Long‐term effects of manure and fertilization on soil organic matter and quality parameters of a calcareous soil in NW China

Long‐term applications of inorganic fertilizers and farmyard manure influence organic matter as well as other soil‐quality parameters, but the magnitude of change depends on soil‐climatic conditions. Effects of 22 annual applications (1982–2003) of N, P, and K inorganic fertilizers and farmyard manure (M) on total organic carbon (TOC) and nitrogen (TON), light‐fraction organic C (LFOC) and N (LFON), microbial‐biomass C (MB‐C) and N (MB‐N), total and extractable P, total and exchangeable K, and pH in 0–20 cm soil, nitrate‐N (NO ‐N) in 0–210 cm soil, and N, P, and K balance sheets were determined using a field experiment established in 1982 on a calcareous desert soil (Orthic Anthrosol) at Zhangye, Gansu, China. A rotation of irrigated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)‐wheat‐corn (Zea mays L.) was used to compare the control, N, NP, NPK, M, MN, MNP, and MNPK treatments. Annual additions of inorganic fertilizers for 22 y increased mass of LFON, MB‐N, total P, extractable P, and exchangeable K in topsoil. This effect was generally enhanced with manure application. Application of manure also increased mass of TOC and MB‐C in soil, and tended to increase LFOC, TON, and MB‐N. There was no noticeable effect of fertilizer and manure application on soil pH. There was a close relationship between some soil‐quality parameters and the amount of C or N in straw that was returned to the soil. The N fertilizer alone resulted in accumulation of large amounts of NO ‐N at the 0–210 cm soil depth, accounting for 6% of the total applied N, but had the lowest recovery of applied N in the crop (34%). Manure alone resulted in higher NO ‐N in the soil profile compared with the control, and the MN treatment had the highest amount of NO ‐N in the soil profile. Application of N in combination with P and/or K fertilizers in both manured and unmanured treatments usually reduced NO ‐N accumulation in the soil profile compared with N alone and increased the N recovery in the crop as much as 66%. The N that was unaccounted for, as a percentage of applied N, was highest in the N‐alone treatment (60%) and lowest in the NPK treatment (30%). In the manure + chemical fertilizer treatments, the unaccounted N ranged from 35% to 43%. Long‐term P fertilization resulted in accumulation of extractable P in the surface soil. Compared to the control, the amount of P in soil‐plant system was surplus in plots that received P as fertilizer and/or manure, and the unaccounted P as percentage of applied P ranged from 64% to 80%. In the no‐manure plots, the unaccounted P decreased from 72% in NP to 64% in NPK treatment from increased P uptake due to balanced fertilization. Compared to the control, the amount of K in soil‐plant system was deficit in NPK treatment, i.e., the recovery of K in soil + plant was more than the amount of applied K. In manure treatments, the recovery of applied K in crop increased from 26% in M to 61% in MNPK treatment, but the unaccounted K decreased from 72% in M to 37% in MNPK treatment. The findings indicated that integrated application of N, P, and K fertilizers and manure is an important strategy to maintain or increase soil organic C and N, improve soil fertility, maintain nutrients balance, and minimize damage to the environment, while also improving crop yield.     

种植小麦的土壤中微生物生物量的动态变化

A controlled release N fertilizer was developed by the carrier method using natural polysaccharides (PS) and urea. The results showed that mixing of PS and urea led to significant control of urea release. When a cross-linker (boric acid or glutaraldehyde) was added, a better control effect was observed. During a 30 min leaching time the nitrogen release rate from the controlled release fertilizer was nearly constant, which was significantly different from normal urea. One of the controlled release mechanisms was related to space resistance from a large molecular structure. Infrared (IR) analysis indicated that interaction of PS with urea was through a hydrogen bond or a covalent bond. These bonds created an a-helix or high molecular network fertilizer carrier system, which was another reason for a controlled nutrient release. Pot experiment showed that nitrogen use efficiency could increase significantly with a carrier fertilizer.     

