Manuring and rotation effects on soil organic carbon concentration for different aggregate size fractions on two soils in northeastern Ohio, USA

Soil carbon (C) sequestration is important to the mitigation of increasing atmospheric concentration of CO₂. This study was conducted to assess soil aggregation and C concentration under different management practices. The effects of crop rotation, manure application and tillage were investigated for 0–5 and 5–10 cm depths on two silt loam soils (fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Aquic Fragiudalfs and fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Aeric Fragiadalf) in Geauga and Stark Counties, respectively, in northeastern Ohio, USA. Wet sieve analysis and gravity fractionation techniques were used to separate samples in aggregate and particle size groups, respectively. In the Stark County farms water stable aggregate (WSA) is higher in wooded (W) controls (WSA = 94.8%) than in cultivated soils with poultry manure (PM, 78.7%) and with chemical fertilizers (CF, 79.0%). Manure applications did not increase aggregation compared to unmanured soils. The C concentrations (%) within aggregates (C_agg) are higher in W than in cultivated soils (W = 5.82, PM = 2.11, CF = 1.96). Soil C (%) is enriched in the clay (W = 9.87, PM = 4.17, CF = 4.21) compared to silt (4.26, 1.04 and 0.98, respectively) and sand (0.93, 0.14 and 0.32, respectively) fractions. In the Geauga County farm, continuous corn (CC) with conventional tillage has lower WSA (83.1%) than soils with rotations (R) (93.9%), dairy manure (DM) application (93.2%) and no-till (NT) (91.1%). The C concentrations within macroaggregates (C_agg) were higher in W soils (4.84%) than in cultivated soils (ranging from 2.65 to 1.75%). The C (%) is enriched in clay (W = 8.56, CC = 4.18, R = 5.17, DM = 5.73, NT = 4.67) compared to silt (W = 2.35, CC = 0.90, R = 0.96, DM = 1.57, NT = 1.06) and sand (W = 0.44, CC = 0.33, R = 0.13, DM = 0.41, NT = 0.18). Cultivation decreased C concentration whereas reduced tillage, rotation and manure enhanced C concentration in soil.     

Impacts of agricultural management practices on C sequestration in forest-derived soils of the eastern Corn Belt

Soil organic matter has recently been implicated as an important sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂). However, the relative impacts of various agricultural management practices on soil organic matter dynamics and, therefore, C sequestration at spatial scales larger than a single plot or times longer than the typical three year experiment have rarely been reported. Results of maintaining agricultural management practices in the forest-derived soils of the eastern Corn (Zea mays L.) Belt states of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania (USA) were studied. We found annual organic C input and tillage intensity were the most important factors in affecting C sequestration. The impact of rotation on C sequestration was primarily related to the way it altered annual total C inputs. The removal of above-ground plant biomass and use of cover crops were of lesser importance. The most rapid changes in soil organic matter content occurred during the first five years after a management practice was imposed with slower changes occurring thereafter. Certain management practices, e.g. no-tillage (NT), increased the soil's ability to sequester atmospheric CO₂. The impact of this sequestration will be significant only when these practices are used extensively on a large percentage of cropland and when the C-building practices are maintained. Any soil C sequestered will be rapidly mineralized to CO₂ if the soil organic matter building practices are not maintained.     

Long-term effects of recommended management practices on soil carbon changes and sequestration in north-eastern Italy

Management practices can have significant implications for both soil quality and carbon (C) sequestration potential in agricultural soils. Data from two long‐term trials (one at field scale and the other at lysimeter scale), underway in north‐eastern Italy, were used to evaluate the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) and estimate the impact of recommended management practices (RMPs) on soil carbon sequestration. Potential SOC sequestration was calculated as the differences between the change in SOC of treatments differing only for the specified RMP for a period of at least 25 years. The trials compared the following situations: (a) improved crop rotations versus monoculture; (b) grass versus improved crop rotations; (c) residue incorporation versus residue removal; (d) high versus low rates of inorganic fertilizers; (e) integrated nutrient management/organic manures versus inorganic fertilizers. At the lysimeter scale, some of these treatments were evaluated in different soils. A general decrease in SOC (1.1 t C ha^?1 year^?1) was observed after the introduction of intensive soil tillage, evidencing both the worsening of soil quality and the contribution towards global CO₂ emissions. Initial SOC content was maintained only in permanent grassland, complex rotations and/or with the use of large quantities of livestock manure. SOC sequestration reached a maximum rate of 0.4 t C ha^?1 year^?1 comparing permanent grassland with an improved crop rotation. Crop residue incorporation and rates of inorganic fertilizer had less effect on SOC sequestration (0.10 and 0.038 t C ha^?1 year^?1, respectively). The lysimeter experiment highlighted also the interaction between RMPs and soil type. Peaty soil tended to be a source of C independent of the amount and quality of C input, whereas a proper choice of tillage practices and organic manures enhanced SOC sequestration in a sandy soil. The most promising RMPs in the Veneto region are, therefore, conversion to grassland and use of organic manures. Although some of these RMPs are already supported by the Veneto Region Rural Development Plan, their more intensive and widespread implementation requires additional incentives to become economically feasible.     

