北京石质山区不同水土保持措施对土壤物理性质及抗冲性的影响——以房山区蒲洼小流域为例

为评价北京山区多年来小流域综合治理的水土保持效果,也为以后小流域治理和植被重建提供理论支撑,以房山区蒲洼小流域为研究地,采用典型样地调查、野外抗冲性实验和室内样品处理的方法,对比分析不同水土保持措施的土壤物理性质、土壤质地和抗冲性.结果表明:随着土层加深,各类措施下土壤密度均呈现增大趋势,总孔隙度和毛管孔隙度呈现减小趋势,而非毛管孔隙度没有明显规律.不同水土保持措施下,土壤密度、总孔隙度和毛管孔隙度均有改善(侧柏林除外),改善程度由好到差依次为:辽东栎次生林＞油松落叶松混交林＞石坎梯田＞油松林＞落叶松林＞灌丛;各类措施下土壤颗粒均以细、中粉粒为最多,分形维数显示各类水保措施土壤通透性均较为良好;相比荒地,各类措施下土壤冲刷量显著减小,径流时间延长,冲刷量依次为油松落叶松混交林(0.82 kg/cm3)＜侧柏林(1.14 kg/cm3)＜落叶松林(1.30 kg/cm3)＜辽东栎次生林(3.91 kg/cm3)＜油松林(5.96 kg/cm3)＜荆条灌丛(10.88 kg/cm3),延缓径流冲刷时间由大到小依次为:辽东栎次生林(55.65 s/m)＞油松落叶松混交林(46.82 s/m)＞落叶松(28.19 s/m)＞荆条灌丛(22.39s/m)＞侧柏林(17.48 s/m)＞油松林(16.94 s/m).土壤抗冲性与细、中粉粒体积分数(正相关)、非毛管孔隙度呈显著(负相关)关系最为密切,由此推出大根径的根系穿插形成的非毛管孔隙对土壤抗冲性是负效应.综上,油松落叶松林混交林提升土壤蓄水持水性能、土壤抗冲性均显示出很大的优势;石坎梯田效果也较好,是小流域治理应首先考虑的2类措施.     

Tillage effects on soil aggregation and soil organic carbon profile distribution under Mediterranean semi‐arid conditions

In rainfed semi‐arid agroecosystems, soil organic carbon (SOC) may increase with the adoption of alternative tillage systems (e.g. no‐tillage, NT). This study evaluated the effect of two tillage systems (conventional tillage, CT vs. NT) on total SOC content, SOC concentration, water stable aggregate‐size distribution and aggregate carbon concentration from 0 to 40 cm soil depth. Three tillage experiments were chosen, all located in northeast Spain and using contrasting tillage types but with different lengths of time since their establishment (20, 17, and 1‐yr). In the two fields with mouldboard ploughing as CT, NT sequestered more SOC in the 0–5 cm layer compared with CT. However, despite there being no significant differences, SOC tended to accumulate under CT compared with NT in the 20–30 and 30–40 cm depths in the AG‐17 field with 25–50% higher SOC content in CT compared with NT. Greater amounts of large and small macroaggregates under NT compared with CT were measured at 0–5 cm depth in AG‐17 and at 5–10 cm in both AG‐1 and AG‐17. Differences in macroaggregate C concentration between tillage treatments were only found in the AG‐17 field at the soil surface with 19.5 and 11.6 g C/kg macroaggregates in NT and CT, respectively. After 17 yr of experiment, CT with mouldboard ploughing resulted in a greater total SOC concentration and macroaggregate C concentration below 20 cm depth, but similar macroaggregate content compared with NT. This study emphasizes the need for adopting whole‐soil profile approaches when studying the suitability of NT versus CT for SOC sequestration and CO₂ offsetting.     

