氮肥施用量对高产甜菜纤维根系分布及活力的影响

为了解施N肥对甜菜生长的影响规律。在田间条件下,研究了不同施N量（0、90、180、270、360 kg/hm2）对甜菜（KWS2409）纤维根系生长、分布和活力变化的影响。结果表明,施N比对照增加浅层侧根数、外层和深层纤维根干重及100 cm土层纤维根总干重,并提高各生育期侧根和主根活力。其中,100 cm土层最大纤维根干重施N 比对照增加了60.4%～168.4%,最大侧根数增加了22.7%～75.1%,且以0—20 cm和40—60 cm深的外土层及80—100 cm深的内土层纤维根系增加较大,分别比对照增加了129.6%～266.8%、71.0%～234.0%和101.5%～202.8%。主根伤流液量和侧根的活力分别比对照增加了56.2%～89.9%、23.7%～63.4%。N 180 kg/hm2处理0—100 cm土层中纤维根总量、各土层中根量最大,各生育时期主根和侧根活力最强,块根产量（82609.63 kg/hm2）和产糖量（13892.64 kg/hm2）均最高,而含糖率（16.83%）较N0处理（18.34%）略降。说明合理施N量有利于甜菜纤维根系生长和提高产糖量。     

滴施改良剂对新疆盐碱土改良及甜菜产量的影响

为了明确滴施化学改良剂对新疆盐碱土盐碱指标的影响,合理选用化学改良剂,选择4种滴灌专用盐碱改良剂类产品(酸碱平衡护理剂、酸酸肥霸、肽能氮、生物有机菌肥),以不施化学改良剂为对照,对施用前后土壤盐分、pH值、钠吸附比、总碱度、碱化度指标变化和甜菜锤度、产量的差异进行分析。结果表明:与不施化学改良剂相比,酸碱平衡护理剂处理和生物有机菌肥处理使土壤pH值分别降低了0.67和1.03个单位,达到显著水平(P0.05)。除施用酸酸肥霸处理的土壤盐分上升外,其余3种改良剂处理的土壤盐分均下降,施用生物菌肥使土壤盐分下降1.19 g/kg,达到显著水平(P0.05)。施用改良剂使土壤CO_3~(2-)和HCO_3~-的降幅达2.00%~80.00%,酸碱平衡护理剂和肽能氮主要降低土壤中CO_3~(2-)的含量,分别降低了49.50%和30.00%;酸酸肥霸降低HCO_3~-的效应优于CO_3~(2-);生物菌肥对HCO_3~-和CO_3~(2-)均有显著的降低作用,分别下降了60.40%和80.00%。4种盐渍土改良剂均能够有效地降低土壤耕层总碱度和pH值,以生物有机菌肥效果最显著;肽能氮和生物有机菌肥可同时降低土壤钠吸附比和碱化度,显著提高了甜菜的产量,但酸酸肥霸和酸碱平衡护理剂处理的甜菜产量与对照相比差异不显著。     

Variations in soil characteristics affecting the occurrence of Aphanomyces root rot of sugar beet - Risk evaluation and disease control

Damping off and chronic root rot of sugar beet caused by Aphanomyces cochlioides is a major constraint in cultivation of sugar beet, with occurrence of the disease in Sweden being concentrated to specific areas. This study examined soil factors that can be used for risk assessment of Aphanomyces root rot. Soils from 134 field plots were assessed over three years for Aphanomyces root rot potential in bioassays and analysed for easily measured soil factors such as soluble nutrients, pH and soil electrical conductivity (EC). Classification of the field plots into four groups with increasing disease severity index (DSI) according to the bioassay revealed that the group with the lowest DSI (<39) had an average soil calcium (Ca) content of 430 mg/100 g and a soil EC of 1.12 mS/cm, which were significantly higher than in the groups with DSI >40. From these results, we concluded that soil Ca concentration is an easily measured factor that can be used to identify soils with an increased risk of Aphanomyces root rot. We suggest that the Ca content should be above 250 mg Ca/100 g soil to avoid problems with Aphanomyces root rot in sugar beet. To gain a more thorough understanding of the geographical variation in Aphanomyces root rot and its connection to the geological origin of the soils, a number of other soil factors were analysed in the field plots, including clay mineralogy, CEC, and particle size distribution. Aphanomyces root rot was very rare in soils with a high proportion of smectite and vermiculite relative to illite and kaolin minerals, here predominantly calcareous soils developed on clay till in south-western Scania.     