垄作免耕对稻田垄埂土壤有机碳累积和作物产量的影响

依托稻田免耕长期定位试验,研究了垄作免耕对稻田垄埂土壤有机碳累积和作物产量的影响。研究主要涉及常规平作(中稻-冬水田,简称中稻)、常规平作(中稻-油菜,简称稻油)、垄作免耕(中稻)和垄作免耕(稻油)等4个耕作处理。针对垄作对田面微地形的影响,将垄作小区中所有垄埂当成一个整体,统计其土壤有机碳的累积指标,再与平作处理中同体积或同质量的表土层(对比土层)作比较。结果表明,在对比土层和小区垄埂体积相同时,垄作免耕(稻油)的垄埂土壤有机碳密度要显著高于2个常规平作处理中对比土层和垄作免耕(中稻)的垄埂(p0.05);在对比土层与小区垄埂质量相同时,各耕作处理的垄埂或对比土层中单位质量土壤的固碳量依次为:垄作免耕(稻油)常规平作(中稻)垄作免耕(中稻)常规平作(稻油),且处理间差异显著(p0.05)。这表明,针对垄埂和对比土层而言,垄作免耕(稻油)的土壤有机碳累积效应要优于垄作免耕(中稻)和常规平作处理。与传统的常规平作相比,垄作免耕的水稻增产效应明显,虽然其会导致油菜减产,但不影响水旱两季作物的经济总产出。总体而言,垄作免耕(稻油)是一种能兼顾环境和经济效益的稻田保护性耕作措施。     

Modeling long-term soil carbon dynamics and sequestration potential in semi-arid agro-ecosystems

Long-term soil carbon (C) dynamics in agro-ecosystems is controlled by interactions of climate, soil and agronomic management. A modeling approach is a useful tool to understand the interactions, especially over long climatic sequences. In this paper, we examine the performance of the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) to predict the long-term soil C dynamics under various agricultural practices at four semi-arid sites across the wheat-belt of eastern Australia. We further assessed the underlying factors that regulate soil C dynamics in the top 30 cm of soil through scenario analysis using the validated model. The results show that APSIM is able to predict aboveground biomass production and soil C dynamics at the study sites. Scenario analyses indicate that nitrogen (N) fertilization combined with residue retention (SR) has the potential to significantly slow or reverse the loss of C from agricultural soils. Optimal N fertilization (N_opt) and 100% SR, increased soil C by 13%, 46% and 45% at Warra, Wagga Wagga and Tarelee, respectively. Continuous lucerne pasture was the most efficient strategy to accumulate soil C, resulting in increases of 49%, 57% and 50% at Warra, Wagga Wagga and Tarlee, respectively. In contrast, soil C decreases regardless of agricultural practices as a result of cultivation of natural soils at the Brigalow site. Soil C input, proportional to the amount of retained residue, is a significant predictor of soil C change. At each site, water and nitrogen availability and their interaction, explain more than 59% of the variation in soil C. Across the four sites, mean air temperature has significant (P < 0.05) effects on soil C change. There was greater soil C loss at sites with higher temperature. Our simulations suggest that detailed information on agricultural practices, land use history and local environmental conditions must be explicitly specified to be able to make plausible predictions of the soil C balance in agro-ecosystems at different agro-ecological scales.     

