Effects of additions of organic matter on the penetration resistance of glacial till for the entire water tension range

Hardsetting soil properties are undesirable in agricultural soils because they hamper crop production by limiting seedling emergence and root growth via increased mechanical soil resistance at low moisture contents. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of additions of organic matter on the penetration resistance of a hardsetting soil for the entire water tension range. Investigations were carried out on Saalian glacial till, which is used as a reclamation substrate in post-lignite-mining reclamation. Proportions of 0%, 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% by mass of organic matter (OM) were used. The remoulded samples were saturated under a constant load of 2.4 kPa to achieve bulk densities equivalent to a soil depth of 15–20 cm via water-induced consolidation. Subsequently, the mixtures were adjusted to water tensions between 10⁰ and 10⁷ hPa and penetrated using a small cone penetrometer. Compared to 0% OM, the addition of 1% OM led to a very small but significant (P < 0.01) increase in the bulk density, while between 1% and 4% OM bulk density was seen to decrease in a linear fashion. At moisture contents greater than field capacity, penetration resistance values were consistent with the observed changes in bulk density, leading to an increase in the samples containing 0–1% OM to critical values for root-growth and a decrease for samples containing 2% and more organic matter reaching to values non-critical for roots. At moisture contents smaller than field capacity, penetration resistance values were inversely related to the bulk density, supporting the concept that the type of organic matter added contributed to soil cohesion. Modeling the relation between water tension and penetration resistance using a sigmoidal equation showed a high consistency between the observed data and the model.     

Effect of organic and mineral fertilizers on soil respiration and enzyme activities of two Mediterranean horticultural soils

The effects of municipal food waste compost addition and mineral fertilization on selected soil microbiological activities were investigated during 3 years of reiterated treatments on two Mediterranean agricultural soils with different organic carbon content. Compost at 15, 30 and 45 t ha⁻¹ (dry matter), mineral (NPK) fertilizers and combined fertilizers with 15 t ha⁻¹ of compost plus two reduced doses of mineral N were applied to both soils. At both sites, organic amendment increased soil respiration, fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, phosphatase and arylsulphatase activities. The differences in soil microbial activities among treatments, found after 3 years of repeated treatments, were attributable to the variations of soil organic C content and to the impact of soil tillage. Our results show that, in Mediterranean intensively cultivated agroecosystems, annual organic amendments improve the microbial activity of soil and produce cumulative effects, suggesting the usefulness of repeated high-rate compost applications.     

Grazing-induced spatial variability of soil bulk density and content of moisture, organic carbon and calcium carbonate in a semi-arid rangeland

The landscape of many semiarid rangelands is characterized by a two-phase, shrub–intershrub vegetation mosaic, each phase having different soil properties. However, this broad subdivision groups together types of intershrub surface cover that may also differ in their soil properties and play important roles in ecosystem functioning. In the northern Negev region of Israel, we examined the soil properties associated with flock trampling routes and rock fragment clusters, as well as those associated with the remainder of the intershrub area and shrub patches. Moisture content, organic carbon content, bulk density and calcium carbonate content of the soil were determined for the above four types of cover, inside and outside long-term grazing exclosures. Soil was sampled in the peak of the growing season and in the end of the dry season, on a north- and a south-facing hillside, and from two depths. The shrub patches exhibited the highest soil moisture and organic carbon contents, and the lowest bulk density and calcium carbonate contents. The trampling routes showed opposite trends. The rock fragment clusters and the remainder of the intershrub area did not generally differ and had intermediate values of these properties. Grazing did not have a significant effect on soil properties at the whole-plot scale, but there were highly significant interactions between grazing and type of cover. Compared with the former trampling routes in the exclosures, the active trampling routes outside them had higher bulk density and lower moisture and organic carbon contents. The intershrub area had higher moisture and organic carbon contents under grazing than in the exclosures. Grazing increased the spatial heterogeneity of the soil properties examined via the creation of a network of trampling routes on the hillsides. The routes themselves, which constituted over 20% of the landscape cover, had degraded soil properties but they led to the improvement of the properties of the remainder of the intershrub area via functionally important source–sink relationships. The study of the soil of regions in which such networks are apparent should be duly cognizant of this intershrub subdivision in addition to the widely recognized shrub–intershrub dichotomy.     

Effect of organic and mineral fertilizers on some soil properties

Abstract

NPK was applied to a Haynie, very fine, sandy loam as 89.6 MT/ha (40 T/ac) of OF (organic fertilizer as feedlot manure at 45% water content) and as MF (mineral fertilizer) with nutrients equivalent to the manure during 18 months.