Assessing air-drying and rewetting pre-treatment effect on some soil enzyme activities under Mediterranean conditions

Soil enzyme activities are useful indicators of soil quality as they are very sensitive to disturbance. Sample storage or pre-treatments could affect the results in these assays, which are normally determined in fresh samples, kept cold or frozen. The objectives of this study were to (i) evaluate the effect of air-drying or air-drying and rewetting on β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase and urease activities in soils from different locations, degradation status and sampling seasons, and (ii) assess if air-drying or air-drying and rewetting is an accurate sample storage and pre-treatment procedure for enzyme activities in soil quality evaluations under semiarid Mediterranean conditions. Our results showed that urease, phosphatase and β-glucosidase activities were hardly affected by air-drying of degraded and non-degraded soils from the two locations studied in all seasons. Short incubations (4, 8 and 12 d at 23 °C) of rewetted air-dried soil at 55% of water-holding capacity showed different patterns depending on the enzyme studied. Urease and β-glucosidase activities were relatively stable during incubation, with several significant (P<0.05) shifts up and down in some soils and samplings. However, acid phosphatase showed an increase in activity with incubation, of between 5% and 50% relative to air-dried samples. These increases followed no pattern and were unrelated to soil characteristics or sampling date. Hence, urease, phosphatase and β-glucosidase activities determined in air-dried soil samples seem to be representative of those obtained under field-moist conditions. In contrast, short incubations of rewetted soil samples can produce fluctuations in these enzyme activities, mainly of acid phosphatase, and estimations in these conditions are not so representative of field-moist soil values.     

The quality of exogenous organic matter: short-term effects on soil physical properties and soil organic matter fractions

We examined the short-term effect of five organic amendments and compared them to plots fertilized with inorganic fertilizer and unfertilized plots on aggregate stability and hydraulic conductivity, and on the OC and ON distribution in physically separated SOM fractions. After less than 1 year, the addition of organic amendments significantly increased ( P  <   0.01) the aggregate stability and hydraulic conductivity. The stability index ranged between 0.97 and 1.76 and the hydraulic conductivity between 1.23 and 2.80 × 10⁻³ m/s for the plots receiving organic amendments, compared with 0.34–0.43, and 0.42–0.64 × 10⁻³ m/s, respectively, for the unamended plots. There were significant differences between the organic amendments (P <  0.01), although these results were not unequivocal for both soil physical parameters. The total OC and ON content were significantly increased ( P  <   0.05) by only two applications of organic fertilizers: between 1.10 and 1.51% OC for the amended plots versus 0.98–1.08% for the unamended and between 0.092 and 0.131% ON versus 0.092–0.098% respectively. The amount of OC and ON in the free particulate organic matter fraction was also significantly increased ( P  <   0.05), but there were no significant differences ( P  <   0.05) in the OC and ON content in the POM occluded in micro-aggregates and in the silt + clay-sized organic matter fraction. The results showed that even in less than 1 year pronounced effects on soil physical properties and on the distribution of OC and ON in the SOM fractions occurred.     

Temporal changes of soil physical and hydraulic properties in strawberry fields

Even over short time intervals, soil properties are subject to variation, especially in managed soils. The objective of this study was to assess the temporal changes of soil physical and hydraulic properties in strawberry fields cultivated under surface drip fertigation in Turuçu, Brazil. Intact core samples were collected from the near surface soil layer of seedbeds to determine the total porosity (TP), macroporosity (MA), matrix porosity, bulk density (BD), available water capacity (AWC), field capacity, wilting point and Dexter’s S index. Aggregate samples were collected from the arable layer to determine the aggregate size distribution and aggregate mean weight diameter. All samples were collected from 15 strawberry fields and at four different times during the 2007–2008 strawberry growing cycle. Although soil pore‐solid relations are expected to adjust soon after seedbed construction, their variation was only evident after >13 weeks. Even though values of TP and MA decreased with time, and those of BD increased near the end of the growing cycle, all the soils maintained their capacity to support root activity as indicated by critical values of Dexter’s index (S > 0.03). The amount of relatively large aggregates (9.51–2.00 mm) and AWC increased towards the end of the strawberry cultivation cycle. With changes in soil structure improving soil physical quality, strawberry development benefitted. We showed that if farmers gradually increase the amount of water through fertigation to a maximum value occurring at the end of crop cycle instead of applying water at a constant rate, water and energy use efficiency in agriculture would improve.     