Effect of cropland management and slope position on soil organic carbon pool at the North Appalachian Experimental Watersheds

Soil organic matter is strongly related to soil type, landscape morphology, and soil and crop management practices. Therefore, long-term (15–36-years) effects of six cropland management systems on soil organic carbon (SOC) pool in 0–30 cm depth were studied for the period of 1939–1999 at the North Appalachian Experimental Watersheds (<3 ha, Dystric Cambisol, Haplic Luvisol, and Haplic Alisol) near Coshocton, OH, USA. Six management treatments were: (1) no tillage continuous corn with NPK (NC); (2) no tillage continuous corn with NPK and manure (NTC-M); (3) no tillage corn–soybean rotation (NTR); (4) chisel tillage corn–soybean rotation (CTR); (5) moldboard tillage with corn–wheat–meadow–meadow rotation with improved practices (MTR-I); (6) moldboard tillage with corn–wheat–meadow–meadow rotation with prevalent practices (MTR-P). The SOC pool ranged from 24.5 Mg ha⁻¹ in the 32-years moldboard tillage corn (Zea mays L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–meadow–meadow rotation with straight row farming and annual application of fertilizer (N:P:K=5:9:17) of 56–112 kg ha⁻¹ and cattle (Bos taurus) manure of 9 Mg ha⁻¹ as the prevalent system (MTR-P) to 65.5 Mg ha⁻¹ in the 36-years no tillage continuous corn with contour row farming and annual application of 170–225 kg N ha⁻¹ and appropriate amounts of P and K, and 6–11 Mg ha⁻¹ of cattle manure as the improved system (NTC-M). The difference in SOC pool among management systems ranged from 2.4 to 41 Mg ha⁻¹ and was greater than 25 Mg ha⁻¹ between NTC-M and the other five management systems. The difference in the SOC pool of NTC-M and that of no tillage continuous corn (NTC) were 16–21 Mg ha⁻¹ higher at the lower slope position than at the middle and upper slope positions. The effect of slope positions on SOC pools of the other management systems was significantly less (<5 Mg ha⁻¹). The effects of manure application, tillage, crop rotation, fertilizer rate, and soil and water conservation farming on SOC pool were accumulative. The NTC-M treatment with application of NPK fertilizer, lime, and cattle manure is an effective cropland management system for SOC sequestration.     

Rotation and tillage effects on available soil water for winter wheat in a semi-arid environment

The recent adoption of conservation farming systems in the semi-arid Canadian prairies opens up the possibility of replacing the traditional fallow period with non-cereal crops (oilseeds, legumes). However, information on changes to soil water regimes by inclusion of these crops, especially in combination with zero tillage, is sparse. A study was initiated in 1984 on a sandy clay loam soil at Lethbridge, Alberta, to investigate the performance of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under conventional, minimum and zero tillage in monoculture and in 2-year rotations with fallow, canola (Brassica campestris L.) or lentils (Lens culinaris Medic.)/flax (Linum usitatissimum L.). Conventional tillage in the Lethbridge region is shallow cultivation (10 cm) with a wide-blade (sweep) cultivator. Continuous cropping greatly depleted soil water reserves, resulting in some crop failures. Averaged over 10 years, available water for establishment of winter wheat in fall was least after canola (45 mm), followed by continuous winter wheat (59 mm), lentils/flax (74 mm) and fallow (137 mm). In this semi-arid region, the effect of rotation on soil water was much greater than that of tillage. Zero tillage had relatively little impact on available water to 1.5 m depth. However, once the experiment had been established for 6–7 years, available water in the 0–15 cm depth under winter wheat in spring was greatest under zero tillage. Precipitation storage efficiency during the fallow year was generally unaffected by tillage system.     

不同保护性耕作措施对麦-豆轮作土壤有机碳库的影响

通过设置在甘肃省定西市李家堡镇的不同保护性耕作试验,对春小麦、豌豆两种轮作次序下的土壤总有机碳、活性有机碳、微生物量碳含量进行了测定,并计算了各处理土壤碳库管理指数.结果表明:经过5年的轮作后,与传统耕作相比,两种轮作次序下免耕秸秆覆盖和传统耕作结合秸秆还田处理均能不同程度地提高土壤总有机碳、活性有机碳、微生物量碳含量及土壤碳库管理指数,而免耕不覆盖处理除在0～5 cm提高了土壤有机碳库管理指数外,其他各层次均降低了土壤有机碳库管理指数,说明仅依靠免耕而不结合秸秆覆盖或还田对于土壤有机碳库的管理来讲是不可持续的.     