Organic fertilizer increased soil organic matter content 0.25% more than the MF and 0.2% more than the control. Organic fertilizer increased the CEC 0.3 m.e./100 g more than the MF and 0.4 m.e./100 g more than the control. Organic fertilizer increased exch. Mg by 32 kg/ha while MF decreased exch. Mg slightly.     

Modeling and correction of soil penetration resistance for varying soil water content

For this study penetration resistance (PR) was measured within the profiles of four Oxisols for a wide range of water contents (θ) and bulk densities. Obtained data were utilized to parameterize 23 previously applied regression models. The most promising models were selected to illustrate effects of soil texture on PR. Finally, a new correction method based on normalization of PR with θ corresponding to a matric potential of − 10 kPa was introduced. Evaluation of texture effects revealed that for very wet soils PR was lowest, but increased with clay content. PR at − 1500 kPa exhibited a maximum at clay content of 35% and at − 10 kPa PR was least affected by texture. From all regression models three- and two-parametric exponential and power functions yielded closest matches to measured data. The proposed correction significantly dampened the influence of θ on PR, which allows better comparison for a specific soil or among different soils.     

Effect of long-term organic and mineral fertilizer on physical properties in root zone of a clayey Ultisol

To explore the effects of long-term organic and mineral fertilization practices on the physical properties in Ultisol of south China, a study was conducted since 1998 to investigate the effects of a control (CK), application of chemical fertilizers (NPK), application of organic manure (OM), and NPK fertilizer plus straw returning (NPK + straw). Results showed that OM significantly increased soil water retention capacity at all tensions but with larger increment in low tension at depths of 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm (p < 0.05) when compared with the CK. On the contrary, NPK and NPK + straw led to a decrease in soil water retention capacity under chemical treatments. In the field both in wet and dry periods, soil water content was significantly higher in OM than in NPK + straw and NPK (p < 0.05) since soil hydraulic conductivity (saturated and unsaturated) are lower in OM than in other treatments (p < 0.05). OM was also found to have the lowest soil bulk density and penetration resistance of the four treatments. A high negative correlation was observed between the soil organic carbon and the bulk density and the penetration resistance (p < 0.01). In this way, the application of OM improved the clayey soil physical properties.     

Effects of tractor traffic on spatial variability of soil strength and water content in grass covered and cultivated sloping vineyard

Frequent machinery traffic on sloping vineyard influences spatial distribution of soil physical properties. Our objective was to assess the effects of crawler tractor traffic across the slope (20%) on spatial distribution of soil strength and water content of silt loam soil under controlled grass cover and conventionally cultivated vineyard. The experiment was situated on hillside vineyard (NW, Italy) arranged with rows crosswise the slope. The grass covered treatment included periodical mowing and chopping of herbs and the cultivated treatment—autumn ploughing (18 cm) and spring and summer rotary-hoeing in the vineyard inter-rows (2.7 m). A crawler tractor (2.82 Mg) was used at the same locations across the slope for all tillage and chemical operations. The measurements of soil bulk density, penetration resistance and volumetric water content were done in autumn (after vintage) within the sloping inter-row. The results were analyzed using classic statistics and geostatistics with and without trend. The highest variability was obtained for penetration resistance (CV 56.6%) and the lowest for bulk density (9.6%). In most cases, the semivariograms of the soil parameters were well described by spherical models. The semivariance parameters of all properties measured were influenced by trend. Three-dimensional (3D) maps well identified areas with the highest soil strength in lower crawler ruts being positioned in the upper side of vine row and successively lower strength in upper ruts situated on other side of the same row and inter-rut area. Higher strength in lower than upper ruts was induced by tractor's tilt and resulting higher ground contact pressure. Soil water content in both treatments was the lowest below the upper rut and increased in inter-rut and lower rut areas. The differences in the soil properties between the places within the inter-row were more pronounced in grass covered than in cultivated soil.     

