Soil biochemical response to long-term conservation tillage under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions

We studied the effects of long term conservation tillage (CT) versus traditional tillage (TT) on soil biological status of a semi-arid sandy clay loam soil (Xerofluvent). The study was conducted in a wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.)–sunflower (Helianthus annuus, L.) crop rotation established in 1991 under rainfed conditions in SW Spain. A fodder pea (Pisum arvense, L.) crop was introduced in the rotation in 2005. Soil biological status was evaluated by measuring the microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and some enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, β-glucosidase and protease) in autumn of 2004 and in summer of 2005, before and after the fodder pea crop, respectively. Soil analyses were performed in samples collected at three depths (0–5, 5–10 and 10–25 cm). In general and in both samplings, increases in the organic matter content, MBC and enzymatic activities were found in the more superficial layers of soil under CT than under TT. Values of MBC were lower in summer, whereas values of enzyme activities were similar in both samplings. Biological properties showed a pronounced decrease with increasing soil depth. Statistical differences in biochemical properties between soils under the different tillage were not found in the deeper layer (10–25 cm). Enzymatic activities, MBC and organic matter (water-soluble carbon (WSC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) contents) were strongly correlated (p < 0.01). Conservation tillage improved the quality of soil in the superficial layer by enhancing its organic matter content and, especially, its biological status, as reflected in the values of stratification ratios for MBC and enzymatic activities.     

Soil quality indicators under continuous cropping systems in the Argentinean Pampas

Over the last two decades, soil cultivation practices in the southern Argentinean Pampas have been changing from a 7 year cash-crop production system alternated with 2–3 years under pasture, to a continuous cropping system. A better understanding of the impact of the period of time a field has been under continuous cropping on a broad spectrum of soil properties related to soil quality is needed to target for sustainable cropping systems. The objectives of this study were to: (i) assess the relationship between physical and chemical soil parameters related to soil quality and (ii) identify soil quality indicators sensitive to soil changes under continuous cropping systems in the Argentinean Pampas.

Correlation analysis of the 29 soil attributes representing soil physical and chemical properties (independent variables) and years of continuous cropping (dependent variable) resulted in a significant correlation (p < 0.05) in 78 of the 420 soil attribute pairs. We detected a clear relationship between hydraulic conductivity at tension h (K_h) and structural porosity (ρ_e); ρ_e being a simple tool for monitoring soil hydraulic conditions.

Soil tillage practice (till or no-till) affected most of the soil parameters measured in our study. It was not possible to find only one indicator related to the years under continuous cropping regardless of the cultivation practice. We observed a significant relationship between years under continuous cropping and K_h under no-till (NT) and wheat fallow (p < 0.001, R² = 0.70). Under these conditions, K₋₄₀ diminished as the number of years under continuous cropping increased.

The change in mean weight diameter (CMWD) was the only physical parameter related to the number of years under continuous cropping, explaining 36% of the variability in the number of years under continuous cropping (p < 0.001) The combination of three soil quality indicators (CMWD, partial R² = 0.38; slope of the soil water retention curve at its inflexion point (S), partial R² = 0.14 and cation exchange capacity (CEC), partial R² = 0.13) was able to explain, in part, the years under continuous cropping (R² = 0.65; p value > 0.001), a measure related to soil quality.     

Reduced tillage and increasing cropping intensity in the Great Plains conserves soil C