Optimizing nutrient availability and potential carbon sequestration in an agroecosystem

The uniformity, low cost and ease of application associated with inorganic fertilizers have diminished the use of organic nutrient sources. Concern for food safety, the environment and the need to dispose of animal and municipal wastes have focused attention on organic sources of N such as animal-derived amendments, green manures, and crop rotations. Managing organic N sources to provide sufficient N for crop growth requires knowledge of C and N decomposition over several years, particularly where manure and compost are applied. We report a comparison of compost and chemical fertilizer, use of a corn-corn-soybean-wheat rotation compared to continuous corn and the use of cover crops. Nitrogen (150 d) and C incubations (317 d) were conducted to determine the effect of cropping system and nutrient management on: N mineralization potential (NMP), the mineralizable organic N pool (N_o), the mean residence time (MRT) of No, C mineralization (C_min), and soil organic carbon (SOC) pool sizes and fluxes. Compost applications over 6 y increased the resistant pool of C by 30% and the slow pool of C by 10%. The compost treatment contained 14% greater soil organic C than the fertilizer management. Nitrogen was limiting on all compost treatments with the exception of first year corn following wheat fallow and clover cover crop. The clover cover crop and wheat-fallow increased inorganic N in both nutrient managements. We recommend that growers adjust their N fertilizer recommendation to reflect the quantity and timing of N mineralized from organic N sources and the N immobilization that can be associated with compost or other residue applications. Proper management of nutrients from compost, cover crops and rotations can maintain soil fertility and increase C sequestration.     

秸秆还田模式对小麦-玉米轮作体系土壤有机碳固存的影响

为解决麦玉轮作体系小麦秸秆直接粉碎还田存在的弊端,基于多年麦玉秸秆还田定位试验,筛选高产-节本-地力提升为一体的还田模式。选择4种还田模式,即小麦玉米秸秆均不还田(WN-MN,CK1)、小麦玉米秸秆均粉碎还田(WC-MC,CK2)、小麦高留茬还田(WH-MN)和小麦高留茬-玉米粉碎还田(WH-MC)为研究对象,比较其产量表现、土壤有机碳贮量盈亏、碳库管理指数等指标,评价将小麦秸秆粉碎还田改成高留茬还田后形成的还田模式与两季秸秆均粉碎还田的优劣。结果表明,与WN-MN相比,WC-MC和WH-MC的土壤碳储量分别增加24.23%和16.05%;与试验开始前土壤有机碳储量相比,4种还田模式的土壤碳固持为–0.83~6.14 Mg·hm^–2;维持土壤初始碳储量水平的最小碳投入量为4.06 Mg·hm^–2·a^–1。各处理不稳定有机碳组分的含量随着土层加深呈下降趋势。与WN-MN相比,WC-MC、WH-MC和WH-MN显著增加了0~20 cm表层不稳定碳组分的含量;WC-MC和WH-MC也显著增加了各土层的碳库管理指数。2015—2016周年产量,WC-MC、WH-MC平均较其他两个处理分别增加了34.5%、20.1%;2016—2017周年产量,以WH-MC最高,较其他处理平均高出11.1%。小麦高留茬-玉米粉碎还田模式下土壤有机碳储量、不稳定有机碳组分、碳库管理指数和作物产量均较高,且节本增效,表明该模式有利于关中平原麦玉轮作体系粮食生产可持续发展。     

Rotation and tillage effects on soil organic carbon sequestration in a typic Hapludalf in Southern Ontario

Increased use of conservation tillage is being considered as a way to sequester atmospheric C in the soil. However, little information exists on the effect of rotation and its interaction with tillage on soil organic carbon (SOC). A research trial with combinations of rotations and tillage treatments was sampled 20 years after its establishment to assess the effects on SOC sequestration in a typic Hapludalf in southern Ontario, Canada. The cropping treatments included continuous corn (zea mays L.), six rotations comprised of 2 years of corn following 2 years of another crop or crop sequence, and continuous alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Each rotation was split into either fall moldboard plow (MP) or fall chisel plow (CP) treatments. Continuous alfalfa was plowed and replanted every 4 years. Soil samples were taken incrementally to a depth of 40 cm and SOC and bulk density determined. The average SOC concentration (0–40 cm) was greatest in continuous alfalfa (18.0 g C kg⁻¹). The treatments of soybean (Glycine max L.Merr.)+winterwheat (Triticum aestivum L.) or barley+barley (Trifolium pratense L.) (interseeded with red clover) followed by 2 years of corn had higher SOC concentrations (17.2–17.3 g C kg⁻¹) than continuous corn and the treatments of 2 years of corn following 2 years of alfalfa or soybean (16.4–16.5 g C kg⁻¹). The rotation of 2 years of barley followed by 2 years of corn had the lowest SOC concentrations (15.2 g C kg⁻¹). On an equivalent mass basis, the rotations of soybean+winterwheat or barley+barley (underseeded with red clover) followed by 2 years of corn, had 2–9 Mg ha⁻¹ more C than the other corn-based rotations. Including red clover in the winter wheat seemed to accelerate the rate of C mineralization compared to winter wheat without red clover; whereas interseeding red clover with barley increased SOC contents compared to excluding red clover in the barley rotation. More SOC was found in the top 10 cm and less in the 10–20 cm depth of the CP than in the MP soils. However, the CP did not increase the SOC content (0–20 cm) above that of MP indicating that this form of reduced tillage did not increase C sequestration in any of the rotations on this soil.     