Soil organic matter and related physical properties in a Mediterranean wheat-based rotation trial

Under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions, limited moisture is the main constraint to rainfed cropping with wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), and food and forage legumes. With increasing land-use pressure, moisture-conserving fallowing is being replaced by continuous cropping, which is considered an unsustainable practice. Thus, a long-term trial with durum wheat (T. turgidum var. durum) was established in 1983 at Tel Hadya, Aleppo, Syria (mean annual rainfall 330 mm) to assess alternative rotation options to fallow and continuous cropping. Nitrogen (N) and grazing/residue management were secondary factors. Soil aggregation, infiltration, hydraulic conductivity, and total soil organic matter and component fractions (fulvic and humic acids and polysaccharides) were determined at the end of 12 years. Some rotations, e.g., medic (Medicago sativa) and vetch (Vicia faba), significantly increased soil organic matter (12.5–13.8 g kg⁻¹ versus 10.9–11 g kg⁻¹ for continuous wheat and wheat/fallow). All measurements, or indices, indicated parallel trends with increasing organic matter, e.g., coefficients of macro-structure, micro-aggregation, and water-stable aggregates, and decreasing dispersion. Similarly, legume rotations had higher infiltration rates (16.2–21.8 cm h⁻¹ versus 13.9–14.4 cm h⁻¹ with continuous wheat and wheat/fallow) and hydraulic conductivity rates (8.7–12.4 cm h⁻¹ versus 6.2–7.4 cm h⁻¹ with continuous wheat and wheat/fallow). We conclude that cereal/legume rotations, in addition to being biologically and economically attractive, also enhance soil quality and thus promote soil use sustainability in fragile semi-arid areas as in the Mediterranean zone.     

The effects of dairy cow weight on selected soil physical properties indicative of compaction

The effect of treading by dairy cows of three different weights on soil physical properties was investigated under different soil moisture deficit (SMD) treatments in the south of Ireland. SMD was used as a readily predicable surrogate for volumetric water content. Animal treading in grassland ecosystems is known to affect soil and vegetation properties, which can influence agricultural system productivity. Treading action can result in reduced soil water infiltration and increased runoff. In Ireland short winter housing and early spring turnout are key elements of low cost grass based production. However, there is potential for soil damage as a consequence of animal treading during early spring and late autumn. This study shows that SMD is the main factor affecting changes in bulk density (BD), soil shear strength, penetration resistance (PR) and total porosity. At high SMD (dry), soil was less sensitive to trampling damage than at low SMD (wet). At SMD 0 mm, BD increased by 6.1% post trampling, whereas it only increased by 3.1, 4.0 and 0.5% at SMD 11, 14, and 29 mm, respectively. Average soil BD was 2.3% greater immediately post trampling, and 4.6% greater in the hoof marks. PR was significantly greater following trampling by the heavy weight cow compared with the light or medium weight cow. There was no significant effect of cow weight on soil water content or soil BD. The results indicate that forecasted SMD can be used as a management input for rotational grazing systems to protect soil quality.     

Influence of tillage and crop residue on soil physical properties and yields of rice and wheat under shallow water table conditions

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of tillage and residue incorporation on soil properties and yields of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in rotation for 4 years on a silty clay loam of an Aquic Hapludoll with natural water table fluctuating between 0.05 and 0.97 m depth The rice experiment was laid out in split plot design with four levels of tillage, viz. conventional puddling (CP), puddling by four passes of rotavator (PR), reduced puddling by two passes of rotavator (ReP), and direct seeding without puddling (DSWP) and two levels of residue, viz. residue incorporation (RI) and residue removal (RR) in four replications. The treatments for wheat were zero tillage (ZT) and conventional tillage (CT) with RI and RR superimposed over the plots of rice. Tillage for rice increased puddling index and bulk density (BD) over the years. The increase was significantly higher in CP and PR than in ReP. In wheat season, BD was higher under ZT than under CT but the differences were not significant. Puddling decreased saturated hydraulic conductivity with time, which became significantly lower in CP and PR in the fourth year than in ReP in the first year. Infiltration rate (IR) also decreased with time and was lowest in CP and PR. In wheat season, IR was at par under ZT and CT. Rice yield in PR was maximum and at par with that in ReP. But wheat yield was lowest in PR and highest in DSWP, and was at par in DSWP and ReP. Thus, rice yields were optimum under ReP, in which changes in soil properties were least, and wheat yields were optimum both under ZT and CT in the DSWP and ReP plots of rice under shallow water table conditions of the silty clay loam.     

