Leaching and crop uptake of N, P and K from organic and conventional cropping systems on a clay soil

In this study, three types of cropping systems with different nutrient management strategies were studied on a clay soil with the aim of comparing leaching of N, P and K and obtaining knowledge on nutrient budgets. A conventional cropping system with cereals and application of mineral fertilizers (CON) was compared with two organic cropping systems, one without animal manure in which green manure crops were used for N supply (OGM) and one where animal manure (cattle slurry) was applied (OAM). Leaching and crop uptake of N, P and K, and soil mineral N were measured in pipe‐drained plots over a 6‐year period. The mean annual leaching loads of N were moderate and did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) between treatments; 13 kg N ha^?1 in CON, 11 kg N ha^?1 in OGM and 7.4 kg N ha^?1 in OAM. Average annual P leaching showed greater variation than N leaching and was significantly greater in OGM (0.81 kg ha^?1 year^?1) than in CON (0.36 kg ha^?1) and OAM (0.41 kg ha^?1). For all cropping systems, removal in harvested crops was the most important export of nutrients from the field and constituted between 80 and 94% of total N outputs (harvested and leached N). Yields of cereals in the organic systems were considerably less (15–50%) than in the CON system, leading to a less efficient use of N than in the conventional system.     

Kinetics of C and N mineralization, N immobilization and N volatilization of organic inputs in soil

C and N mineralization data for 17 different added organic materials (AOM) in a sandy soil were collected from an incubation experiment conducted under controlled laboratory conditions. The AOM originated from plants, animal wastes, manures, composts, and organic fertilizers. The C-to-N_AOM ratios (η_AOM) ranged from 1.1 to 27.1. Sequential fibre analyses gave C-to-N ratios of soluble (η_Sol), holocellulosic (η_Hol) and ligneous compounds (η_Lig) ranging from 1.1 to 57.2, 0.8 to 65.2, and 3.5 to 25.3, respectively. Very different patterns of net AOM-N mineralization were observed: (i) immobilization for four plant AOM; (ii) moderate mineralization (4-15% AOM-N) for composts; (iii) marked mineralization (11-27% AOM-N) for 1 animal AOM, 1 manure and 2 organic fertilizers; and (iv) high rates of transformations with possible gaseous losses for some N-rich AOM.The Transformation of Added Organics (TAO) model proposed here, described AOM-C mineralization (28 °C, 75% WHC) from three labile (L′), resistant (R) and stable (S) compartments with the sole parameters P′_L and P_S=fractions of very labile and stable compounds of AOM, respectively. Dividing the C-compartments by their C-to-N estimates supplied the remaining N_AOM fraction (RAONF). A P_im parameter split the TAO nitrogen fraction (TAONF=added N-RAONF) into two compartments, immobilized (imN) and inorganic (inorgN) N. A P_im>0 value meant that all the TAONF plus a fraction (P_im−1) of native soil inorganic N was immobilized. Additional N mineralization was predicted when necessary from imN by first order kinetics (constant k_remin). The TAO version with two parameters P_im and k_remin allowed us to predict very different patterns of N mineralization and N immobilization. In a few cases, a further first order kinetic law (constant k_v) was added to predict N volatilization from inorgN. Two hypotheses were tested: (i) η_L′, η_R, η_S (C-to-N of L′, R and S)=η_Sol, η_Hol, η_Lig, respectively, (ii) η_L′=η_R=η_S=η_AOM. The first hypothesis was validated by these data, and the second was a good approximation of the former one. In all the cases, predictions were in good agreement with measured values.     

Using perlite as a substrate carrier for measuring microbial available phosphorus by respiration kinetics in soils

The release of CO₂ by soil microorganisms after the addition of nitrogen and glucose in excess and calibration additions of phosphorus has successfully been used to assess microbial available P, assuming the native soil P pool is then limiting respiration. However, in P-fixing soils and soils with high P content, carbon can be exhausted before the available soil P pool. It is not possible to simply increase the amount of glucose as then the glucose concentration would be lethal for microorganisms. A modified method was tested where soil is mixed with perlite. It was hypothesised that perlite, having a high water holding capacity, would dilute the concentration of glucose, while maintaining the bioavailability of added nutrients, thus avoiding carbon limitation. Factorial combinations of amount of soil and perlite (both adjusted to −25 kPa water potential) were tested to examine if perlite as such had any effect on the respiration. Five tropical soil samples with a sharp gradient in P availability and one N-limited compost material were used. The method successfully reduced the risk of carbon limitation. Microbial indices, such as basal respiration, substrate-induced respiration and maximum P-limited respiration, were directly proportional to the amount of soil in the experiments but unrelated to the amount of perlite, showing that perlite did not affect microbial measurements.     