Fungi mediate long term sequestration of carbon and nitrogen in soil through their priming effect

It is increasingly recognized that soil microbes have the ability to decompose old recalcitrant soil organic matter (SOM) by using fresh carbon as a source of energy, a phenomena called priming effect (PE). However, efforts to determine the consequences of this PE for soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics are in their early stage. Moreover, little is known about the microbial populations involved. Here we explore the consequences of PE for SOM dynamics and mineral nitrogen availability in a soil incubation experiment (161 days), combining the supply of dual-labeled (¹³C and ¹⁴C) cellulose and mineral nutrients. The microbial groups involved in PE were investigated using molecular fingerprinting techniques (FAMEs and B- and F-ARISA). We show that mean residence time of SOM pool controlled by the PE decreased from 3130 years in the subsoil, where the availability of fresh carbon is very low, to 17-39 years in the surface layer. This result suggests that the decomposition of this recalcitrant soil C pool is strictly dependent on the presence of fresh C and is not an energetically viable mean of accessing C for soil microbes. We also suggest that fungi are the predominant actors of cellulose decomposition and induced PE and they adjust their degradation activity to nutrient availability. The predominant role of fungi can be explained by their ability to grow as mycelium which allows them to explore soil space and mine large reserve of SOM. Finally, our results support the existence of a bank mechanism that regulates nutrient and carbon sequestration in soil: PE is low when nutrient availability is high, allowing sequestration of nutrients and carbon; in contrast, microbes release nutrients from SOM when nutrient availability is low. This bank mechanism may help to synchronize the availability of soluble nutrients to plant requirement and contribute to long-term SOM accumulation in ecosystems.     

Long-term effects of agronomic practices on the soil organic carbon sequestration in Chernozem

The study was based on data from selected long-term field trials established at the Experimental Fields of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad (Serbia). The effect of tillage systems on SOC concentration and SOC stock was most pronounced at 0–10 cm depth. In a 0–40 cm soil layer, in a 7-year period, no-till (NT) sequestrated 863 kg SOC ha^?1 yr^?1 more compared to moldboard plow tillage (PT), while the effects of disc tillage (DT) and chisel tillage (CT) were not significantly different. Unfertilized three-crop rotation (CSW) compared to two-crop rotation (CW) enhanced SOC storage in a 0–30 cm soil layer by 151 kg C ha^?1 yr^?1 in a 56-year period. Within fertilized treatments, SOC concentration was highest under continuous corn (CC). Mineral fertilization (F) non-significantly increased the SOC stock compared to no fertilization in corn monoculture in a 32-year period. The incorporation of mineral fertilizers and harvest residues (F + HR) and mineral fertilizers and farmyard manure (F + FYM) sequestered 195 and 435 kg C ha^?1 yr^?1 more than the unfertilized plot, respectively, in a 0–30 cm soil layer, in a 35-year period. Irrigation did not significantly affect SOC sequestration.     