Long‐term fertilization and manuring effects on physically separated soil organic‐matter pools under continuous wheat cropping at a rainfed semiarid site in China

An essential prerequisite for a sustainable soil use is to maintain a satisfactory soil organic‐matter (OM) level. This might be achieved by sound fertilization management, though impacts of fertilization on OM have been rarely investigated with the aid of physical fractionation techniques in semiarid regions. This study aimed at examining changes in organic C (OC) and N concentrations of physically separated soil OM pools after 26 y of fertilization at a site of the semiarid Loess Plateau in China. To separate sensitive OM pools, total macro‐OM (> 0.05 mm) was obtained from bulk soil by wet‐sieving and then separated into light macro‐OM (< 1.8 g cm^–3) and heavy macro‐OM (> 1.8 g cm^–3) subfractions; bulk soil was also differentiated into light OM (< 1.8 g cm^–3) and mineral‐associated OM (> 1.8 g cm^–3). Farmyard manure increased concentrations of total macro‐OC and N by 19% and 25%, and those of light fraction OC and N by 36% and 46%, compared to no manuring; both light OC and N concentrations but only total macro‐OC concentration responded positively to mineral fertilizations compared to no mineral fertilization. This demonstrated that the light‐fraction OM was more sensitive to organic or inorganic fertilization than the total macro‐OM. Mineral‐associated OC and N concentrations also increased by manuring or mineral fertilizations, indicating an increase of stable OM relative to no fertilization treatment, however, their shares on bulk soil OC and N decreased. Mineral fertilizations improved soil OM quality by decreasing C : N ratio in the light OM fraction whereas manuring led to a decline of the C : N ratio in the total macro‐OM fraction, with respect to nil treatment. Further fractionation of the total macro‐OM according to density clarified that across treatments about 3/4 of total macro‐OM was associated with minerals. Thus, by simultaneously applying particle‐size and density separation procedures, we clearly demonstrated that the macro‐OM differed from the light OM fraction not only in its chemical composition but also in associations with minerals. The proportion of the 0.5–0.25 mm water‐stable aggregates of soil was higher under organic or inorganic fertilizations than under no manure or no mineral fertilization, and increases in OC and N concentrations of water‐stable aggregates as affected by fertilization were greater for 1–0.5 and 0.5–0.25 mm classes than for the other classes. Results indicate that OM stocks in different soil pools can be increased and the loose aggregation of these strongly eroded loess soils can be improved by organic or inorganic fertilization.     

Long‐term fertilization impacts on corn yields and soil organic matter on a clay‐loam soil in Northeast China

A long‐term fertilization experiment with monoculture corn (Zea mays L.) was established in 1980 on a clay‐loam soil (Black Soil in Chinese Soil Classification and Typic Halpudoll in USDA Soil Taxonomy) at Gongzhuling, Jilin Province, China. The experiment aimed to study the sustainability of grain‐corn production on this soil type with eight different nitrogen (N)‐, phosphorus (P)‐, and potassium (K)–mineral fertilizer combinations and three levels (0, 30, and 60 Mg ha^–1 y^–1) of farmyard manure (FYM). On average, FYM additions produced higher grain yields (7.78 and 8.03 Mg ha^–1) compared to the FYM0 (no farmyard application) treatments (5.67 Mg ha^–1). The application of N fertilizer (solely or in various combinations with P and K) in the FYM0 treatment resulted in substantial grain‐yield increases compared to the FYM0 control treatment (3.56 Mg ha^–1). However, the use of NP or NK did not yield in any significant additional effect on the corn yield compared to the use of N alone. The treatments involving P, K, and PK fertilizers resulted in an average 24% increase in yield over the FYM0 control. Over all FYM treatments, the effect of fertilization on corn yield was NPK > NP = NK = N > PK = P > K = control. Farmyard‐manure additions for 25 y increased soil organic‐matter (SOM) content by 3.8 g kg^–1 (13.6%) in the FYM1 treatments and by 7.8 g kg^–1 (27.8%) in the FYM2 treatments, compared to a 3.2 g kg^–1 decrease (11.4%) in the FYM0 treatments. Overall, the results suggest that mineral fertilizers can maintain high yields, but a combination of mineral fertilizers plus farmyard manure are needed to enhance soil organic‐matter levels in this soil type.     