甜菜谷氨酸合成酶活性与块根产量、含糖率的相关性分析

采用双丰16(偏丰产型)和甜单1号(偏高糖型)两个甜菜(Beta vulgaris L.)品种作为试材,在5个氮素水平(0、60、120、180和240 kg.hm-2)下,研究甜菜功能叶片与块根中谷氨酸合成酶(glutamate syn-thase,GOGAT)在生育进程中的活性变化动态及其与块根产量、含糖率和产糖量的关系。结果表明:在不同氮素水平下,两个品种功能叶片和块根的GOGAT活性均呈双峰曲线变化,两峰值分别出现在6月下旬和8月下旬,其中,功能叶GOGAT前一峰值高于后一峰值;块根GOGAT则与之相反。在不同氮素水平下,功能叶片GOGAT活性表现为N180>N120>N240>N60>N0,块根GOGAT表现为N120>N180>N240>N60>N0。GOGAT的活性与块根产量及含糖率关系紧密,块根产量随GOGAT活性的增加而提高,但是GOGAT活性过高反而降低了块根含糖率,进而导致甜菜产糖量的降低。     

灌溉制度对膜下滴灌甜菜产量及水分利用效率的影响

为制定新疆合理的甜菜膜下滴灌制度,设置3个灌水次数(8、9和10次)和2个灌水定额(45和60mm)两因素全组合试验,于2016—2017年在新疆玛纳斯县农科院甜菜改良中心开展田间试验。结果表明,灌水次数增加时甜菜叶面积指数与产量增加,含糖率降低,对甜菜的水分利用效率、耗水量无明显影响(P0.05),甜菜叶绿素值随灌水次数与定额增加呈下降趋势;在灌水次数与定额交互作用下,灌水8次时由于土壤相对含水率低于50%,甜菜会减产;当灌水9次,灌水定额为45 mm时,增加15 mm灌水定额土壤相对含水率达50%以上,此时甜菜增产7.4%～7.7%,糖产增加9.4%～9.7%;而继续增加灌水次数时,会导致甜菜含糖率降低而降低糖产。因此针对新疆膜下滴灌甜菜以60 mm灌水定额灌水9次为宜,可获得高产与糖产,较传统新疆膜下滴灌甜菜制度节水10%。该研究对指导新疆膜下滴灌甜菜灌溉制度具有一定意义。     

高寒草甸土CO2流通和氮矿化之间的关系以及对外加碳或氮的响应

In nutrient-limited alpine meadows,nitrogen(N) mineralization is prior to soil microbial immobilization;therefore,increased mineral N supply would be most likely immobilized by soil microbes due to nutrient shortage in alpine soils.In addition,low temperature in alpine meadows might be one of the primary factors limiting soil organic matter decomposition and thus N mineralization.A laboratory incubation experiment was performed using an alpine meadow soil from the Tibetan Plateau.Two levels of NH4NO3(N) or glucose(C) were added,with a blank without addition of C or N as the control,before incubation at 5,15,or 25 ℃ for 28 d.CO2 efflux was measured during the 28-d incubation,and the mineral N was measured at the beginning and end of the incubation,in order to test two hypotheses:1) net N mineralization is negatively correlated with CO2 efflux for the control and 2) the external labile N or C supply will shift the negative correlation to positive.The results showed a negative correlation between CO2 efflux and net N immobilization in the control.External inorganic N supply did not change the negative correlation.The external labile C supply shifted the linear correlation from negative to positive under the low C addition level.However,under the high C level,no correlation was found.These suggested that the correlation of CO2 efflux to net N mineralization strongly depend on soil labile C and C:N ratio regardless of temperatures.Further research should focus on the effects of the types and the amount of litter components on interactions of C and N during soil organic matter decomposition.     