Concern about soil organic matter losses as a result of cultivation has been voiced consistently since the early part of the 20th century. Scientists working in the US. Great Plains recognized that organic matter losses from an already small pool could have major negative consequences on soil physical properties and N supplying capacity. The advent of reduced- and no-till systems has greatly improved our ability to capture and retain precipitation in the soil during the non-crop periods of the cropping cycle, and has made it possible to reduce fallow frequency and intensify cropping systems. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the effects of reduced tillage and cropping system intensification on C storage in soils using data from experiments in North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, and Texas. Decades of farming with the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–fallow system, the dominant farming system in the Great Plains, have accentuated soil C losses. More intensive cropping systems, made possible by the greater water conservation associated with no-till practices, have produced more grain, produced more crop residue and allowed more of it to remain on the soil surface. Combined with less soil disturbance in reduced- and no-till systems, intensive cropping has increased C storage in the soil. We also conclude that the effects of cropping system intensification on soil C should not be investigated independent of residue C still on the surface. There are many unknowns regarding how rapidly changes in soil C will occur when tillage and cropping systems are changed, but the data summarized in this paper indicate that in the surface 2.5 cm of soil, changes can be detected within 10 years. It is imperative that we continue long-term experiments to evaluate rates of change over an extended period. It is also apparent that we should include residue C, both on the surface of the soil and within the surface 2.5 cm, in our system C budgets if we are to accurately depict residue–soil C system status. The accounting of soil C must be done on a mass basis rather than on a concentration basis.     

Soil C, N and crop yields in Alabama's long-term ‘Old Rotation' cotton experiment

The Old Rotation cotton experiment at Auburn, Alabama, is the oldest, continuous cotton experiment in the world (cf. 1896). Long-term cropping systems provide a unique opportunity to observe the effects of 100 years of cropping on soil organic carbon (SOC). The objective of this paper was to summarize limited data on SOC and N cycling in this historic experiment. Soil organic C has been measured on the 13 plots (6 cropping systems) in 1988, 1992 and 1994. Long-term planting of winter legumes with no other source of N applied resulted in higher SOC (9.5 g C kg⁻¹) in the plow layer (0–20 cm depth) compared to continuous cotton with no winter cover crops (4.2 g C kg⁻¹). A 3-year rotation of cotton–winter legumes–corn–small grain–soybean resulted in 12.1 g C kg⁻¹. There was a significant (P<0.05), quadratic cotton yield response (R²=0.54) to increasing SOC. Winter legume cover crops supplied between 90 and 170 kg N ha⁻¹. Where no N has been applied in fertilizer or from a legume crop, annual N removal in the cotton crop is around 13 kg ha⁻¹, about the same as that fixed in precipitation.     

Identifying indicators of C and N cycling in a clayey Ultisol under different tillage and uses in winter

Although tropical and subtropical environments permit two cropping cycles per year, maintaining adequate mulching on the soil surface remains a challenge. In some cases, leaving soils fallow during the winter as an agricultural practice to control pathogens contributes to reduce soil mulching. The aim of this study was to assess attributes associated with C and N cycling in a soil under conventional and no-tillage management, with contrasting uses in winter: black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb) as cover crop or fallow. No-tillage increased total C and N, irrespective the winter crop. Cropping black oats under no-tillage resulted in more microbial biomass C and N, and glutaminase activity (15.2%, 65.2%, and 24%, respectively) than no-tillage under fallow. Under conventional tillage, winter cropping did not affect the attributes under study. Available P was higher in the no-tillage system (9.2–12.3 mg kg⁻¹), especially when cropped with black oats, than in the conventional tillage system (4.8–6.6 mg kg⁻¹). A multivariate analysis showed strong relationships between soil microbiological and chemical attributes in the no-tillage system, especially when cropped with black oats. Soil pH, dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase activities were the most effective at separating the soil use in winter. Microbial N, total N, microbial to total N ratio, available P, metabolic quotient (qCO₂), and glutaminase activity were more effective at separating soil management regimes. The no-tillage system in association with winter oat cropping stimulated the soil microbial community, carbon and nutrient cycling, thereby helping to improve the sustainability of the cropping system.     