Effects of mulching on soil physical properties and runoff under semi-arid conditions in southern Spain

Application of crop residues to soil and reduced or no tillage are current management practices in order to achieve better water management, increase soil fertility, crop production and soil erosion control. This study was carried out to quantify the effect of wheat straw mulching in a no tilled Fluvisol under semi-arid conditions in SW Spain and to determine the optimum rate in terms of cost and soil protection. After a 3-years experiment, mulching application significantly improved physical and chemical properties of the studied soil with respect to control, and the intensity of changes was related to mulching rate. The organic matter content was generally increased, although no benefit was found beyond 10 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. Bulk density, porosity and aggregate stability were also improved with increasing mulching rates, which confirmed the interactions of these properties. Low mulching rates did not have a significant effect on water properties with respect to control, although the available water capacity increased greatly under high mulching rates. After simulated rainfall experiments (65 mm h⁻¹ intensity), it was found that the mulch layer contributed to increase the roughness and the interception of raindrops, delaying runoff generation and enhancing the infiltration of rain water during storms. Mulching contributed to a reduction in runoff generation and soil losses compared to bare soil, and negligible runoff flow or sediment yield were determined under just 5 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ mulching rate. It was observed that during simulations, the erosive response quickly decreases with time after prolonged storms (30 min) due to the exhaustion of available erodible particles. These results suggest that the erosive consequences of intermediate intensity 5-years-recurrent storms in the studied area could be strongly diminished by using just 5 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ mulching rates.     

Phosphorus fractions in an acid soil continuously fertilized with mineral and organic fertilizers

The effect of different treatments on the fate of applied P was investigated in a long-term field experiment started in 1972–1973 following a maize–wheat sequence. The soil samples were collected after 29 years of continuous addition of mineral fertilizers and amendments such as farmyard manure (FYM) and lime. The total P content of all the treatments increased compared to the original soil; NaOH-inorganic P (P_i) (NaOH-P_i) representing Fe and Al-bound P was the dominant P_i fraction. At the beginning of the experiment (1972–1973), the various P pools could be quantitatively ranked in the following order: residual P>NaOH-organic P (P_o)>NaOH-P_i>NaHCO₃-P_o>NaHCO₃-P_i>HCl-P>H₂O-P. As a result of continued P fertilization and cropping, the order changed as follows: residual P>NaOH-P_i>NaOH-P_o>NaHCO₃-P_i>NaHCO₃-P_o>HCl-P>H₂O-P. Compared to the imbalanced mineral fertilizer application, the balanced as well as integrated application of nutrients resulted in significantly lower P adsorption capacity of soils. The Olsen extractable-P fraction (plant-available P) increased from about 12 mg kg^–1 soil in 1972 to about 81 mg kg^–1 soil in the treatments receiving P for the last 29 years.     

水质和体积质量对碱土饱和导水率和盐分淋洗的影响

以松嫩平原典型碱土为研宄对象,采用承压水、潜水及蒸馏水模拟的雨水3种水源,分别在6种体积质量(容重)下测定了土壤饱和导水率和淋洗液的电导率及pH,分析了水质和体积质量对碱土饱和导水率和盐分淋洗的影响以及饱和导水率与淋洗液电导率和pH值间的关系.结果表明:碱土饱和导水率随测定用水电导率的增加而升高;采用承压水和潜水测定时,碱土饱和导水率随土壤体积质量的增加而降低;采用蒸馏水测定时,饱和导水率在1.08～1.33 g/cm~3体积质量范围内均为0.11mm/d,而当体积质量>1.42g/cm~3时,饱和导水率均为0 mm/d;淋洗液的电导率和pH值随着测定用水电导率的逐渐增加而不断降低;采用潜水和承压水测定时,淋洗液的电导率和pH值随体积质量的增加而升高,用蒸馏水测定时,淋洗液的电导率和pH值不随体积质量的变化而改变;淋洗液电导率和pH均随饱和导水率增加而降低,且二者与饱和导水率均呈指数关系,碱土饱和导水率越高其盐分淋洗效果越好.     