Effect of sewage sludge and sugarcane bagasse biochar on soil properties and sugar beet production

Recently, biochar has shown to be an alternative to waste disposal and a source of nutrients, acting as a soil amendment. The effects of two types of biochar on soil properties and sugar beet production as well as potential for carbon (C) sequestration were evaluated:biochar produced from sewage sludge (SB) and biochar produced from a 1:1 mixture of sewage sludge and sugarcane bagasse (MB). A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted using a sandy loam soil from the Brazilian savanna under treatments of MB applications at 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5%, and 10.0%, SB application at 5.0%, and a conventional fertilization (CF) using lime and mineral fertilizers, with no fertilization as a control. After incubation for 45 d, seedlings were transplanted into each pot and cultivated for 55 d. Biochar characterization showed that pyrolysis reduced the biomass volume drastically, but concentrated the trace elements per unit of biochar weight. The MB treatments increased soil total C (by 27.8%) and pH (by 0.6), reduced the concentrations of nutrients, except for potassium (K), and chromium (Cr), and did not significantly alter lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) concentrations. Results of stable isotopes showed that all biochar treatments increased the total soil C stock and stability, suggesting a potential for application in C sequestration, and improved overall soil fertility. However, the biochar treatments also increased the concentrations of trace elements in the soil and plants. The sugar beet yields at 10.0% MB and 5.0% SB corresponded to 55% and 29% of the yield obtained in the CF treatment, respectively. These results may be due to biochar nutrients not being bioavailable when required by plants or to biochar nutrient adsorption.     

Nutrients management strategies to improve yield and quality of sugar beet in semi-arid regions

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the yield and quality of sugar beet genotypes (Beta vulgaris L.). Therefore, a field trial was carried out in Peshawar, Pakistan, during the winters in 2012–2013. The field experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with split plots, having three replications. Fertilizer treatments (control, composted manure Higo Organic Plus at 5 t ha^?1, Maxicrop Sea Gold seaweed extract at 5 L ha^?1, farm yard manure at 10 t ha^?1, inorganic nitrogen–phosphorus (NP) at 90:60 kg ha^?1, NP at 120:90 kg ha^?1 and NP at 150:120 kg ha^?1) were allotted to main plots, while genotypes (Sandrina, Serenada and Kawe Terma) were allotted to the sub-plots. Plots treated with the application of NP at 120:90 kg ha^?1 produced the highest beet yield (76.4 t ha^?1) and sugar yield (11.1 t ha^?1), and had the second highest polarizable sugar content (14.52%) and more economic return (Rs. 553,000 per hectare) as compared to control plots. Sugar beet genotype Serenada had significantly higher beet yield (55.5 t ha^?1) and sugar yield (7.9 t ha^?1) and a higher economic return (Rs. 380,000 per hectare) than the other genotypes. Sugar beet genotype Serenada supplied with NP at 120:90 kg ha^?1is recommended for the general cultivation in the agro-climatic conditions of Peshawar valley.     

Prediction of nitrogen uptake by sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) by scoring organic matter and nitrogen management (N-score), in Hokkaido,Japan

Studies were carried out on the interaction between potato scab, soil pH and exchangeable calcium in two different fields, one consisting of volcanic ash soil and the other, of red-yellow soil. Severity of potato scab in the field with red-yellow soil was correlated with the soil pH, unlike in the field with volcanic ash soil. The amount of exchangeable calcium in both soils was positively correlated with the scab index of potato tuber, when the content of exchangeable calcium in soil exceeded 150 mg per 100 g soil. From these results, it was concluded that the content of exchangeable calcium is as a more reliable parameter than the soil pH to evaluate the severity of potato scab.     