长期施肥对塿土磷素状况的影响

利用塿土12年长期肥料定位试验,研究了不同施肥方式对耕层土壤全磷(TP)、有机磷(OP)与有效磷（Olsen-P）的影响。结果表明,施用化学磷肥提高了耕层土壤TP、Olsen-P含量,但并未提高OP含量;对照与磷钾处理的OP含量有降低趋势。当基于含氮量施有机肥时,土壤TP和Olsen-P含量大幅度提高,也提高了OP含量,但OP/TP比率在降低到一定程度后维持在一个较为稳定的水平;即使施用有机肥的处理,磷素也主要以无机形态累积。土壤Olsen-P与TP或两者的增加量都呈显著的线性相关,塿土TP每提高100 mg/kg,Olsen-P增加量约为20.8 mg/kg,且单位土壤全磷增加带来的Olsen-P增加有随施肥时间降低的趋势。在土壤Olsen-P含量达到一定水平时应考虑减少磷肥用量。基于有机肥中磷素含量来推荐有机肥施用或延长其施用的时间间隔,将有助于减少由于有机肥施用带来的磷素大量快速累积。     

Carbon sequestration and relationship between carbon addition and storage under rainfed soybean–wheat rotation in a sandy loam soil of the Indian Himalayas

Soil organic matter (SOM) contributes to the productivity and physical properties of soils. Although crop productivity is sustained mainly through the application of organic manure in the Indian Himalayas, no information is available on the effects of long-term manure addition along with mineral fertilizers on C sequestration and the contribution of total C input towards soil organic C (SOC) storage. We analyzed results of a long-term experiment, initiated in 1973 on a sandy loam soil under rainfed conditions to determine the influence of different combinations of NPK fertilizer and fertilizer + farmyard manure (FYM) at 10 Mg ha⁻¹ on SOC content and its changes in the 0–45 cm soil depth. Concentration of SOC increased 40 and 70% in the NPK + FYM-treated plots as compared to NPK (43.1 Mg C ha⁻¹) and unfertilized control plots (35.5 Mg C ha⁻¹), respectively. Average annual contribution of C input from soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) was 29% and that from wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Emend. Flori and Paol) was 24% of the harvestable above-ground biomass yield. Annual gross C input and annual rate of total SOC enrichment were 4852 and 900 kg C ha⁻¹, respectively, for the plots under NPK + FYM. It was estimated that 19% of the gross C input contributed towards the increase in SOC content. C loss from native SOM during 30 years averaged 61 kg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. The estimated quantity of biomass C required to maintain equilibrium SOM content was 321 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. The total annual C input by the soybean–wheat rotation in the plots under unfertilized control was 890 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Thus, increase in SOC concentration under long-term (30 years) rainfed soybean–wheat cropping was due to the fact that annual C input by the system was higher than the required amount to maintaining equilibrium SOM content.     

Soil phosphorus dynamics in a Vertisol as affected by cattle manure and nitrogen fertilization in soybean‐wheat system