单作与间作的棵间蒸发量差异及其主要影响因子

在甘肃河西走廊区, 通过大田试验, 研究了不同供水水平下小麦间作玉米与单作小麦、单作玉米的耗水量和棵间蒸发量差异, 探讨了影响作物棵间蒸发量的关键因子。结果表明, 小麦间作玉米的耗水量较单作小麦、单作玉米耗水量的平均值增加了41.44%~47.15%; 间作全生育期的总棵间蒸发量显著大于单作, 但间作的日均棵间蒸发量显著低于单作玉米、高于单作小麦; 间作的棵间蒸发量占总耗水量的比重显著低于单作玉米, 说明间作可提高农田水分利用的有效性。随灌水水平的提高,间作总耗水量显著增加,单作相邻灌水处理间的差异不显著;灌水水平对单作玉米、间作棵间蒸发量的影响不显著,说明间作耗水量增加主要是由蒸腾作用造成的。作物的日均棵间蒸发量与0~30 cm的土壤含水量、0~25 cm的土壤温度、全生育期的平均叶面积指数均呈显著正相关关系。单作玉米日均棵间蒸发量较大的主要原因是0~30 cm的土壤含水量、0~25 cm的土壤温度均相对较高。小麦间作玉米可提高作物的土地利用率, 其水分利用效率较单作平均提高25%以上。     

Depth distribution of soil organic C and N after long-term soybean cropping in Texas

Crop management practices have potential to enhance subsoil C and N sequestration in the southern U.S., but effects may vary with tillage regime and cropping sequence. The objective of this study was to determine the impacts of tillage and soybean cropping sequence on the depth distribution of soil organic C (SOC), dissolved organic C (DOC), and total N after 20 years of treatment imposition for a silty clay loam soil in central Texas. A continuous soybean monoculture, a wheat–soybean doublecrop, and a sorghum–wheat–soybean rotation were established under both conventional (CT) and no tillage (NT). Soil was sampled after soybean harvest and sectioned into 0–5, 5–15, 15–30, 30–55, 55–80, and 80–105 cm depth intervals. Both tillage and cropping intensity influenced C and N dynamics in surface and subsurface soils. No tillage increased SOC, DOC, and total N compared to CT to a 30 cm depth for continuous soybean, but to 55 cm depths for the more intensive sorghum–wheat–soybean rotation and wheat–soybean doublecrop. Averaged from 0 to 105 cm, NT increased SOC, DOC, and total N by 32, 22, and 34%, respectively, compared to CT. Intensive cropping increased SOC and total N at depths to 55 cm compared to continuous soybean, regardless of tillage regime. Continuous soybean had significantly lower SOC (5.3 g kg⁻¹) than sorghum–wheat–soybean (6.4 g kg⁻¹) and wheat–soybean (6.1 g kg⁻¹), and 19% lower total N than other cropping sequences. Dissolved organic C was also significantly higher for sorghum–wheat–soybean (139 mg C kg⁻¹) than wheat–soybean (92 mg C kg⁻¹) and continuous soybean (100 mg C kg⁻¹). The depth distribution of SOC, DOC, and total N indicated treatment effects below the maximum tillage depth (25 cm), suggesting that roots, or translocation of dissolved organic matter from surface soils, contributed to higher soil organic matter levels under NT than CT in subsurface soils. High-intensity cropping sequences, coupled with NT, resulted in the highest soil organic matter levels, demonstrating potential for C and N sequestration for subsurface soils in the southern U.S.     

Soil organic carbon and fractions of a Rhodic Ferralsol under the influence of tillage and crop rotation systems in southern Brazil

Soil organic matter (SOM) and its different pools have key importance in optimizing crop production, minimizing negative environmental impacts, and thus improving soil quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the soil C and N contents in bulk soil and in different SOM pools (light and heavy fractions) of a clayey Rhodic Ferralsol after 13 years of different tillage and crop rotations in Passo Fundo, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Soil samples were collected from no-tillage (no soil disturbance except for sowing; NT) and conventional tillage (disc plough followed by light disc harrowings; CT) applied to wheat/soybean (W/S) and wheat/soybean–vetch/maize (W/S–V/M) rotations. As reference, soil was sampled from a non-cultivated area adjacent to the field experiment. The greatest soil C and N contents were found in non-cultivated soils in the 0–5 cm depth (45 g C kg⁻¹ soil and 3.6 g N kg⁻¹ soil). Crop cultivation led to a decrease in SOM content which was higher for CT soils (approx. 60% decrease in C and N contents) than NT soils (approx. 43% decrease in C and N contents) at 0–5 cm. Tillage had the greatest impact on soil C and N storage. Soils under NT did not contain higher C and N storage than CT soils below 5 cm depth. Significantly, higher amounts of organic carbon of FLF in CT (0.5–0.7 g C kg⁻¹ soil) than in NT soils (0.2 g C kg⁻¹ soil) at 10–20 cm depth were also observed and the differences in C and N storage between CT and NT soils in the 0–30 cm layer were not significant. Silt and clay fractions contained the largest amount of organic carbon (60–95% of total organic carbon), and free light fraction was the most sensitive pool of organic carbon to detect changes in SOM due to soil tillage and crop rotations.     