Soil properties associated with organic matter-mediated suppression of bean root rot in field soil amended with fresh and composted paper mill residuals

The ability of an organic amendment to suppress soil-borne disease is mediated by the complex interactions between biotic and abiotic soil factors. Various microbiological and physicochemical soil properties were measured in field soils with histories of receiving 4 or 5 years of spring additions of paper mill residuals (PMR), PMR composted alone (PMRC), PMR composted with bark (PMRB), or no amendment under a conventionally managed vegetable crop rotation. The objectives of this study were to (i) determine the residual and re-amendment effects of the organic materials on root rot disease severity; (ii) determine the influence of amendment type on the structure of bacterial communities associated with snap bean roots grown in these soils; and (iii) quantify the relative contributions of microbiological and physicochemical properties to root rot suppression in the field and greenhouse. While all amendment types significantly suppressed root rot disease compared to non-amended soils in both environments, only soils amended with PMR or PMRB sustained suppressive conditions 1 year after the most recent amendment event. Disease severity was inversely related to microbial activity (fluorescein diacetate assay) in recently amended soils only. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of the 16s rRNA gene was performed to obtain bacterial profiles. Principal component analysis (PCA) of terminal restriction fragments (TRFs) revealed general differences in bacterial community composition (PC1) among amendment types, and specific TRFs contributed to these differences. Correlation and multiple regression analyses of the measured soil variables revealed that the composition of root-associated bacterial communities and the amount of particulate organic matter—carbon in bulk soils imparted independent and relatively equal contributions to the variation in disease severity documented in the field and greenhouse. Together, our findings provide evidence that disease suppression induced by annual PMR inputs was mediated by their differential effects on bacterial communities and the amount and quality of organic matter in these soils.     

黄土区草被生长过程中土壤抗冲性及其与影响因素的关系

采用室内盆栽与原状土冲刷相结合的方法,设置了裸地对照(CK)、低种植密度黑麦草(H1)和高种植密度黑麦草(H2)3种处理,对3种处理在不同生长阶段的土壤理化性质和根系变化进行研究,分析了黄土区草被生长过程中土壤抗冲性及其与影响因素的相关关系。结果表明:(1)处理CK的容重、有机质含量和水稳性团聚体在4个生长阶段波动变化,但变化范围较小;随生长周期的延长,H1和H2处理的土壤容重呈下降趋势,有机质含量、水稳性团聚体、根表面积密度(RSAD,root surface area density)和根生物量密度(RWD,root weight density)呈增加趋势;在4个生长阶段,H1和H2处理各根径的RSAD表现为随根系径级的增大而减小。(2)CK和H2处理的土壤抗冲指数(ASI,anti-scourability index)在4个生长阶段无显著性变化;H1处理的ASI随生长时间的延长表现为逐渐增加的趋势,且在第16周,对ASI的影响最显著。(3)ASI与土壤容重呈幂函数递减关系,与有机质含量、水稳性团聚体呈幂函数递增关系,与RSAD、RWD之间均呈指数递增函数关系。(4)ASI与容重、水稳性团聚体、1.0~2.0,2.0~5.0,5mm径级的RSAD之间均无显著差异,与有机质含量、RSAD及RWD呈显著正相关(p0.05),与1mm径级的RSAD呈极显著正相关(p0.01)。     

Modelling the variability of UK sugar beet yields under climate change and husbandry adaptations

In the future, UK summers are likely to be warmer and drier. Modelling differential water redistribution and uptake, we assessed the impact of future drier climates on sugar beet yields. Weather was generated for 1961–1990 (BASE) and predictions based on low‐ and high‐emission scenarios (LO, HI) described in the most recent global climate simulations by the Hadley Centre, UK. Distributions and variability of relative soil moisture deficit (rSMD) and yield gap (drought‐related yield loss, YG_dr = 1?actual yield/potential yield), and sugar yield were calculated for different time‐lines using regional weather, soil texture and management inputs. The rSMD is estimated to exceed the senescence threshold with a probability of 75% (2050sLO) to 95% (2080sHI) compared with 65% (BASE). The potential yield loss, YG_dr, is likely to increase from 17% (BASE) to 22% (2050sLO) to 35% (2080sHI). However, increasing potential growth rates (CO₂ × temperature) cause average sugar yields to rise by between 1.4 and 2 t ha^?1 (2050sLO and 2050sHI respectively). Yield variation (CV%) may increase from 15–18% (BASE) to 18–23% (2050s) and 19–25% (2080s). Differences are small between regions but large within regions because of soil variability. In future, sugar yields on sands (8 t ha^?1) are likely to increase by little (0.5–1.5 t ha^?1), but on loams yields are likely to increase from 11 to 13 t ha^?1 (2050sHI) and 15 t ha^?1 (2080sHI). Earlier sowing and later harvest are potential tools to compensate for drought‐related losses on sandy soils.     