Repeated application of phosphorus (P) as superphosphate either alone or in conjunction with cattle manure and fertilizer N may affect the P balance and the forms and distribution of P in soil. During 7 years, we monitored 0.5 M NaHCO₃ extractable P (Olsen‐P) and determined the changes in soil inorganic P (P_i) and organic P (P_o) caused by a yearly dose of 52 kg P ha^—1 as superphosphate and different levels of cattle manure and fertilizer N application in a soybean‐wheat system on Vertisol. In general, the contents of Olsen‐P increased with conjunctive use of cattle manure. However, increasing rate of fertilizer nitrogen (N) reduced the Olsen‐P due to larger P exploitation by crops. The average amount of fertilizer P required to increase Olsen‐P by 1 mg kg^—1 was 10.5 kg ha^—1 without manure and application of 8 t manure reduced it to 8.3 kg ha^—1. Fertilizer P in excess of crop removal accumulated in labile (NaHCO₃‐P_i and P_o) and moderately labile (NaOH‐P_i and P_o) fractions linearly and manure application enhanced accumulation of P_o. The P recovered as sum of different fractions varied from 91.5 to 98.7% of total P (acid digested, P_t). Excess fertilizer P application in presence of manure led to increased levels of Olsen‐P in both topsoil and subsoil. In accordance, the recovery of P_t from the 0—15 cm layer was slightly less than the theoretical P (P added + change in soil P — P removed by crops) confirming that some of the topsoil P may have migrated to the subsoil. The P fractions were significantly correlated with apparent P balance and acted as sink for fertilizer P.     

Effects of fertilizer type and rate on labile soil fractions of a sandy Cambisol—long‐term and short‐term dynamics

The application of density fractionation is an established technique, but studies on short‐term dynamics of labile soil fractions are scarce. Objectives were (1) to quantify the long‐term and short‐term dynamics of soil C and N in light fraction (LFOC, LFON, ρ ≤ 2.0 g cm^–3) and microbial biomass C (C_mic) in a sandy Cambisol as affected by 28 y of different fertilization and (2) to determine the incorporation of C₄‐C into these labile fractions during one growing season of amaranth. The treatments were: straw incorporation plus application of mineral fertilizer (MSI) and application of farmyard manure (FYM) each at high (MSI_H, FYM_H, 140–150 kg N ha^–1 y^–1) and low (MSI_L, FYM_L, 50–60 kg N ha^–1 y^–1) rates at four field replicates. For all three sampling dates in 2008 (March, May, and September), stocks of LFOC, LFON and C_mic decreased in the order FYM_H > FYM_L > MSI_H, MSI_L. However, statistical significance varied markedly among the sampling dates, e.g., with LFOC being significantly different (p ≤ 0.05) in the order given above (sampling date in March), significantly different depending on the fertilizer type (May), or nonsignificant (September). The high proportion of LFOC on the stocks of soil organic C (45% to 55%) indicated the low capacity of soil‐organic‐matter stabilization on mineral surfaces in the sandy Cambisol. The incorporation of C₄‐C in the LFOC during one growing season of amaranth was small in all four treatments with C₄‐LFOC ranging from 2.1% to 3.0% of total LFOC in March 2009, and apparent turnover times of C₃‐derived LFOC ranged from 21 to 32 y for the sandy soils studied. Overall, our study indicates that stocks of LFOC and LFON in a sandy arable soil are temporarily too variable to obtain robust significant treatment effects of fertilizer type and rate at common agricultural practices within a season, despite the use of bulked six individual cores per plot, a common number of field replicates of four, and a length of treatments (28 y) in the order of the turnover time (21–32 y) of C₃‐derived LFOC.     

Long‐term effects of cropped vs. fallow and fertilizer amendments on soil organic matter I. Organic carbon

A long‐term field experiment, conducted since 1962 in Gumpenstein (Austria) on a Dystric Cambisol, was used for the present investigation. We combined a physical fractionation procedure with the determination of natural abundance of ¹³C and FT‐IR spectroscopy to study the influence of fertilizer amendments (organic manure and mineral fertilizers) and management practices (fallow vs. cropped) on changes in organic carbon (OC) associated with different particle‐size fractions. The OC content in bulk soil decreased or was not affected by slurry+straw, PK, and NPK treatments in both fallow and cropped plots after 28 and 38 yr of treatment. However, OC in plots receiving organic manures increased depending on the quality of the organic manures applied. The ranking among the different treatments under both fallow and cropped plots was: animal manure (liquid) > animal manure (solid) > cattle slurry = slurry+straw = PK = NPK. Results showed that the two types of management practices, fallow (non‐tilled) vs. cropped (tilled) had effects on OC concentrations. Comparing the OC contribution of particle‐size fractions to the total OC amount revealed the following ranking: silt > clay > fine sand > coarse sand except in the plots receiving solid or liquid animal manure. Size fractions within treatments showed larger variations of ¹³C abundances than bulk samples between treatments. The natural abundances of ¹³C increased especially in cropped (and tilled) plots. It was shown by cluster analysis that FT‐IR spectra differentiated between the different treatments originating from different land management practices. The present study revealed that below‐ground C deposition by agricultural plants can hardly compensate the C losses due to tillage.     