Effects of two beet vinasse forms on soil physical properties and soil loss

Two beet vinasse forms (fresh (BV) and composted with a cotton gin crushed compost (CV)) have been applied for 4 years on a Typic Xerofluvent under dryland conditions near to Sevilla city (Guadalquivir River Valley, Andalusia, Spain) and their effect on soil physical, chemical and biological properties and their repercussion on soil loss was studied. BV and CV were applied at rates of 5000, 7500, and 10,000 kg ha^− 1 organic matter ha^− 1, respectively. The application of CV to the soil resulted in improved some soil properties and soil loss decreased. However, when BV was applied soil physical properties deteriorated and soil loss increased. We think that the high amounts of monovalent cations, particularly Na⁺, and of fulvic acids in BV destabilized soil structure. These results show that the addition of soil organic matter not always prevents soil loss, and they suggest the preferential use of composted beet vinasse versus fresh vinasse under dryland conditions.     

Soil CO2 emission and its relationship to soil properties under different tillage systems

There is a lack of understanding as to which soil property is the most important at regulating the temporal variability of soil CO₂ emissions on China’s Loess Plateau. The objective of this study was to evaluate the CO₂ emissions and their relationships to certain soil properties in a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) field subject to no-till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) practices. The CO₂ emissions were signi?cantly higher in the CT (257.6 mg CO₂ m^?2 h^?1), compared with the NT (143.8 mg CO₂ m^?2 h^?1), treatment. Soil organic matter content and carbon stock were 8% and 14% higher, respectively, in the NT, compared with the CT, treatment. Regression analyses between the CO₂ emissions and soil properties, including soil temperature and carbon stock, explained up to 88% and 60% of the temporal variability in CO₂ emissions in the NT and CT treatments, respectively. Linear correlations between the soil temperature and CO₂ emissions were recorded in both the NT and CT treatments. Soil temperature was the most important factor in terms of understanding the temporal variability in CO₂ emissions in wheat fields of the study area.     

红壤丘陵区不同植被类型土壤颗粒分形与水分物理特征

为探明红壤丘陵区不同植被对土壤分形结构及水分物理特征的改良作用与机制,运用土壤分形学和水文物理学原理与方法,以南方红壤丘陵区福建省长汀县为例,研究经济林、针阔混交林、乔灌混交林及针叶林4种植被类型土壤颗粒组成、分形维数、水分物理参数及其相关性。结果表明:1)红壤丘陵区不同植被类型土壤中以粗砂粒质量含量最高,细砂粒和石砾质量含量次之,粉黏粒质量含量较低,与裸地相比,不同植被类型具有显著提高土壤细砂砾和粉黏粒质量含量的作用,并且混交林作用程度高于纯林;2)红壤丘陵区不同植被类型具有降低土壤密度、增加土壤孔隙度的功能,针阔混交林、乔灌混交林、针叶林、经济林土壤的饱和蓄水量分别是裸地的1.20、1.16、1.14和1.10倍,表土层(0～20 cm)贮水能力好于表下土层(20～40 cm);3)土壤颗粒分形维数与土壤粉黏粒、总孔隙度、饱和蓄水量、孔隙比呈极显著正相关,与石砾质量含量、土壤密度呈极显著负相关,红壤丘陵区4种植被类型土壤均为不均匀性良好的土壤,以混交林土壤粒径分布结构较好,尤其是以针阔混交林的最好,其次是纯林的,针叶林好于经济林,表土层(0～20 cm)大于20～40 cm土层。     