Long‐term cropping systems and tillage management effects on soil organic carbon stock and steady state level of C sequestration rates in a semiarid environment

A calcareous and clayey xeric Chromic Haploxerept of a long‐term experimental site in Sicily (Italy) was sampled (0–15 cm depth) under different land use management and cropping systems (CSs) to study their effect on soil aggregate stability and organic carbon (SOC). The experimental site had three tillage managements (no till [NT], dual‐layer [DL] and conventional tillage [CT]) and two CSs (durum wheat monocropping [W] and durum wheat/faba bean rotation [WB]). The annually sequestered SOC with W was 2·75‐times higher than with WB. SOC concentrations were also higher. Both NT and CT management systems were the most effective in SOC sequestration whereas with DL system no C was sequestered. The differences in SOC concentrations between NT and CT were surprisingly small. Cumulative C input of all cropping and tillage systems and the annually sequestered SOC indicated that a steady state occurred at a sequestration rate of 7·4 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. Independent of the CSs, most of the SOC was stored in the silt and clay fraction. This fraction had a high N content which is typical for organic matter interacting with minerals. Macroaggregates (>250 µm) and large microaggregates (75–250 µm) were influenced by the treatments whereas the finest fractions were not. DL reduced the SOC in macroaggregates while NT and CT gave rise to higher SOC contents. In Mediterranean areas with Vertisols, agricultural strategies aimed at increasing the SOC contents should probably consider enhancing the proportion of coarser soil fractions so that, in the short‐term, organic C can be accumulated. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil restorative effects of mulching on aggregation and carbon sequestration in a Miamian soil in central Ohio

Soils play a key role in the global carbon cycle, and can be a source or a sink of atmospheric carbon (C). Thus, the effect of land use and management on soil C dynamics needs to be quantified. This study was conducted to assess: (1) the role of aggregation in enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) and total soil nitrogen (TSN) concentrations for different mulch rates, (2) the association of SOC and TSN with different particle size fractions, and (3) the temporal changes in the SOC concentration within aggregate and particle size fractions with duration of mulching. Two experiments were initiated, one each in 1989 and 1996, on a Crosby silt loam (Aeric Ochraqualf or Stagnic Luvisol) in central Ohio. Mulch treatments were 0, 8, and 16 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ without crop cultivation. Soil samples from 0–5 cm and 5–10 cm depths were obtained in November 2000; 4 and 11 years after initiating the experiments. Mulch rate significantly increased SOC and TSN concentrations in the 0–5 cm soil layer only. The variation in the SOC concentration attributed to the mulch rate was 41 per cent after 4 years of mulching and 52 per cent after 11 years of mulching. There were also differences in SOC and TSN concentrations among large aggregate size fractions, up to 2 mm size after 4 years and up to 0ċ5 mm after 11 years of mulching. There were also differences in SOC and TSN concentrations among particle size fractions. Variation in the SOC concentration in relation to particle size was attributed to clay by 45–51 per cent, silt by 34–36 per cent, and to sand fraction by 15–19 per cent. Bulk of the TSN (62–67 per cent) was associated with clay fraction and the rest was equally distributed between silt and sand fractions. The enrichment of SOC and TSN concentrations in the clay fraction increased with depth. The C:N ratio was not affected by the mulch rate, but differed significantly among particle size fractions; being in the order of sand >silt >clay. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effects of stubble burning and tillage on soil carbon sequestration and crop productivity in southeastern Australia

Abstract. In Australia, stubble burning and tillage are two of the major processes responsible for the decline of soil organic carbon concentration in cropped soils, and the resulting soil degradation. However, the relative importance of these two practices in influencing the soil organic carbon concentration and the long-term impact on soil quality and productivity are not clear. The effects of stubble burning as practised by farmers in southeastern Australia were evaluated in two field trials, one of 19 years duration, the other of 5 years. Conventional tillage (three tillage passes) led to greater loss of soil organic carbon than stubble burning. Loss of total soil organic carbon attributed to stubble burning in the 0–10 cm layer was estimated to be 1.75 t C ha⁻¹ over the period of the 19-year trial, equivalent to 29% of that lost due to tillage. In the 5-year trial, no change in soil organic carbon due to stubble burning was detectable. Changes in soil quality associated with stubble burning detected in the longer trial included a reduction in macro-aggregate stability, and increases in pH and exchangeable K⁺. Only the latter two were detected in the shorter trial. A higher mean wheat yield (average 0.15 t ha⁻¹) following stubble burning was observed in the 19-year trial but not in the 5-year trial. Research to monitor the longer term effects of stubble burning is needed, and to identify conditions where loss of soil organic carbon is minimized.     