Prediction of long‐term sustainability of constructed urban soil: impact of high amounts of organic matter on soil physical properties and water transfer

Sustainability of urban soils lies in their ability to facilitate water and air permeabilities. Exogenous organic matter has been shown to have a positive impact on these properties. Under urban conditions, a large one‐time input of an organic amendment was made to the reconstituted soil. Two organic materials, green‐waste compost (gw) or cocompost from sewage sludge and wood chips (sw), were mixed with sandy loam soil (40% v/v) and placed in 600‐L containers. Containers received a 29‐cm thick layer of sandy loam soil–organic matter mix over a 28‐cm thick layer without organic amendment. Volumetric water content, dry bulk density, hydraulic conductivity at saturation and water retention were measured over 5 yrs in the soils and values for the mixes and a control compared. After this time, dry bulk density was greater (1.54 g/cm³) in control than in gw or sw soils (1.31 and 1.11 g/cm³, respectively), whereas hydraulic conductivity at saturation was smaller (4 × 10^?7 m/s) than in gw (3.4 × 10^?6) or sw (3.7 × 10^?6 m/s). HYDRUS 1D water balance model indicated that below 27 cm depth in the control after 5 yrs, there was a high degree of anoxia, lasting >200 days per year, compared with <40 days in gw and sw. Amplification of the risk of anoxia below 27 cm depth after 10 yrs was 323, 151 and 100 days in the control, gw and sw, respectively. Organic matter amendment could support sustainable urban soils for ten years after soil reconstitution.     

Long-term effects of straw and farmyard manure on crop yields and soil properties

The effect of cereal straw with added mineral N fertilization on crop yields, N uptake, total organic C content and hot water soluble C content in topsoil and on the relationships between organic C content in topsoil and organic matter balance was evaluated in a long-term field experiment established in 1966. The effect of straw plus mineral N fertilization was similar to the effect of farmyard manure (FYM) in the dry matter yields and also in the N uptake by plants. The effect of straw and mineral N fertilization on the organic C accumulation in soil was inferior to the effect of farmyard manure. Relationships between organic matter balance and total organic C content in the topsoil was positive and statistically significant. A favourable effect of mineral NPK fertilization on the C sequestration to soil was related to the effect of FYM fertilization.     

Image analysis for non‐destructive and non‐invasive quantification of root growth and soil water content in rhizotrons

Studies aiming at quantification of roots growing in soil are often constrained by the lack of suitable methods for continuous, non‐destructive measurements. A system is presented in which maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings were grown in acrylic containers — rhizotrons — in a soil layer 6‐mm thick. These thin‐layer soil rhizotrons facilitate homogeneous soil preparation and non‐destructive observation of root growth. Rhizotrons with plants were placed in a growth chamber on a rack slanted to a 45° angle to promote growth of roots along the transparent acrylic sheet. At 2‐ to 3‐day intervals, rhizotrons were placed on a flatbed scanner to collect digital images from which root length and root diameters were measured using RMS software. Images taken during the course of the experiment were also analyzed with QUACOS software that measures average pixel color values. Color readings obtained were converted to soil water content using images of reference soils of known soil water contents. To verify that roots observed at the surface of the rhizotrons were representative of the total root system in the rhizotrons, they were compared with destructive samples of roots that were carefully washed from soil and analyzed for total root length and root diameter. A significant positive relation was found between visible and washed out roots. However, the influence of soil water content and soil bulk density was reflected on seminal roots rather than first order laterals that are responsible for more than 80 % of the total root length. Changes in soil water content during plant growth could be quantitifed in the range of 0.04 to 0.26 cm³ cm^—3 if image areas of 500 x 500 pixel were analyzed and averaged. With spatial resolution of 12 x 12 pixel, however, soil water contents could only be discriminated below 0.09 cm³ cm^—3 due to the spatial variation of color readings. Results show that this thin‐layer soil rhizotron system allows researchers to observe and quantify simultaneously the time courses of seedling root development and soil water content without disturbance to the soil or roots.     