稳定13C同位素示踪技术在农田土壤碳循环和团聚体固碳研究中的应用进展

  目的  探讨黑土中添加秸秆对团聚体稳定性及有机碳贡献率的影响,为东北黑土地保护提供依据。  方法  基于43年的黑土长期定位试验,选取不施肥（CK）、单施有机肥（M）、单施氮磷钾化肥（NPK）、常量有机肥配施氮磷钾化肥（MNPK）和高量有机肥配施化肥（M₂N₂P₂）5种处理的土壤,添加等量秸秆（相当于实际生产的全量秸秆还田）后采用砂滤管法进行田间原位培养,在培养的第0、60和150 d取样分析土壤团聚体的稳定性、团聚体有机碳含量及添加秸秆对土壤有机碳的贡献率。  结果  添加秸秆促进了土壤大团聚体（> 250 μm）的形成,提高了大团聚体的比例,其中,常量有机肥配施氮、磷、钾化肥处理大团聚体含量增加效果显著,高于其它施肥处理;但随着培养时间的增加大团聚体含量减少,随之团聚体的稳定性呈现下降趋势。添加秸秆能够提高土壤大团聚体有机碳的含量,且高量有机肥配施化肥处理增加效果较好。单施有机肥、单施氮磷钾化肥、常量有机肥配施氮磷钾化肥处理中添加的秸秆对大团聚体有机碳的贡献率均达到80%以上（P < 0.05）;但随着培养时间的增加,秸秆对大团聚体有机碳贡献逐渐下降,而对53 ~ 250 μm和 < 53 μm团聚体有机碳贡献率呈上升趋势,有机碳在较小粒级的土壤团聚体中积累,进一步说明添加秸秆会影响团聚体分布的比例,进而影响团聚体有机碳的贡献率。  结论  添加秸秆提高了黑土团聚体稳定性和有机碳含量,高肥力（M₂N₂P₂）黑土配合秸秆还田可以提高土壤有机碳的固存能力。     

Soil quality response to tillage and crop residue removal under subarctic conditions

Little is known about the long-term effects of tillage and crop residue management on soil quality and organic matter conservation in subarctic regions. Therefore, we quantified wet aggregate stability, bulk density, pH, total organic C and N, inorganic N, microbial biomass C and N, microbial biomass C:N ratio, microbial quotient, and potential C and N mineralization for a tillage/crop residue management study in central Alaska. Soil from no-till (NT), disked once each spring (DO), and disked twice (DT, spring and fall) treatments was sampled to 20 cm depth in spring and fall of the 16th and 17th years of the study. Crop residues were either retained or removed after harvest each year. Reducing tillage intensity had greater impact on most soil properties than removing crop residues with the most notable effects in the top 10 cm. Bulk density was the only indicator that showed significant differences for the 10–20 cm depth, with values of 0.74 Mg m⁻³ in the surface 10 cm in NT compared to 0.86 in DT and 1.22 Mg m⁻³ in NT compared to 1.31 in DT for the 10–20 cm depth. Wet aggregate stability ranged from 10% in DT to 20% in NT. Use of NT or DO conserved soil organic matter more than DT. Compared to measurements made in the 3rd and 4th years of the study, the DT treatment lost almost 20% of the soil organic matter. Retaining crop residues on the soil conserved about 650 g m⁻² greater C than removing all residues each year. Soil microbial biomass C and mineralizable C were highest in NT, but the microbial C quotient, which averaged only 0.9%, was not affected by tillage or crop residue treatment. Microbial biomass C:N ratio was 11.3 in DT and 14.4 in the NT, indicating an increasing predominance of fungi with decreasing tillage intensity. Barley grain yield, which averaged 1980 kg ha⁻¹ over the entire 17 years of the study, was highest in DO and not significantly different between NT and DT, but weeds were a serious problem in NT. Reduced tillage can improve important soil quality indicators and conserve organic matter, but long-term NT may not be feasible in the subarctic because of weed problems and build up of surface organic matter.     