Long‐term effects on soil microbial properties of heavy metals from industrial exhaust deposition

Soil samples were taken at 0—10 cm and 10—20 cm depth from 7 clay‐marsh sites used as grassland close to Nordenham in the north of Lower Saxony, Germany. The sites had been contaminated by deposition of heavy metals from industrial exhausts, the level of contamination varying according to their distances from a lead factory. The soils were analyzed to assess the depth‐specific effects of NH₄NO₃ extractable and total amounts of Zn, Pb, and Cu on basal respiration, adenylates, ergosterol, and biomass C estimated by fumigation extraction (FE) and substrate‐induced respiration (SIR). Most of the chemical and biological properties studied decreased with depth, but depth‐specific differences in the relationships between these properties rarely occurred. The biomass C/soil organic C ratio was at a relatively high level, but most consistently reflected pollution as a decrease with increasing heavy metal load, independently of the method used for biomass C estimation. However, the SIR estimates were on average 44 % lower than those of FE, mainly due to pH effects. The metabolic quotient SIR‐qCO₂ increased with increasing NH₄NO₃ extractable and total heavy metal contents, but also with decreasing pH, whereas the FE‐qCO₂ remained unaffected by heavy metals and pH. The ATP/FE‐biomass C ratio was on average 8.2 μmol g^—1 and negatively affected by soil pH, but also by total Zn, NH₄NO₃ extractable Zn and Cu. The ergosterol/FE‐biomass C ratio was on average 0.29 %, i.e. at a very low level, and increased with increasing heavy metal content. This indicates a change in the community structure towards fungi.     

Long‐term field fertilization affects soil nitrogen transformations in a rice‐wheat‐rotation cropping system

Mineralization and nitrification are the key processes of the global N cycle and are primarily driven by microorganisms. However, it remains largely unknown about the consequence of intensified agricultural activity on microbial N transformation in agricultural soils. In this study, the ¹⁵N‐dilution technique was carried out to investigate the gross mineralization and nitrification in soils from a long‐term field fertilization experiment starting from 1988. Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) analysis was used to determine soil microbial communities, e.g., biomasses of anaerobic bacterial, bacterial, fungi, and actinobacteria. The abundance of ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) were measured using real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results have demonstrated significant stimulation of gross mineralization in the chemical‐fertilizers treatment (NPK) ([6.53 ± 1.29] mg N kg^–1 d^–1) and chemical fertilizers–plus–straw treatment (NPK+S1) soils ([8.13 ± 1.68] mg N kg^–1 d^–1) but not in chemical fertilizers–plus–two times straw treatment (NPK+S2) soil when compared to the control‐treatment (CK) soil ([3.62 ± 0.86] mg N kg^–1 d^–1). The increase of anaerobic bacterial biomass is up to 6‐fold in the NPK+S2 compared to that in the CK soil ([0.7 ± 0.5] nmol g^–1), implying that exceptionally high abundance of anaerobic bacteria may inhibit gross mineralization to some extent. The gross nitrification shows upward trends in the NPK+S1 and NPK+S2 soils. However, it is only significantly higher in the NPK soil ([5.56 ± 0.51] mg N kg^–1 d^–1) compared to that in the CK soil ([3.70 ± 0.47] mg N kg^–1 d^–1) (p < 0.05). The AOB abundance increased from (0.28 ± 0.07) × 10⁶ copies (g soil)^–1 for the CK treatment to (4.79 ± 1.23) × 10⁶ copies (g soil)^–1 for the NPK treatment after the 22‐year fertilization. In contrast, the AOA abundance was not significantly different among all treatment soils. The changes of AOB were well paralleled by gross nitrification activity (gross nitrification rate = 0.263 AOB + 0.047 NH ‐N + 2.434, R² = 0.73, p < 0.05), suggesting the predominance of bacterial ammonia oxidation in the fertilized fields.     