长期不同施肥模式对大麦-双季稻田根际土壤有机氮组分的影响

根际土壤有机氮组分在土壤养分和作物氮素营养中具有重要作用。本研究依托长期（37年）定位施肥试验田,设置4个施肥处理：不施肥对照（CK）、单独施用化肥（CF）、秸秆还田+化肥（RF）和30%有机肥+70%化肥（OM）,于晚稻成熟期测定大麦-双季稻田根际土壤基础理化性质、微生物量氮和有机氮组分（氨基酸态氮、氨基糖态氮、酸解氨态氮、酸解未知态氮、非酸解性氮）含量。研究表明：相对CK处理,RF和OM处理显著增加了稻田根际土壤有机碳、全氮、铵态氮和硝态氮的含量。RF和OM处理土壤微生物量氮含量分别比CK处理增加了19.8%和30.7%。酸解性氮作为根际土壤全氮的主体部分,占全氮的59.6%~72.1%;各处理根际土壤酸解性氮含量大小顺序表现为OM>RF>CF>CK。各施肥处理中,酸解有机氮中的氨基糖态氮、氨基酸态氮和酸解未知态氮含量均以OM处理最大,分别比CK处理增加139.3%、47.9%和110.0%;酸解氨态氮以RF处理最大,比CK处理增加69.9%。土壤有机碳、全氮、铵态氮、硝态氮与土壤氨基酸态氮、氨基糖态氮、酸解未知态氮以及微生物量氮均呈极显著（p<0.01）正相关。因此,秸秆、有机肥配施化肥均能有效提高大麦-双季稻田根际土壤的供氮能力,是改善稻田土壤肥力的有效手段。     

土壤容重对土壤物理性状和小麦生长的影响

以黑土和白浆土为试材 ,进行筒栽试验 .结果表明 ,适宜小麦生长的容重范围分别为 1 .1 5～1 .3 0 g/cm3和 0 .9～ 1 .0 5g/cm3.     

长期有机无机肥配施对水稻产量及土壤有效养分影响

利用中国农业科学院红壤实验站开始于1982年的水稻长期定位试验,研究长期有机无机肥配施对水稻产量及土壤速效氮、磷、钾含量的动态变化(1982—2011年)特征。29年研究结果表明:长期有机无机肥配施(NPKM)能提高水稻产量,培肥地力。长期施用化肥(NPK)导致水稻产量降低。稻谷产量随着施肥量的增加而增加。在等氮投入情况下,增施化学磷肥的增产效应要高于化学钾肥,且早稻表现尤为明显;长期单施有机肥和单施化肥对稻谷产量的影响没有显著差异。随着施肥时间的延长,各处理水稻产量差异越显著。各施肥处理土壤碱解氮增加速率表现为慢-快-慢三个阶段,有机肥的施用相较单施化肥,能够显著提高土壤碱解氮含量(p0.05)。土壤有效磷的累积主要与化学磷肥的施用有关,各施肥处理土壤有效磷历年平均含量变化趋势为:NPKM、NPM、PKMNPKM、NKM(p0.01);土壤速效钾以有机肥和化学钾肥配施的处理(NPKM、NKM、PKM)增加最快,单施化学肥料的处理(NPK)增加最慢。随着氮、磷施用量的增加,土壤中氮、磷素出现盈余,但NPKM处理相比其他处理能够有效降低盈余量;各处理土壤中钾素均表现为亏缺状态,红壤性水稻田至少每年应补充投入钾素200 kg hm-2才能基本维持土壤钾素平衡。     

长期施用化肥和有机肥对土壤有机碳和容重的影响

在长期定位试验的基础上,探讨了施用化肥和作物秸秆对土体土壤容重和有机碳空间变异的影响.研究结果表明,化肥的施用不仅影响耕层肥力性状,而且会使耕层以下的土壤容重降低和有机碳增加,从而立体地促进土壤肥力的提高,而施用秸秆则只能改善耕层范围的土壤肥力.不同施肥措施造成土壤肥力性状的立体差异主要是由于不同施肥对作物生长和土壤根系的影响差别造成的.化肥对土壤根系的促进作用要比作物秸秆大许多倍,从而使耕层以下有大量残根分布,这些残根促进了深层土壤容重的降低和有机碳的提高.     

Response of soil physical properties to tillage and residue management on two soils in a cool temperate environment

In view of their potential benefits, reduced or no tillage (NT) systems are being advocated worldwide. Concerns about impairment of some soil conditions, however, cast doubt on their unqualified acceptance. We evaluated the effects of 6 years of tillage and residue management on bulk density, penetration resistance, aggregation and infiltration rate of a Black Chernozem at Innisfail (loam, 65 g kg⁻¹ organic matter, Udic Boroll) and a Gray Luvisol at Rimbey (loam, 31 g kg⁻¹ organic matter, Boralf) cropped to monoculture spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in a cool temperate climate in Alberta, Canada. Tillage systems were no tillage and tillage with rototilling (T), and two residue levels were straw removed (−S) and straw retained (+S). Bulk density (BD) of the 0–7.5 and 7.5–15 cm depths was significantly greater under NT (1.13–1.58 Mg m⁻³) than under T (0.99–1.41 Mg m⁻³) in both soils, irrespective of residue management. In both soils, penetration resistance (PR) was greater under NT than under T to 15 cm depth. Residue retention significantly reduced PR of the 0–10 cm soil in NT, but not in T. In the 0–5 cm depth of the Black Chernozem, the >2 mm fraction of dry aggregates was highest under NT + S (72%), and lowest under T − S (50%). The wind-erodible fraction (dry aggregates <1 mm size) was smallest (18%) under NT + S and largest (39%) under T − S. Soil aggregation benefited more from NT than from residue retention. Proportion of wind-erodible aggregates was generally greater in the Gray Luvisol than in the Black Chernozem. In the Black Chernozem, steady-state infiltration rate (IR) was significantly lower (33%) under NT than under T. Residue retention improved IR in both NT and T. In the Gray Luvisol, IR was not significantly affected by tillage and residue management. Despite firmer soil, NT and residue retention are recommended to improve aggregation in the cool temperate region of Western Canada.     