Long-term impact of reduced tillage and residue management on soil carbon stabilization: Implications for conservation agriculture on contrasting soils

Residue retention and reduced tillage are both conservation agricultural management options that may enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization in tropical soils. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of long-term tillage and residue management on SOC dynamics in a Chromic Luvisol (red clay soil) and Areni-Gleyic Luvisol (sandy soil) in Zimbabwe. At the time of sampling the soils had been under conventional tillage (CT), mulch ripping (MR), clean ripping (CR) and tied ridging (TR) for 9 years. Soil was fully dispersed and separated into 212–2000 μm (coarse sand), 53–212 μm (fine sand), 20–53 μm (coarse silt), 5–20 μm (fine silt) and 0–5 μm (clay) size fractions. The whole soil and size fractions were analyzed for C content. Conventional tillage treatments had the least amount of SOC, with 14.9 mg C g⁻¹ soil and 4.2 mg C g⁻¹ soil for the red clay and sandy soils, respectively. The highest SOC content was 6.8 mg C g⁻¹ soil in the sandy soil under MR, whereas for the red clay soil, TR had the highest SOC content of 20.4 mg C g⁻¹ soil. Organic C in the size fractions increased with decreasing size of the fractions. In both soils, the smallest response to management was observed in the clay size fractions, confirming that this size fraction is the most stable. The coarse sand-size fraction was most responsive to management in the sandy soil where MR had 42% more organic C than CR, suggesting that SOC contents of this fraction are predominantly controlled by amounts of C input. In contrast, the fine sand fraction was the most responsive fraction in the red clay soil with a 66% greater C content in the TR than CT. This result suggests that tillage disturbance is the dominant factor reducing C stabilization in a clayey soil, probably by reducing C stabilization within microaggregates. In conclusion, developing viable conservation agriculture practices to optimize SOC contents and long-term agroecosystem sustainability should prioritize the maintenance of C inputs (e.g. residue retention) to coarse textured soils, but should focus on the reduction of SOC decomposition (e.g. through reduced tillage) in fine textured soils.     

Soil C and N changes on conservation reserve program lands in the Central Great Plains

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was initiated to reduce water and wind erosion on marginal, highly erodible croplands by removing them from production and planting permanent, soil-conserving vegetation such as grass. We conducted a field study at two sites in Wyoming, USA, in order to quantify changes in soil C and N of marginal croplands seeded to grass, and of native rangeland plowed and cropped to wheat–fallow. Field plots were established on a sandy loam site and a clay loam site on wheat–fallow cropland that had been in production for 60+ years and on adjacent native rangeland. In 1993, 6 years after the study was initiated, the surface soil was sampled in 2.5 cm depth increments, while the subsurface soil was composited as one depth increment. All soil samples were analyzed for total organic C and N, and potential net mineralized C and N. After 60+ years of cultivation, surface soils at both study sites were 18–26% lower (by mass) in total organic C and N than in the A horizons of adjacent native range. Six years after plowing and converting native rangeland to cropland (three wheat–fallow cycles), both total and potential net mineralized C and N in the surface soil had decreased and NO₃–N at all depths had increased to levels found after 60+ years of cultivation. We estimate that mixing of the surface and subsurface soil with tillage accounted for 40–60% of the decrease in surface soil C and N in long-term cultivated fields; in the short-term cultivated fields, mixing with tillage may have accounted for 60–75% of the decrease in C, and 30–60% of the decrease in N. These results emphasize the need to evaluate C and N in the entire soil solum, rather than in just the surface soil, if actual losses of C and N due to cultivation are to be distinguished from vertical redistribution. Five years after reestablishing grass on the sandy loam soil, both total and potential net mineralized C and N in the surface soil had increased to levels equal to or greater than those observed in the A horizon of the native range. On the clay loam soil, however, significant increases in total organic C were observed only in the surface 2.5 cm of N-fertilized grass plots, while total organic N had not significantly increased from levels observed in the long-term cultivated fields.     