Long‐term effects of cropped vs. fallow and fertilizer amendments on soil organic matter II. Nitrogen

The present study evaluated the effect of fertilizer amendments (organic manure and mineral fertilizers), management practices (fallow and untilled vs. cropped and tilled) on changes of N in bulk soil and N associated with different particle‐size fractions. The long‐term field experiment was conducted since 1962 in Gumpenstein, Austria, on a Dystric Cambisol. The N content of the topsoils changed distinctively during 28 and 38 yr of treatments under both fallow and cropped management practices. Highest increase in total N content was found in animal‐manure (liquid)‐treated plots. The remaining ranking was: animal manure (solid) > cattle slurry > half cattle slurry + straw = PK = NPK. Quite short N‐half‐life values of around 2 yr were found for the cattle‐slurry application, while animal manure exhibited longer N‐half‐lives of around 8 yr. Crop removal of N and mineralization losses in cropped plots obviously were higher than N losses from the bare soil plots lacking a plant cover to keep N in the system. This was confirmed by a consistent shift in the natural ¹⁵N abundances. Comparing the mean N contribution of particle‐size fractions to the total N amounts revealed the following ranking after 28 and 38 yr of different treatments: silt > clay > fine sand > coarse sand, with small exceptions. Particle‐size separates showed more significant responses to changes in the N dynamics of the system due to the various treatments than the bulk soil and can be regarded as the better indicators in this respect.     

Effects of humus content,farmyard manuring,and mineral‐N fertilization on yields and soil properties in a long‐term trial

Investigations carried out at Field F3 of the Halle long‐term fertilization trials using data from 1974 to 1983 showed that with adequate supply of mineral N‐fertilizer soil organic matter (SOM) had no significant effects of yield. Similarly enhanced SOM did not justify a reduction of mineral N (Stumpe et al., 2000). The studies presented here examine the effects of the SOM differences existing after the termination of those trials in 1986 up until 1997 (then mainly differences of hardly decomposable SOM) in comparison to farmyard manuring with enhanced mineral N application (3‐factor‐experiment). As with total SOM, hardly decomposable SOM did not directly affect yields. The effects of FYM treatment observed at lower mineral‐N levels were compensated for by enhanced mineral‐N supply. The direct effect of FYM (40 t ha^—1) corresponded to a mineral‐N supply of about 60 kg ha^—1 and the residual effect to about 20 kg ha^—1. The differences of the C‐content in the soil at the beginning of the present studies continued throughout the experimental period of 12 years. In addition, significant differentiation has been caused by FYM and N fertilization in comparison to unfertilized treatments. The major finding is that differences in SOM content do not lead to yield differences on physically good soils (chernozem‐like soils) if appropriate compensation by mineral‐N fertilization takes place.     

How different long‐term fertilization strategies influence crop yield and soil properties in a maize field in the North China Plain

The impact of fertilization on maize (Zea mays L.) yield and soil properties was investigated in a long‐term (> 18 y) experimental field in N China. A completely randomized block design with seven fertilizer treatments and four replications was used. The seven fertilizer treatments were (1) compost (COMP), (2) half compost plus half chemical fertilizer (COMP1/2), (3) balanced NPK fertilizer (NPK), (4–6) unbalanced chemical fertilizers without one of the major elements (NP, PK, and NK), and (7) an unamended control (CK). In addition to maize yield, soil chemical and biological properties were investigated. Compared to the balanced NPK treatment, maize yield from the COMP treatment was 7.9% higher, from the COMP1/2 was similar, but from the NP, PK, NK, and CK treatment were 12.4%, 59.9%, 78.6%, and 75.7% lower. Across the growing season, microbial biomass C and N contents, basal soil respiration, and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, dehydrogenase, urease, and invertase activities in the COMP and COMP1/2 treatments were 7%–203% higher than the NPK treatment. Values from all other treatments were up to 60% lower than the NPK treatment. Maize yield is closely related to the soil organic C (OC) and biological properties, and the OC is closely related to various biological properties, indicating that OC is a suitable indicator for soil quality. Our results suggest the most limiting nutrient for improving the yield or soil quality was P, followed by N and K, and balanced fertilization is important in maintaining high crop yield and soil quality. Additionally, increases in OC, N, and biological activities in COMP and COMP1/2 treatments imply that organic compost is superior to the chemical fertilizers tested.     