Variability in soil properties at different spatial scales (1 m-1 km) in a deciduous forest ecosystem

The purpose of this research was to test the hypothesis that variability in 11 soil properties, related to soil texture and soil C and N, would increase from small (1 m) to large (1 km) spatial scales in a temperate, mixed-hardwood forest ecosystem in east Tennessee, USA. The results were somewhat surprising and indicated that a fundamental assumption in geospatial analysis, namely that variability increases with increasing spatial scale, did not apply for at least five of the 11 soil properties measured over a 0.5-km² area. Composite mineral soil samples (15 cm deep) were collected at 1, 5, 10, 50, 250, and 500 m distances from a center point along transects in a north, south, east, and westerly direction. A null hypothesis of equal variance at different spatial scales was rejected (P?0.05) for mineral soil C concentration, silt content, and the C-to-N ratios in particulate organic matter (POM), mineral-associated organic matter (MOM), and whole surface soil. Results from different tests of spatial variation, based on coefficients of variation or a Mantel test, led to similar conclusions about measurement variability and geographic distance for eight of the 11 variables examined. Measurements of mineral soil C and N concentrations, C concentrations in MOM, extractable soil NH₄-N, and clay contents were just as variable at smaller scales (1-10 m) as they were at larger scales (50-500 m). On the other hand, measurement variation in mineral soil C-to-N ratios, MOM C-to-N ratios, and the fraction of soil C in POM clearly increased from smaller to larger spatial scales. With the exception of extractable soil NH₄-N, measured soil properties in the forest ecosystem could be estimated (with 95% confidence) to within 15% of their true mean with a relatively modest number of sampling points (n?25). For some variables, scaling up variation from smaller to larger spatial domains within the ecosystem could be relatively easy because small-scale variation may be indicative of variation at larger scales.     

Effect of soil type on the time-course of changes in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) productivity in Tokachi District,Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract

To clarify the effect of soil type on changes in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) productivity since 1980 in Tokachi District (Hokkaido, Japan), we analyzed yield data from 121 settlements from 1980 to 2002 using maps of parent materials and surface organic matter contents in a geographical information system. The soil types were Brown Lowland soils, Andosols with an alluvial subsoil, Wet Andosols and Andosols. The sugar beet yields were highest in the Andosols and moderate in Andosols with an alluvial subsoil. Yields in Brown Lowland soils in the 1980s were similar to those in Andosols, but decreased below the yields in the Andosols by the 1990s. The yields in Wet Andosols were the lowest in the 1980s, but have been similar to those in Andosols with an alluvial subsoil since 1990. Thus, productivity appears to have varied over time in Brown Lowland soils and Wet Andosols. The correlation coefficients between yields and cumulative daily mean temperature from late April to mid-July since 1990 were highest in the Andosols (r = 0.67), lowest in the Brown Lowland soils (r = 0.50) and intermediate in the other soil types (r = 0.54–0.60). However, the magnitude of the correlation between the yield and the cumulative precipitation since 1990 was lowest in the Andosols (r = –0.22), highest in the Brown Lowland soils (r = –0.58) and intermediate in the other soil types (r = –0.44 to –0.45). These results suggest that the present soil water environment in the Andosols is superior to that in the other soil types.     