Hydraulic conductivity, residue cover and soil surface roughness under different tillage systems in semiarid conditions

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of tillage and cropping system on near-saturated hydraulic conductivity, residue cover and surface roughness to improve soil management for moisture conservation under semiarid Mediterranean conditions. Three tillage systems were compared (subsoil tillage, minimum tillage and no-tillage) under three field situations (continuous crop, fallow and crop after fallow) on two soils (Fluventic Xerochrept and Lithic Xeric Torriorthent). Soil under no-tillage had lower hydraulic conductivity (5.0 cm day⁻¹) than under subsoil tillage (15.5 cm day⁻¹) or minimum tillage (14.3 cm day⁻¹) during 1 of 2 years in continuous crop due to a reduction of soil porosity. Residue cover at sowing was greater under no-tillage (60%) than under subsoil or minimum tillage (<10%) in continuous crop. Under fallow, residue cover was low (10%) at sowing of the following crop for all tillage systems in both soils. Surface roughness increased with tillage, with a high value of 16% and decreasing following rainfall. Under no-tillage, surface roughness was relatively low (3–4%). Greater surface residue cover under no-tillage helped conserve water, despite indications of lower hydraulic conductivity. To overcome the condition of low infiltration and high evaporation when no-till fallow is expected in a cropping sequence, either greater residue production should be planed prior to fallow (e.g. no residue harvest) or surface tillage may be needed during fallow.     

Long-term changes in soil organic matter under conventional tillage and no-tillage systems in semiarid Morocco

Abstract. A no-tillage (NT) system was developed in semiarid Morocco to improve the soil fertility and stabilize yield through conservation of water. Results in two long-term trials (4 and 11 years) were able to show the effects of a no-tillage system in increasing total soil organic matter and total nitrogen. Over time, the quality of the NT soil surface was improved compared with that under conventional tillage (CT) with disc harrows. This effect was the result of an increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) and a slight decline in pH. However, over time, nitrogen decreased in both tillage practices, especially in the 0–25 mm layer (from 0.59 to 0.57 t ha⁻¹ and from 0.44 to 0.42 t ha⁻¹ under NT and CT, respectively). After 4 years of NT an extra 5.62 t ha⁻¹ of SOC was sequestered in the 0–25 mm layer, and after 11 years the SOC increased further to 7.21 t ha⁻¹.     

长期不同施肥对稻田土壤有机质和全氮的影响

通过对湖南新化、宁乡、株洲、桃江、武岗5个国家级稻田肥力长期定位试验点18年的田间定位试验,研究了不同施肥方式下0-20 cm土层土壤有机质和全N含量的演变规律。结果显示,中量和高量有机肥与化肥配合处理在提高土壤有机质和全N含量方面效果明显优于单施化肥和秸秆还田处理,且随有机肥用量的增加而增加,表明有机肥与化肥配合施用是提高土壤有机质和N素肥力的重要措施。在不同施肥方式下,稻田土壤有机质总体上呈现出上升或者下降的趋势,但在不同的年份会有波动。     

Transitioning from standard to minimum tillage: Trade-offs between soil organic matter stabilization, nitrous oxide emissions, and N availability in irrigated cropping systems