A comparative evaluation of the Mississippi soil test method for determining available manganese,magnesium, and calcium

Abstract

Soil Samples (72) were collected from the Delta, Hill, and Northeast Blackland areas of Mississippi. Chemical analyses for manganese, magnesium, and calcium were made using the Mississippi Soil Test Solution (MSTS) and several other extracting solutions chosen for comparison. For the determination of available soil manganese, the MSTS proved to be as effective as either the Double Acid (0.025 N HCl in 0.05 N H₂SO₄) or 0.1 N H₃PO₄. The acid extractants removed more manganese than 1 N NH₄OAc (pH 7.0) and therefore included forms that are not exchangeable. The methods studied for magnesium determinations were equilibrium extraction with 1 N NH₄OAc, MSTS, Double Acid, 0.25 N CaCl₂, and leaching with 1 N NH₄OAc. All methods were highly correlated and therefore would be equally effective in determining available soil magnesium. Since MSTS and equilibrium extraction with 1 N NH₄OAc removed similar amounts of magnesium from the soil, the same calibration can be used. Calcium determinations were made using equilibrium extraction with 1 N NH₄OAc, MSTS, and Double Acid, and by leaching with 1 N NH₄OAc. All methods proved effective in measuring available soil calcium on acid soils.     

Effect on N P K applications on potatoes grown on a well decomposed and intensively fertilized organic soil

Abstract

Using predictably excessive rates of N, P and K for potatoes on a well decomposed and intensively fertilized organic soil, it was observed that while N depressed yields somewhat, there were neither deleterious nor beneficial effects from the application of P or K. The highest rates of P and K used were 1792 and 3584 kg/ha respectively. Increasing rates of N decreased B concentrations in the potato leaf tissue while increasing rate of K resulted in increasing concentrations of B. Zinc tended to be higher in leaf tissue as excessive phosphorus application rates increased.     

Mehlich 3法与常规分析方法在测定土壤有效P、K的比较研究

采用Mehlich 3法和常规分析方法测定赤红土和红土的有效磷、有效钾,结果表明,Mehlich 3法测得的有效磷、有效钾与常规方法测定的呈显著的相关。赤红土上的玉米生物试验结果表明:Mehilch 3法测定的土壤有效磷、有效钾含量与玉米吸收的磷、钾量以及玉米的株高、干重呈显著相关。     

Microbiological processes in soil organic phosphorus transformations in conventional and biological cropping systems

We studied microbiological processes in organic P transformations in soils cultivated with conventional and biological farming systems during the 13th and 14th year of different cropping systems. The treatments included control, biodynamic, bioorganic, and conventional plots and a mineral fertilization treatment. Different P fractions were investigated using a sequential fractionation method. Labile organic P, extracted by 0.5 M NaHCO₃, was not affected by the farming systems. However, residual organic P remaining in the soil at the end of the sequential fractionation procedure showed that the biodynamic treatment, in particular, led to a modification of the composition of organic P. Labile organic P, organic P extractable in 0.1 M NaOH, and total residual P all showed temporal fluctuations. As total residual P consists of more than 70% organic P, it can be assumed that residual organic P contributed to these variations. This result indicates that chemically resistant organic P participates in short-term accumulation and mineralization processes. All biological soil parameters tested in this study showed significant temporal fluctuations, mainly attributed to differences in climatic conditions between years, but possibly also related to the growth cycle of the crop. The higher values of the biological soil parameters in the biodynamic and bioorganic treatments were explained by the greater importance of manure and the different plant protection strategies. The level of phosphatase activity and mineralization of organic C indicated a higher turnover of organic substrates, and thus of organic P, in the biodynamic and bioorganic treatments. Biological parameters were shown to be critical for assessing the significance of organic P in the soil P turnover.     