The impact of fire frequency on selected soil physical properties in a semi-arid savannah Thornveld

The use of fire in rangeland management is standard practice, but the impact of fire frequency on soil physical properties is still not properly understood. In this study, the effect of fire frequency on selected physical properties was studied in a long-term burning experiment. Treatments included: no burn (control), sexennial, quadrennial, triennial, biennial and annual burns. A line intercept sampling technique was used to collect disturbed and undisturbed soil samples from the surface for analysis. Frequent burning significantly increased the aggregate stability and bulk density when compared to less frequent burning. Frequent burning resulted in lower hydraulic conductivities and water conducting macroporosity when compared to intermediate burning frequencies, likely due to lower organic carbon contents associated with frequent burning. Soil water repellency was the highest in quadrennial burned plots. The results indicate that frequent burning can have a detrimental impact on soil physical properties, but small variations in inherent soil properties (texture) have a more dominant effect on the physical properties than fire frequency management. The results emphasize the complexity related the effect of fire on soil properties and future work should include all environmental factors in order to derive sustainable burning frequencies for this site.     

Changes in soil physical properties of four different fields during and after upland reclamation that involved grading

Abstract

A number of clusters of resting spores of an endophyte were found to have colonized the nodal root axes and first order lateral roots of sorghum at the heading stage. The clusters with a diameter ranging 15 to 20 μm consisted of a number of spores with a diameter in the range of 2 to 5 μm. Based on the morphological characteristics, the endophyte was tentatively assigned to Polymyxa sp. The clusters were distributed in the epidermis and the hypodermis, but mostly in the latter. The clusters were absent in the tissues internal to the hypodermis. The number of cells colonized by the clusters in the hypodermis, the hypodermal cell lignification identified by the phloroglucinol-HCl test, and the cortical sclerenchyma development were examined acropetally in three nodal roots which emerged from the third node. The colonized cells accounted for less than about 10% of the total number of the hypodermal cells in the first 8 cm portion, but beyond this part, their number increased and they accounted for 10 to 35%. Hypodermal cell lignification and cortical sclerenchyma development were clearly recognized approximately in the first 9 and 6 cm portion, respectively, but they were not observed beyond this part. Even in this portion, however, no endophyte colonization was observed in any tissues internal to the hypodermis. These findings suggest that in sorghum the hypodermis itself, regardless of cell lignification, may function as a barrier to protect the inner tissues from further colonization by the spore clusters of Polymyxa sp.     

Influence of tillage, crop rotation and nitrogen fertilization on soil organic matter and nitrogen under rain-fed Mediterranean conditions

The long-term effects of cropping systems and management practices on soil properties provide essential information for assessing sustainability and environmental impact. Field experiments were undertaken in southern Spain to evaluate the long-term effects of tillage, crop rotation and nitrogen (N) fertilization on the organic matter (OM) and mineral nitrogen (N_min) contents of soil in a rain-fed Mediterranean agricultural system over a 6-year period. Tillage treatments included no tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT), crop rotations were of 2 yr with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) (WS), wheat-chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) (WP), wheat-faba bean (Vicia faba L.) (WB), wheat-fallow (WF), and in addition, continuous wheat (CW). Nitrogen fertilizer rates were 50, 100, and 150 kg N ha⁻¹. A split-split plot design with four replications was used. Soil samples were collected from a depth of 90 cm at the beginning of the experiment and 6 yr later. Soil samples were also collected from a depth of 30 cm after 4 yr. These samples, like those obtained at the beginning of the experiment, were subjected to comprehensive physico-chemical analyses. The soil samples that were collected 6 yr later were analyzed for OM, NH₄⁺---N and NO₃⁻---N at the 0–30, 30–60 and 60–90 cm soil depths. The tillage method did not influence the OM or N_min contents of the soil, nor did legume rotations increase the OM content of soil relative to CW. A longer period may have been required for differences between treatments to be observed owing to the small amount of crop residue that is returned to soil under rain-fed conditions of semi-arid climates. The WF rotation did not raise the N_min content of the soil relative to the other rotations. The consistent significant interaction between tillage and crop rotation testifies to the differential effect of the management system on the OM content and N status of the soil. The ammonium levels clearly exceeded those of NO₃⁻---N throughout the soil profile. The high N_min content of the soils reveals the presence of abundant N resources that should be borne in mind in establishing N fertilization schemes for crops under highly variable climatic conditions including scant rainfall such as those of the Mediterranean region.     

