9.39%)显著低于灌丛(20.92%)和原生林(27.47%)(p0.05),且人工混交林和天然混交林5 mm,2～5 mm粒径质量分数高于纯林。②湿筛处理的0.25 mm水稳性团聚体比例(R_(0.25))排序为:人工混交林天然混交林纯林灌丛原生林;平均重量直径(MWD)排序为:人工混交林天然混交林原生林灌丛纯林;几何平均直径(GMD)排序为:人工混交林天然混交林原生林纯林灌丛;分形维数(D)排序为:原生林灌丛纯林天然混交林人工混交林。③纯林、人工混交林、天然混交林的大粒级团聚体(0.25 mm)对土壤有机碳的贡献率高于小粒级团聚体(0.25 mm),且5,2～5,0. 25 mm粒径水稳性土壤团聚体有机碳含量均显著小于灌丛、原生林(p0.05)。[结论]云南松人工混交林的土壤团聚体稳定性最高,其养分积累和固碳能力低于灌丛和原生林,高于纯林,作为该区域水土保持的主要植被类型时需要避免人为干扰以提高土壤养分。