中国北方紫花苜蓿土壤有效磷丰缺指标与适宜施磷量初步研究

为了初步建立我国北方紫花苜蓿土壤有效磷( Olsen－P)丰缺指标,并确定不同丰缺级别土壤的适宜施磷量,采用土壤有效养分含量与缺素处理相对产量回归方程法、土壤有效养分丰缺分级改良方案和“养分平衡—地力差减法”确定适宜施肥量新应用公式,开展了本研究。结果表明,东北平原区第1~5和6~11级土壤有效磷丰缺指标依次为>26、14~26、7~14、4~7、2~4和0~2 mg/kg;内蒙古高原区第1~11级土壤有效磷丰缺指标依次为>28、16~28、9~16、5.2~9、3.0~5.2、1.7~3.0、1.0~1.7、0.6~1.0、0.3~0.6、0.2~0.3和0~0.2 mg/kg;西北荒漠绿洲区第1~5和6~11级土壤有效磷丰缺指标依次为>20、12~20、7~12、4~7、2.4~4和0~2.4 mg/kg;黄土高原区第1~5和6~11级土壤有效磷丰缺指标依次为>29、15~29、7~15、4~7、2~4和0~2 mg/kg;黄淮海平原区第1~3和4~11级土壤有效磷丰缺指标依次为>13、4~13、1~4和0~1 mg/kg。当紫花苜蓿干草目标产量为15 t/hm2时,第1~11级土壤的适宜施磷( P2 O5)量依次为0、45、90、135、180、225、270、315、360、405和450 kg/hm2。     

Contribution of α-amino N to extractable organic nitrogen (DON) in three soil types from the Scottish uplands

Organic nitrogen (DON) was extracted from two improved pasture soils, one of which had been re-colonized by acid heath vegetation, and a blanket peat. Although the quantities extracted in H₂O, 10 mM CaCl_2, 500 mM K₂SO₄ and 50 mM Na₂HPO₄ were not consistent, mean extractable DON as a proportion of total N was greater in the two grazed pastures (0.4%) than in the peat (0.2%). Averaged over the four extractants, free α-amino N was greater in the peat and least in the improved pasture soil and accounted for 26% of DON in the peat and less than 5% in the mineral soil. Amino N increased after 6 M HCl hydrolysis, and this combined N contributed 56% to DON in extracts of the mineral soil compared with only 36% in the peat This variation in the relative contributions of free and combined amino N to DON indicated qualitative differences in the composition of DON between the three soils.     

覆膜旱作稻田土壤有效N、P、K及盐分分层变化研究

以常规水作和裸地旱作作对照,对覆膜旱作栽培条件下稻田各土层(0～60cm)土壤有效N、P、K和盐分含量变化作了比较研究。结果表明:与常规水作相比,覆膜旱作稻田10～15cm土层的碱解氮与有效磷含量显著增加,其余差异不大。与裸地旱作相比,覆膜旱作稻田5～15cm土层的碱解氮含量及5～20cm土层的有效磷含量显著增加,其余差异不大。与常规水作和裸地旱作相比,覆膜旱作稻田土壤速效钾含量在20cm以上土层增加明显。当地下水位较高时,覆膜旱作稻田0～5cm表层土壤表现积盐,地下水位较低时表层表现脱盐。     

江苏省主要土壤的磷肥指数及适宜磷肥用量

以江苏省五种典型类型土壤为供试土壤,系统研究了不同类型土壤稻季的磷肥指数和磷临界值。研究结果表明,不同土壤类型的磷肥指数和磷临界值存在着较大的差异,其中磷肥指数表现为灰沙土>黄泥土>粉砂土>淤土>砂黄泥土,而磷临界值表现为淤土>黄泥土>砂黄泥土>灰沙土>粉砂土。并结合当地的特点,推荐了当地的适宜磷肥施用量。     

Nitrogen and phosphorous in a loam soil of central Italy as affected by 6 years of different tillage systems