Influence of spring preparation date and soil water content on seedbed physical conditions of a clayey soil in Sweden

Secondary tillage performed under inadequate soil water contents usually leads to a poor seedbed. Under normal Swedish weather conditions, clayey soils ploughed during autumn form a very dry top layer in spring, which acts as an evaporation barrier so that deeper layers remain wet. Thus, the conventional approach considering soil workability in relation to a single value of soil water content is difficult to apply. Hence, a field experiment was carried out to study the effect of seedbed preparation date, the associated soil water contents and traffic consequences on the physical properties of a spring seedbed. The field was autumn ploughed and the experiment started as soon as the field was trafficable after winter thawing. The seedbed preparation consisted of three harrowing operations on plots 8 m×8 m (three replications) with a spring tined harrow and a tractor mounted with dual tyres and was performed on 10 occasions from the beginning of April to the middle of May. With the exception of some short periods after rain, the soil had a clear water stratification during the experiment, with a very dry superficial layer (5–20 mm thick) contrasting to water contents over 300 g kg⁻¹ from only 40 mm depth. After the harrowing operation, the seedbed aggregate fraction less than 2 mm increased from about 40% at the beginning of April to about 60% for the last four treatments in May. Contributing factors to the rise were attributed to the lower water contents of the top layer (<40 mm) and the drying–wetting and freezing–thawing cycles that occurred in the surface layer during April. There were no significant differences in bulk density after harrowing between the treatments but an increase in penetration resistance up to a depth of 180 mm in the harrowed plots was statistically significant (P<0.001). In the non-harrowed soil, penetration resistance also increased, including in those soil layers where water contents kept nearly constant.

In conclusion, the seedbed preparation dates had only a minor effect on soil compaction, as measured by bulk density and penetration resistance, due to the slow drying beneath the dry top layer. The fraction of fine aggregates in the seedbed increased with time. Thus, the optimal time for seedbed preparation depended mainly on soil friability and not on the risk of compaction.     

Effects of long-term legume cover crop incorporation on soil organic carbon, microbial biomass, nutrient build-up and grain yields of sorghum/sunflower under rain-fed conditions

Low organic matter, poor fertility and erosion are common features of rain‐fed Alfisols in southern India. Build‐up of organic matter is crucial to maintain sustainable production on these soils. The possibility of on‐farm generation of legume biomass [horsegram; Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc.] by using off‐season rainfall was examined in two field experiments involving sorghum and sunflower from 1994 to 2003. The effects of this incorporation were assessed on crop yields and soil properties for 10 years together with fertilizer application. Horsegram biomass ranging from 3.03–4.28 t ha^?1 year^?1 (fresh weight) was produced and incorporated in situ under different levels of fertilizer application. Annual incorporation improved the soil properties and fertility status of the soil, which resulted in improved yields of test crops. With biomass incorporation, mean organic carbon content improved by 24% over fallow. Microbial biomass carbon improved by 28% at site I. Long‐term biomass incorporation and fertilizer application resulted in the build‐up of soil nutrients compared with the fallow plots. Application of N and P alone resulted in a negative balance of soil K. A time‐scale analysis of yields showed that incorporation together with fertilizer application maintained a stable yield trend over a 10‐year period in sorghum, whereas fertilizer application alone showed a declining trend. At the end of 10 years of incorporation, the increase in grain yield because of incorporation was 28 and 18%, respectively, in sorghum and sunflower over fallow when no fertilizers were applied to rainy season crops. The incorporation effect was even larger in plots receiving fertilizer. The growing and incorporation of a post‐rainy season legume crop is a low‐cost simple practice that even small and marginal farmers can adopt in semi‐arid regions of the country. Widespread adoption of this practice, at least in alternate years, can restore the productivity of degraded soils and improve crop yields.     