Cumulative effects of a 17‐year chemical fertilization on the soil quality of cropping system in the Loess Hilly Region,China

Soil‐quality assessment provides a tool for evaluating the sustainability of alternative soil‐management practices. Understanding the effects of the long‐term use of chemical fertilizers on soil quality is essential for sustaining soil productivity. The cumulative effect of a 17‐y‐old chemical‐fertilizer application on integrated soil quality was investigated in the surface (0–15 cm) and subsurface (15–30 cm) soils of a soy–broomcorn–millet cropping system with an experiment design of two factors with three levels for each factor. The treatments were N0P0, N0P1, N0P2, N1P0, N1P1 (local farmer' fertilization strategy), N1P2, N2P0, N2P1, N2P2, and a control NF. The objectives were to describe and quantify the effect of continuous applications of chemical fertilizer through soil‐quality index (SQI) and attempt to offer an efficient and appropriate nutrient‐supply strategy for the local region. Following 17 y of chemical fertilization, the SQI increased markedly in the studied soil layers, and soil chemical indicators changed more significantly than physical properties. The soil‐quality indicators in the surface soil layer were more variable and sensitive to fertilizer application than the subsurface layer. The indicators that sensitively responded to long‐term fertilization could be classified into three types: soil‐fertility indicators (soil organic matter [SOM], total P, and available N), soil‐texture indicators (clay, silt), and soil‐structure indicators (bulk density, mean weight diameter [MWD]). The simplified indicators (SOM, sand, available N, bulk density, and total P in the surface soil and SOM, MWD, and silt content in the subsurface soil) preferably reflected the status of the integrated soil quality as influenced by continuous fertilization. Among the fertilized treatments, the combined‐fertilizer treatments maintained a higher SQI than the single‐fertilizer treatments in the surface and subsurface soils. The N1P2 treatment maintained the highest SQI in both soil layers, followed by N1P1 treatment. However, for the slope cropland, given the relative costs, soil resource, and environmental protection, the traditional treatment of N1P1 may be the optimal fertilizer treatment in the local region.     

Long‐term no‐tillage effects on particulate and mineral‐associated soil organic matter under rainfed Mediterranean conditions

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays an essential role in the sustainability of natural and agricultural systems. The identification of sensitive SOC fractions can be crucial for an understanding of SOC dynamics and stabilization. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of long‐term no‐tillage (NT) on SOC content and its distribution between particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral‐associated organic matter (Min) fractions in five different cereal production areas of Aragon (north‐east Spain). The study was conducted under on‐farm conditions where pairs of adjacent fields under NT and conventional tillage (CT) were compared. An undisturbed soil nearby under native vegetation (NAT) was included. The results indicate that SOC was significantly affected by tillage in the first 5 cm with the greatest concentrations found in NT (1.5–43% more than in CT). Below 40 cm, SOC under NT decreased (20–40%) to values similar or less than those under CT. However, the stratification ratio (SR) never reached the threshold value of 2. The POM‐C fraction, disproportionate to its small contribution to total SOC (10–30%), was greatly affected by soil management. The pronounced stratification in this fraction (SR>2 in NT) and its usefulness for differentiating the study sites in terms of response to NT make POM‐C a good indicator of changes in soil management under the study conditions. Results from this on‐farm study indicate that NT can be recommended as an alternative strategy to increase organic carbon at the soil surface in the cereal production areas of Aragon and in other analogous areas.     