Tillage practices can influence content and dynamics of soil N and P. A field study was conducted on a loam soil (Typic Udifluvent) in Italy, to determine mineral and organic N and P concentrations at the end of 6 years of different tillage systems. Maize (Zea mays L.) was cropped since 1970, and managed since 1994 with deep ploughing (DP) to 40 cm, ripper subsoiling (RS) to 40 cm, shallow ploughing (SP) to 20 cm and minimum tillage with harrow disk (MT) to 10 cm. At the end of the sixth year, soil was collected in 10 cm increments to a total depth of 40 cm. Surface concentration of total N was higher with MT than with RS, SP and DP, but differences disappeared at lower depths. Soil water content was lower under DP and SP treatments than under MT and RS. Residual NO₃-N in the soil profile was not different among tillage treatments. During 6 years, MT increased soil quality, by enrichment of organic N and improvement of soil water content at the surface. Moldboard ploughing was a less sustainable tillage system in this environment.     

Availability of P from 32P-labelled endogenous soil P and 33P-labelled fertilizer in an alkaline soil producing cotton in Australia

Yield responses of irrigated, field‐grown cotton to phosphorus fertilizer application in Australia have been variable. In an attempt to understand better this variability, the distribution of fertilizer P within soil P fractions was identified using ³²P and ³³P radioisotopes. The soil chosen, an alkaline, grey, cracking clay (Vertosol), was representative of those used for growing cotton in Australia. Chang and Jackson fractionation of soil P from samples collected within 1 h of application indicated that 49, 7 and 13% of the P fertilizer was present as 0.5 m NH₄F, 0.1 m NaOH and 1 m H₂SO₄ extractable P, respectively. Over 89% of the P fertilizer was recovered as Colwell extractable P in these samples, suggesting that the majority of these reaction products was in a highly plant‐available form. Fertilizer‐P remained in an available form within the band 51 days after application, and 68% of the applied fertilizer‐P was recovered as Colwell‐P (1071 mg kg^?1). The Colwell‐P concentration in the band was 35 times that in the unfertilized soil. Thus, the variability in crop response to P fertilizer application in these soils is not a consequence of fertilizer‐P becoming unavailable to plants. These results confirm the suitability of the Colwell (1963) sodium bicarbonate extraction method for measuring available P in these soils.     

Distribution and dynamics of soil organic matter in an Antarctic dry valley

Terrestrial ecosystems in the Antarctic dry valleys function under extremely cold and dry climatic conditions that severely constrain C and N cycling and, like other polar regions, are likely to be sensitive to environmental change. To characterize the distribution and dynamics of soil organic C (SOC) and N in the various landscape elements of an Antarctic dry valley, we measured soil profile organic C and organic N stocks, inorganic N (NH₄-N and NO₃-N), soil CO₂ effluxes, water contents and soil temperatures in the Garwood Valley, a relatively small valley in southern Victoria Land. We also conducted laboratory measurements of basal respiration on soils collected from the Valley. SOC and respiration rates were low and SOC was highly stratified in the soil profile, with the largest values observed near the surface. Significant variations of SOC stocks and soil CO₂ effluxes were observed between landscape elements and spatial variability was closely related to the distance from the lake, the major site of primary production. The fastest rate of SOC turnover (residence time c. 30 years) was found in the soils at the lake edge, slower rates were found in landscape elements close to the lake (c. 52-67 years), and the slowest rates in other landscape elements (c. 84-123 years) further away. A mass balance of organic C indicates that the quantity of C fixed in the lake, accumulated on the lake edge, exposed and subsequently displaced on a 14-year basis can explain the near-surface SOC turnover within the entire valley. We conclude that the displacement of organic matter derived from the lake is an important external source for the microbial processes in these soils at a landscape scale. However, further investigations are needed in order to evaluate the importance of displaced C compared to other nutrients (e.g. N) on the spatial control of observed soil respiration rates.     

Predicting N transformations from organic inputs in soil in relation to incubation time and biochemical composition