Influence of inorganic fertilizers and organic amendments on soil organic matter and soil microbial properties under tropical conditions

 Soil organic matter level, mineralizable C and N, microbial biomass C and dehydrogenase, urease and alkaline phosphatase activities were studied in soils from a field experiment under a pearl millet-wheat cropping sequence receiving inorganic fertilizers and a combination of inorganic fertilizers and organic amendments for the last 11 years. The amounts of soil organic matter and mineralizable C and N increased with the application of inorganic fertilizers. However, there were greater increases of these parameters when farmyard manure, wheat straw or Sesbania bispinosa green manure was applied along with inorganic fertilizers. Microbial biomass C increased from 147 mg kg^–1 soil in unfertilized soil to 423 mg kg^–1 soil in soil amended with wheat straw and inorganic fertilizers. The urease and alkaline phosphatase activities of soils increased significantly with a combination of inorganic fertilizers and organic amendments. The results indicate that soil organic matter level and soil microbial activities, vital for the nutrient turnover and long-term productivity of the soil, are enhanced by use of organic amendments along with inorganic fertilizers. Received: 6 May 1998     

Assessing soil properties and nutrient availability under conservation agriculture practices in a reclaimed sodic soil in cereal-based systems of North-West India

Soil quality degradation associated with resources scarcity is the major concern for the sustainability of conventional rice-wheat system in South Asia. Replacement of conventional management practices with conservation agriculture (CA) is required to improve soil quality. A field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of CA on soil physical (bulk density, penetration resistance, infiltration) and chemical (N, P, K, S, micronutrients) properties after 4 years in North-West India. There were four scenarios (Sc) namely conventional rice-wheat cropping system (Sc1); partial CA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system (RWMS) (Sc2); CA-based RWMS (Sc3); and CA-based maize-wheat-mungbean (Sc4) system. Sc2 (1.52 Mg m^?3) showed significantly lower soil bulk density (BD). In Sc3 and Sc4, soil penetration resistance (SPR) was reduced and infiltration was improved compared to Sc1. Soil organic C was significantly higher in Sc4 than Sc1. Available N was 33% and 68% higher at 0–15 cm depth in Sc3 and Sc4, respectively, than Sc1. DTPA extractable Zn and Mn were significantly higher under Sc3 and Sc4 compared to Sc1. Omission study showed 30% saving in N and 50% in K in wheat after four years. Therefore, CA improved soil properties and nutrient availability and have potential to reduce external fertilizer inputs in long run.     

Effects of grazing on soil physical properties and soil erodibility in semiarid grassland of the Northern Loess Plateau (China)

Grazing animals provide a livelihood for farmers, but they may also produce adverse environmental effects. We investigated whether grazing leads to deterioration of soil physical properties that subsequently increases topsoil erodibility. We sampled three sites (an ungrazed grassland, a continuously grazed grassland, and a track trampled by stock) on the northern Loess Plateau of China. The bulk density, water content, proportion of stable aggregates, infiltration rate, and resistance to scouring were determined for each soil sample. The results showed that the track had the highest soil bulk density and the lowest soil water content, proportion of stable aggregates, infiltration rate, and ability to resist scouring. The ungrazed plots had the best results for these parameters, in terms of reduced erosion. Soil bulk density and the proportion of stable aggregates differed significantly with depth beneath the track. However, the effect of depth on water content, infiltration rate, and the soil resistance to scouring was not significant at any sampling site. The ability of the soil to resist scouring was negatively correlated with the soil's bulk density and positively correlated with the soil's water content, infiltration rate, and proportion of stable aggregates. Thus, soil physical properties played an important role in determining soil erodibility. Grazing and trampling by livestock therefore appear to cause deterioration of soil physical properties and to increase soil erodibility.     

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.