Few studies address nutrient cycling during the transition period (e.g., 1–4 years following conversion) from standard to some form of conservation tillage. This study compares the influence of minimum versus standard tillage on changes in soil nitrogen (N) stabilization, nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, short-term N cycling, and crop N use efficiency 1 year after tillage conversion in conventional (i.e., synthetic fertilizer-N only), low-input (i.e., alternating annual synthetic fertilizer- and cover crop-N), and organic (i.e., manure- and cover crop-N) irrigated, maize–tomato systems in California. To understand the mechanisms governing N cycling in these systems, we traced ¹⁵N-labeled fertilizer/cover crop into the maize grain, whole soil, and three soil fractions: macroaggregates (>250 μm), microaggregates (53–250 μm) and silt-and-clay (<53 μm). We found a cropping system effect on soil N_new (i.e., N derived from ¹⁵N-fertilizer or -¹⁵N-cover crop), with 173 kg N_new ha⁻¹ in the conventional system compared to 71.6 and 69.2 kg N_new ha⁻¹ in the low-input and organic systems, respectively. In the conventional system, more N_new was found in the microaggregate and silt-and-clay fractions, whereas, the N_new of the organic and low-input systems resided mainly in the macroaggregates. Even though no effect of tillage was found on soil aggregation, the minimum tillage systems showed greater soil fraction-N_new than the standard tillage systems, suggesting greater potential for N stabilization under minimum tillage. Grain-N_new was also higher in the minimum versus standard tillage systems. Nevertheless, minimum tillage led to the greatest N₂O emissions (39.5 g N₂O–N ha⁻¹ day⁻¹) from the conventional cropping system, where N turnover was already the fastest among the cropping systems. In contrast, minimum tillage combined with the low-input system (which received the least N ha⁻¹) produced intermediate N₂O emissions, soil N stabilization, and crop N use efficiency. Although total soil N did not change after 1 year of conversion from standard to minimum tillage, our use of stable isotopes permitted the early detection of interactive effects between tillage regimes and cropping systems that determine the trade-offs among N stabilization, N₂O emissions, and N availability.     

长期施肥条件下土壤碳氮循环过程研究进展

土壤是主要的陆地生态系统碳库,碳、氮通过大气-作物-土壤界面进行周转和协同转化。长期施肥通过改变土壤物理、化学和生物学性质,进而影响土壤有机碳、氮储量的稳定性。土壤有机质是评价土壤质量的重要指标,具有农艺和环境双重功能。有机-无机肥配施不仅可显著提高土壤肥力,并且可减少农田土壤温室气体排放,保持农田土地的可持续利用。本文就土壤碳、氮消长动态研究以及有机质周转的同位素示踪测试技术等作一简要综述。     

Soil microbial dynamics in maize-growing soil under different tillage and residue management systems

The long-term impact of tillage and residue management on soil microorganisms was studied over the growing season in a sandy loam to loamy sand soil of southwestern Quebec, growing maize (Zea mays L.) monoculture. Tillage and residue treatments were first imposed on plots in fall 1991. Treatments consisted of no till, reduced tillage, and conventional tillage with crop residues either removed from (−R) or retained on (+R) experimental plots, laid out in a randomized complete block design. Soil microbial biomass carbon (SMB-C), soil microbial biomass nitrogen (SMB-N) and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) contents were measured four times, at two depths (0-10 and 10-20 cm), over the 2001 growing season. Sample times were: May 7 (preplanting), June 25, July 16, and September 29 (prior to corn harvest). The effect of time was of a greater magnitude than those attributed to tillage or residue treatments. While SMB-C showed little seasonal change (160 μg C g⁻¹ soil), SMB-N was responsive to post-emergence mineral nitrogen fertilization, and PLFA analysis showed an increase in fungi and total PLFA throughout the season. PLFA profiles showed better distinction between sampling time and depth, than between treatments. The effect of residue was more pronounced than that of tillage, with increased SMB-C and SMB-N (61 and 96%) in +R plots compared to −R plots. This study illustrated that measuring soil quality based on soil microbial components must take into account seasonal changes in soil physical and chemical conditions.