Seventeen different added organic materials (AOM) in a sandy soil were incubated under controlled laboratory conditions (28 °C, 75% WHC), and examined for C and N mineralisation. The transformation of added organics (TAO) model has been presented in previous work for predicting C mineralisation. The two variables (very labile and stable fractions of AOM) used in TAO have been related to the biochemical characteristics of the AOM. The transformed added organic N fraction (TAONF) was estimated from the remaining C_AOM and N_AOM linked by the C-to-N ratios. TAONF was split (P_im parameter) into immobilised N (imN) and inorganic N (inorgN). When necessary, an additional N mineralisation of imN was predicted by first order kinetics (constant k_remin). The TAO version with the two parameters P_im and k_remin allowed us to predict very different dynamics of N mineralisation and N immobilisation from the AOM. In a few cases, another first order kinetic law (constant k_v) was used to predict N volatilisation from inorgN.Biochemical characteristics of AOM were used for predicting N transformations. First, at each incubation date, inorgN was approximated to inorgNa=α(N-to-C_AOM)+β by linear regression. The α, β and −β/α (C-to-N_AOM threshold for mineralisation/immobilisation) were related to time. The TAO expression (1−P_im)TAONF was then replaced by the proposed approximation inorgNa as a function of incubation time and C-to-N_AOM. Secondly, significant relationships were computed between k_remin and organic fibre content of AOM. Finally, a TAO approximation was proposed for predicting the simultaneous transformations of C and N, only using biochemical data (plus the k_v parameter in a few cases of N volatilisation). For all AOMs, the validity of the approximation and its borderline cases were examined by comparing the two TAO versions.     

C and N mineralization of undisrupted and disrupted soil from different structural zones of conventional tillage and no-tillage systems in northern France

Differences in soil structure created by tillage systems are often believed to have large impacts on C and N mineralization, in turn influencing total soil C and N stocks, CO₂ emissions and soil mineral N supply. The objectives of our work were therefore (i) to study C and N mineralization in undisrupted fresh soils from long-term conventional till (CT) and no-till (NT) systems in northern France and (ii) to evaluate at which scale soil structure plays a significant role in protecting organic matter against C and N mineralization. The in situ heterogeneity of soil structure was taken into account during sampling. Two megastructure zones induced by tillage and compaction were identified in the ploughed layer of CT: zones with loose structure (CT_Loose) and clods with dense structure (CT_Dense). The soil samples in NT were taken from layers that differed in both structure and organic matter content (NT_0-5 and NT_5-20). Soil from the two zones of different megastructure in CT showed similar levels of protection and similar C and N mineralization. Undisrupted soil from NT_0-5 showed greater absolute and specific C and N mineralization than CT_Loose, CT_Dense and NT_5-20. Limited soil structure destruction (sieving through 2 mm) had no effect on C and N mineralization. Increased disturbance (sieving down to 250 μm) only induced a significant increase of both C and N mineralization in the 5-20 cm layer of NT. Further disruption of soil structures (sieving through 50 μm) resulted in greater C and N mineralization for all treatments except C mineralization in the upper layer of NT. Protection in the four structural zones in CT and NT was, in general, greatest in the NT deeper layer and least in the NT upper layer. Our results therefore suggest that physical protection in the 5-20 cm soil layer can partly account for larger C and N stocks in NT, but that the large C and N concentrations in the 0-5 cm soil layer are determined by mechanisms other than physical OM protection.     

氮磷化肥用量与棉花产量性状的关系研究

采用二次饱和D—最优设计 ,在粘质潮土上进行田间试验 .结果表明 ,棉花 4个产量性状和籽棉产量与氮磷化肥用量之间均可用二元二次回归方程描述 ,并达极显著水平 .经计算 ,要获得籽棉 2 50kg/亩的目标产量 ,应施N 1 2 2～ 9 1 1kg/亩和P2 O56 0 9～ 1 1 5kg/亩 .     

Conservation tillage induced changes in organic carbon, total nitrogen and available phosphorus in a semi-arid alkaline subtropical soil

A multi-year experiment was conducted to compare the effects of conservation tillage (no-till and ridge-till) with conventional plow tillage on organic C, N, and resin-extractable P in an alkaline semi-arid subtropical soil (Hidalgo sandy clay loam, a fine-loamy, mixed, hyperthermic Typic Calciustoll) at Weslaco, TX (26°9′N 97°57′W). Tillage comparisons were established on irrigated plots in 1992 as a randomized block design with four replications. Soil samples were collected for analyses 1 month before cotton planting of the eighth year of annual cotton (planted in March) followed by corn (planted in August).