Building and testing conceptual and empirical models for predicting soil bulk density

The development of pedotransfer functions offers a potential means of alleviating cost and labour burdens associated with bulk‐density determinations. As a means of incorporating a priori knowledge into the model‐building process, we propose a conceptual model for predicting soil bulk density from other more regularly measured properties. The model considers soil bulk density to be a function of soil mineral packing structures (ρ_m) and soil structure (Δρ). Bulk‐density maxima were found for soils with approximately 80% sand. Bulk densities were also observed to increase with depth, suggesting the influence of over‐burden pressure. Residuals from the ρ_m model, hereby known as Δρ, correlated with organic carbon. All models were trained using Australian soil data, with limits set at bulk densities between 0.7 and 1.8 g cm^?3 and containing organic carbon levels below 12%. Performance of the conceptual model (r² = 0.49) was found to be comparable with a multiple linear regression model (r² = 0.49) and outperformed models developed using an artificial neural network (r² = 0.47) and a regression tree (r² = 0.43). Further development of the conceptual model should allow the inclusion of soil morphological data to improve bulk‐density predictions.     

Erosional effects on soil organic carbon stock in an on-farm study on Alfisols in west central Ohio

Soil erosion and depositional processes in relation to land use and soil management need to be quantified to better understand the soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics. This study was undertaken on a Miamian soil (Oxyaquic Hapludalfs) under on-farm conditions in western Ohio with the objectives of evaluating the effects of degree of erosion on SOC stock under a range of tillage systems. Six farms selected for this study were under: no-till (NT) for 15, 10, 6 and 1.5 years; chisel till every alternate year with annual manure application (MCT); and annual chisel till (ACT). A nearby forest (F) site on the same soil was chosen as control. Using the depth of A horizon as an indicator of the degree of erosion, four erosion phases identified were: uneroded (flat fields under F, NT15, and on the summit of sloping fields under NT10, NT6, NT1.5 and MCT); deposition (NT10, NT6, NT1.5 and ACT); slight (NT10, MCT and ACT); and moderate erosion (NT10 and ACT). Core and bulk soil samples were collected in triplicate from four depths (i.e., 0–10, 10–20, 20–30 and 30–50 cm) for each erosional phase in each field for the determination of bulk density, and SOC concentrations and stocks. SOC concentration in NT fields increased at a rate of 5% year⁻¹ for 0–10 cm and 2.5% year⁻¹ for 10–20 cm layer with increasing duration under NT. High SOC concentration for NT15 is indicative of SOC-sequestration potential upon conversion from plow till to NT. SOC concentration declined by 19.0–14.5 g kg⁻¹ in MCT and 11.3–9.7 g kg⁻¹ in NT10 between uneroded and slight erosion, and 12.0–11.2 g kg⁻¹ between slight and moderate erosion in ACT. Overall SOC stock was greatest in the forest for each of the four depths. Total SOC stock for the 50 cm soil layer varied in the order F (71.99 Mg ha⁻¹) > NT15 (56.10 Mg ha⁻¹) > NT10 (37.89 Mg ha⁻¹) = NT6 (36.58 Mg ha⁻¹) for uneroded phase (P < 0.05). The lack of uneroded phase in ACT indicated high erosion risks of tillage, as also indicated by the high SOC stock for deposition phase from 0 to 50 cm soil layer (ACT (56.56 Mg ha⁻¹) > NT1.5 (42.70 Mg ha⁻¹) > NT10 (30.97 Mg ha⁻¹)). Tillage increased soil erosion and decreased SOC stock for top 10 cm layer for all erosional phases except deposition.     