Land use effects on soil carbon fractions in the southeastern United States. I. Management-intensive versus extensive grazing

Changes in grassland management intended to increase productivity can lead to sequestration of substantial amounts of atmospheric C in soils. Management-intensive grazing (MiG) can increase forage production in mesic pastures, but potential impacts on soil C have not been evaluated. We sampled four pastures (to 50 cm depth) in Virginia, USA, under MiG and neighboring pastures that were extensively grazed or hayed to evaluate impacts of grazing management on total soil organic C and N pools, and soil C fractions. Total organic soil C averaged 8.4 Mg C ha^–1 (22%) greater under MiG; differences were significant at three of the four sites examined while total soil N was greater for two sites. Surface (0–10 cm) particulate organic matter (POM) C increased at two sites; POM C for the entire depth increment (0–50 cm) did not differ significantly between grazing treatments at any of the sites. Mineral-associated C was related to silt plus clay content and tended to be greater under MiG. Neither soil C:N ratios, POM C, or POM C:total C ratios were accurate indicators of differences in total soil C between grazing treatments, though differences in total soil C between treatments attributable to changes in POM C (43%) were larger than expected based on POM C as a percentage of total C (24.5%). Soil C sequestration rates, estimated by calculating total organic soil C differences between treatments (assuming they arose from changing grazing management and can be achieved elsewhere) and dividing by duration of treatment, averaged 0.41 Mg C ha^–1 year^–1 across the four sites.     

Kinetics of native and added carbon mineralization on incubating at different soil and moisture conditions in Typic Ustochrepts and Typic Halustalf

The carbon dynamics in soils is of great importance due to its links to the global carbon cycle. The prediction of the behavior of native soil organic carbon (SOC) and organic amendments via incubation studies and mathematical modeling may bridge the knowledge gap in understanding complex soil ecosystems. Three alkaline Typic Ustochrepts and one Typic Halustalf with sandy, loamy sand, and clay loam texture, varying in percent SOC of 0.2; S₁, 0.42; S₂, 0.67; S₃ and 0.82; S₄ soils, were amended with wheat straw (WS), WS + P, sesbania green manure (GM), and poultry manure (PM) on 0.5% C rate at field capacity (FC) and ponding (P) moisture levels and incubated at 35 °C for 1, 15, 30 and 45 d. Carbon mineralization was determined via the alkali titration method after 1, 5, 7 14, 21, and 28 d. The SOC and inorganic carbon contents were determined from dried up (50 °C) soil samples after 1, 15, 30, and 45 d of incubation. Carbon from residue mineralization was determined by subtracting the amount of CO₂-C evolved from control soils. The kinetic models; monocomponent first order, two-component first order, and modified Gompertz equations were fitted to the carbon mineralization data from native and added carbon. The SOC decomposition was dependent upon soil properties, and moisture, however, added C was relatively independent. The carbon from PM was immobilized in S₄. All the models fitted to the data predicted carbon mineralization in a similar range with few exceptions. The residues lead to the OC build-up in fine-textured soils having relatively high OC and cation exchange capacities. Whereas, fast degradation of applied OC in coarse-textured soils leads to faster mineralization and lower build-up from residues. The decline in CaCO₃ after incubation was higher at FC than in the P moisture regime.     

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.     

No tillage and crop rotation effects on soil aggregation and organic carbon in a Rhodic Ferralsol from southern Brazil

In Brazil, no tillage (NT) is a soil conservation practice now widely adopted by farmers, including smallholders. The effect of NT and conventional tillage (disc ploughing followed by two light disc harrowings, CT) was investigated on the aggregation properties of a clayey Rhodic Ferralsol from southern Brazil under different crop rotations. The same soil type under secondary forest was used as reference. Macro- and microaggregate classes were separated by wet sieving using a series of eight sieves (8, 4, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.25, 0.125, 0.053 mm) at four sampling layers (0–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20–30 cm). The soil in general had high structural stability. At 0–5 cm, meanweight diameter (MWD, 11.1 mm) and total organic C in macroaggregates (TOC, 39 g kg⁻¹ soil) were highest for the forest soil. Soil under NT had a more similar distribution of aggregate size classes and TOC to the forest soil than CT. The most pronounced difference between tillage systems was observed in the surface soil layer (0–5 cm). In this layer, NT had higher aggregate stability (AS_NT: 96%; AS_CT: 89%), had higher values of aggregate size distribution (MWD_NT: 7.9 mm, MWD_CT: 4.3 mm), and had on average 28% greater TOC in all aggregate size classes than CT. Soil under NT had greater TOC in macroaggregates (NT: 22 g kg⁻¹; CT: 13 g kg⁻¹). Crop rotation did not have a significant effect on soil aggregate distribution and TOC. By increasing macroaggregation NT increased organic carbon accumulation in soil.