No-till resulted in significantly (p<0.01) greater soil organic C in the top 4 cm of soil, where the organic C concentration was 58% greater than in the top 4 cm of the plow-till treatment. In the 4–8 cm depth, organic C was 15% greater than the plow-till control. The differences were relatively modest, but consistent with organic C gains observed in hot climates where conservation tillage has been adopted. Higher concentrations of total soil N occurred in the same treatments, however a significant (p<0.01) reduction in N was detected below 12 cm in the ridge-till treatment. The relatively low amount of readily oxidizable C (ROC) in all tillage treatments suggests that much of the soil organic C gained is humic in nature which would be expected to improve C sequestration in this soil.

Against the background of improved soil organic C and N, bicarbonate extractable P was greater in the top 8 cm of soil. Some of the improvement, however, appeared to come from a redistribution or “mining” of P at lower soil depths. The results indicate that stratification and redistribution of nutrients were consistent with known effects of tillage modification and that slow improvements in soil fertility are being realized.     

Effect of long-term N fertilization on soil organic C and total N in continuous wheat under conventional tillage in Oklahoma

Fertilizer nitrogen (N) can impact on soil total N and organic carbon (C). The effects of long-term nitrogen (N) applications in continuous winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production systems on total N and organic C in soils has not been studied previously. Deep soil cores were taken from four long-term winter continuous wheat experiments in Oklahoma, on silt loam and clay loam soils, to evaluate differences in total N and C as affected by more than 23 years of annual N applications. When N was applied at rates ≥90 kg ha⁻¹, surface soil (0–30 cm) organic C was either equal to that of the check (no N applied) or slightly greater. Total soil N (0–30 cm) increased at the high N rates at all locations. However, at two locations, total soil N decreased at low N rates, indicating the presence of priming (increased net mineralization of organic N pools when low rates of fertilizer N are applied). At these two same sites, soil–plant inorganic N buffering (amount of N that could be applied in excess of that needed for maximum yield without resulting in increased soil profile inorganic N accumulation) was greater compared to the other two sites where no evidence of priming was found. In general, C:N ratios increased at the low rates of applied N and then decreased to levels below that found in check plots at high N rates (≥134 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Combined surface (0–30 cm) soil analyses of total N and organic C were useful in detecting where priming had taken place and where soil–plant inorganic N buffering was expected to be high in these long-term N fertilization experiments. Predictability of the priming effect combined with soil–plant inorganic N buffering should assist us in establishing environmentally safe N rates. Soil organic C increased when N was applied at rates in excess of that required for maximum yield.     

Organic resource quality influences short-term aggregate dynamics and soil organic carbon and nitrogen accumulation

Organic C inputs and their rate of stabilization influence C sequestration and nutrient cycling in soils. This study was undertaken to explore the influence of the combined application of different quality organic resources (ORs) with N fertilizers on the link between aggregate dynamics and soil organic C (SOC) and soil N. A mesocosm experiment was conducted in Embu, central Kenya where 4 Mg C ha⁻¹ of Tithonia diversifolia (high quality), Calliandra calothyrsus (intermediate quality) and Zea mays (maize; low quality) were applied to soil compared to a no-input control. Each treatment was fertilized with 120 kg N ha⁻¹ as urea [(NH₂)₂CO] or not fertilized. The soils used in the mesocosms were obtained from a three-year old-field experiment in which the same treatments as in the mesocosm were applied annually. No crops were grown in both the mesocosms and the thee-year field experiment. Soil samples were collected at zero, two, five and eight months after installation of the mesocosms and separated into four aggregate size fractions by wet sieving. Macroaggregates were further fractionated to isolate the microaggregates-within-macroaggregates; all soils and fractions were analyzed for SOC and N. The addition of ORs increased soil aggregation and whole SOC and soil N compared to the control and sole N fertilizer treatments. There were no differences among different OR qualities for whole SOC or soil N, but maize alone resulted in greater mean weight diameter (MWD), macroaggregate SOC and N than sole added Calliandra. The addition of N fertilizer only influenced SOC and soil N dynamics in combination with maize where SOC, soil N and aggregation were lower with the addition of N fertilizer, indicating an increased decomposition and loss of SOC and soil N due to a faster aggregate turnover after addition of N fertilizer. In conclusion, compared to high quality ORs, low quality ORs result in greater aggregate stability and a short-term accumulation of macroaggregate SOC and N. However, the addition of N fertilizers negates these effects of low quality ORs.