有机肥和化肥长期施用对土壤活性有机氮组分及酶活性的影响

本文以中国农业科学院山东禹城长期定位施肥试验为平台,研究了长期施用有机肥和化肥26年后对土壤活性氮库不同组分［颗粒有机氮（POM-N）、 可溶性有机氮（DON）、 微生物量氮（SMBN）及轻组有机氮（LFOM-N）］及土壤酶活性的影响。结果表明,与不施肥相比,长期施肥显著提高了土壤全氮、 颗粒有机氮、 可溶性有机氮、 微生物量氮以及轻组有机氮的含量,长期施有机肥效果好于化肥,施用高量有机肥效果好于施用常量有机肥。常量施用量下,50%有机肥和50%化肥配施处理其土壤全氮和活性有机氮库各组分含量与高量化肥处理的相当。长期施化肥处理土壤全氮及活性有机氮库各组分含量随施肥量的增加而显著增高。POM-N对土壤全氮的贡献率最高,且明显受施肥方式的影响,LFOM-N对土壤全氮的贡献率不随施肥方式的改变而变化。长期施肥处理土壤脲酶、 碱性磷酸酶和蔗糖酶活性显著增加,它们之间及与土壤全氮、 速效磷及有机碳含量间呈现显著或极显著相关性,脲酶活性与土壤各活性氮组分间也存在显著或极显著相关性; 但长期施肥后土壤过氧化氢酶的活性低于不施肥     

Soil compaction effects on soil bulk density and penetration resistance and growth of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Abstract

The weight of the tractor is not the only factor affecting soil compaction. Soil-management practices, such as the use of fertilizers and pesticides, also affect soil properties through an increased number of overriding. The aim of the current study was to investigate compaction effects on soil physical properties, such as dry bulk density and penetration resistance, and the growth of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) as a monoculture. The five-year experiment was conducted on the Estonian University of Life Sciences’ research field at Eerika, near Tartu in 2001–2005. The soil of the experimental site is sandy loam Stagnic Luvisol. The treatments included were no compaction, one pass, three passes, and six passes. All passes were track-by-track. Measurements of soil and plant were made in the earing phase of barley and measurements of yield in the maturity phase of barley. The compaction treatment was conducted using an MTZ-82 tractor (total weight 4.84 Mg). Neither fertilizers nor herbicides were used. 5 years after compaction distinguishable subsoil and topsoil compaction was detected. Soil deformation increases with the number of passes; in the case of six passes soil bulk density increased by 0.15 Mg m^?3 and penetration resistance by 3 MPa. However, there were no significant differences in the soil bulk density and penetration resistance between treatments compacted with one and three passes. The effect of compaction on soil bulk density was higher when the soil was compacted under wet conditions. Compaction decreased the quantity of barley shoots, their phytomass, and grain yield by more than 80%. In the second year of the experiment the dry weight of above ground biomass decreased by almost three times and shoots’ density by 1.5 times, compared with the first year results. In the third year of the experiment the biomass, plant density, and grain yield of barley were stabilized and no further decreases were detected in the following two experimental years. The results from the experiment revealed that even a low weight tractor can induce subsoil compaction and a high decrease of plant productivity by repeated passes over time.     

Influence of mineral and organic fertilizers on soil organic carbon pools

Abstract

The influence of farmyard manure (FYM) and equivalent mineral NPK application on organic matter content, hot water extractable carbon (HWC), microbial biomass C (C_mic), and grain yields in a long-term field experiment was assessed after 40 years in Hungary. The unfertilized plot, FYM fertilized plots and plots fertilized with equivalent NPK fertilizer contained 0.99%, 1.13% and 1.05% total organic carbon (TOC) respectively. Compared to the unfertilized plot, FYM application resulted in 8.2% higher TOC than equivalent NPK fertilization. The highest TOC was only 1.21%, much lower than expected for a soil containing 21.3% of clay. The quantity of HWC varied depending on the type of fertilization: Compared to control, FYM treatments lead to 29% more HWC than mineral fertilization (FYM: 328 mg kg^?1; NPK: 264 mg kg^?1). The impact of FYM and equivalent NPK fertilizer on C_mic was contrary. FYM and NPK resulted in 304 and 423 mg kg^?1 C_mic, respectively. The difference was 119 mg kg^?1; 42% as compared to the unfertilized plot. Despite the higher HWC content, FYM treatments lead to significantly less (35%) grain yields than equivalent NPK doses; C_mic content showed closer correlation to grain yields.