Effects of grass vegetation strips on soil conservation and crop yield under rainfed conditions in the Indian sub‐Himalayas

Vegetation strips (VS) along with conservation tillage, application of organic amendments and weed mulching improve crop yields by reducing run‐off and topsoil erosion. To investigate these issues, an experiment was conducted under rainfed conditions using grass VS for four and a half years (June 2007 to October 2011) at Dehradun, Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalayan region. VS were incorporated in the experimental plots (Entisols) in a randomized complete block design in permanent 100 × 20 m (2000 m²) plots with a 2% slope to evaluate the effects of vegetation strips on run‐off, soil loss and crop yield. Three treatments were evaluated: (i) without VS with recommended NPK under conventional tillage, (ii) panicum as VS with recommended NPK under conventional tillage and (iii) palmarosa+ that consists of palmarosa as VS along with organic amendments (farmyard manure, vermicompost and poultry manure) and weed mulch under minimum tillage. The results show that soil loss and run‐off were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in plots under palmarosa+ than without VS treatment. Mean soil loss of 3.4, 5.2 and 7.1 t/ha was recorded from palmarosa+, panicum and without VS treated plots, respectively. Mean run‐off was 234, 356 and 428 mm from plots under palmarosa+, panicum and without VS, respectively. Maize yield was lower on the plots under palmarosa+ compared with panicum, but significantly higher (P < 0.05) than without a strip. The succeeding rainfed wheat yield was significantly greater in plots under palmarosa+ than in the initial years. The wheat yield equivalent was significantly higher in plots under palmarosa+ followed by panicum and without VS. Thus, vegetation strips are recommended for wider adoption to reduce run‐off and soil loss and to increase crop yield. The long‐term goal is to achieve a palmarosa+ system (palmarosa as a vegetation strip along with organic amendments, farmyard manure, vermicompost and poultry manure) and weed mulch under minimum tillage.     

Carbon sequestration dynamic,trend and efficiency as affected by 22‐year fertilization under a rice–wheat cropping system

The maintenance and accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural systems is critical to food security and climate change, but information about the dynamic trend and efficiency of SOC sequestration is still limited, particularly under long‐term fertilizations. In a typical Purpli‐Udic Cambosols soil under subtropical monsoon climate in southwestern China this study thus estimated the dynamic, trend and efficiency of SOC sequestration after 22‐year (1991–2013) long‐term inorganic and/or organic fertilizations. Nine fertilizations under a rice–wheat system were examined: control (no fertilization), N, NP, NK, PK, NPK, NPKM (NPK plus manure), NPKS (NPK plus straw), and 1.5NPKS (150% NPK plus straw). Averagely, after 22‐years SOC contents were significantly increased by 4.2–25.3% and 10.2–32.5% under these fertilizations than under control conditions with the greatest increase under NPKS. The simulation of SOC dynamic change with an exponential growth equation to maximum over the whole fertilization period predicted the SOC level in a steady state as 18.1 g kg^?1 for NPKS, 17.4 g kg^?1 for 1.5NPKS, and 14.5–14.9 g kg^?1 for NK, NP, NPK, and NPKM, respectively. Either inorganic, organic or their combined fertilization significantly increased crop productivity and C inputs that were incorporated into soil ranging from 0.91 to 4.63 t (ha · y)^?1. The C sequestration efficiency was lower under NPKM, NPKS, and 1.5NPKS (13.2%, 9.0%, and 10.1%) than under NP and NPK (17.0% and 14.4%). The increase of SOC was asymptotical to a maximum with increasing C inputs that were variedly enhanced by different fertilizations, indicating an existence of SOC saturation and a declined marginal efficiency of SOC sequestration. Taken all these results together, the combined NPK plus straw return is a suitable fertilizer management strategy to simultaneously achieve high crop productivity and soil C sequestration potential particularly in crop rotation systems.