土壤添加剂对德国卢萨蒂亚的台矿基质上作物产量和C收支的影响

Opencast lignite mining in the Lusatia region of Germany has resulted in large scale landscape disturbances,which require suitable recultivation techniques in order to promote plant growth and establishment in the remaining nutrient-poor substrates with low water-holding capacity.Thus,the effects of two commercial soil additives (CSA),a hydrophilic polymer mixed with volcanic rock flour and bentonite (a-CSA),and digester solids from biogas plants enriched with humic acids and bentonite (b-CSA),on soil organic carbon (SOC) storage,plant yields and root biomass were assessed after cultivating perennial crops (Dactylis glomerata L.) in monoculture and Helianthus annuus L.-Brassica napus L.in crop rotation systems.The CSA were incorporated into the top 20 cm soil depth using a rotary spader.The results indicated that a-CSA led to a significant increase in plant yield during the first year,and improved root biomass in the following year.As a result,SOC stocks increased,especially in the 0-10 cm soil layer.No significant sequestration of additional SOC was observed on b-CSA-amended plots at the end of both years.Bulk density values decreased in all treatments under the monoculture system.It can be concluded that application of a-CSA enhanced soil water availability for plant uptake and consequently promoted plant growth and organic carbon sequestration.The relative enrichment of organic matter without effects on water-holding capacities of b-CSA treatments suggested that it was not suitable for rapid land reclamation.     

On-farm comparisons of soil organic carbon under no-tillage and chisel-plow systems

Purpose: Role of no-tillage (NT) in soil conservation has been already established but its influence on soil organic carbon (SOC) is still under debate.

Materials and methods: Three paired sites, with NT and chisel-plow (CT) fields adjacent to each other were selected for this study. Fields were under the same tillage practices for more than 20 years. Fields were sampled up to 90?cm depth to determine SOC and different C pools based on soil CO₂ flux during 86?d of incubation.

Results and conclusion: Significant differences in SOC and its pools were limited within the surface 0–15?cm depth only. Profile SOC did not vary between NT and CT. Tillage had a significant influence on soil C pools but the effect was not consistent across sites.     

Ecological study on the dynamics of soil organic matter and its related properties in shifting cultivation systems of Northern Thailand

Abstract

There is a large number of hill people in northern Thailand, who practices shifting cultivation. In order to analyze the soil ecological problems involved in the transition from traditional shifting cultivation to more intensive upland farming, the authors carried out comparative studies on the dynamics of organic matter and its related properties in soils both in the traditional shifting cultivation systems adopted by Karen people and more intensive upland farming practiced by Thai and Hmong people in the area. The contents of organic matter and available N in the surface 10 cm layers of soil from the fields continuously cultivated were lower than those in soils under prolonged fallow (more than 10 y) or natural forest. Based on the rate of soil respiration, the amount of organic matter decomposed within 1 y was estimated to reach nearly 10% of that stored in the upper 50 cm layers of the soil profile in the upland crop fields. These results indicate that the organic matter-related resources markedly decreased under continuous cropping. The contents of C, N, and P in the microbial biomass of the surface 10 cm layers of soil ranged from 0.37 to 2.09 mg C g^?l soil, from 22.7 to 188 µg N g^?l soil, and from 6.1 to 65.7 µg P g^?l soil, respectively. Since the contents of microbial C, N, and P in the surface soils were generally higher under prolonged fallow and natural forests than in the fields continuously cultivated, the microbial activity and/or the amounts of C, N, and P available for biological activity seemed to have declined under continuous upland farming. The incubation experiment to assess the N mineralization pattern showed two remarkable characteristics: 1) there was an initial time lag until active mineralization of N occurred in the soils from young fallow forest and 2) the soil burning effect was observed after burning in the fields under prolonged fallow. The active process of nitrification after N mineralization was always associated with a sharp fall in soil pH, suggesting that soil acidification was promoted and basic cations were lost from the soils. In conclusion, rapid deterioration of the soil organic matter-related properties in cropping fields can be considered to be one of the ecological reasons why upland fields must be returned to fallow again a few years after forest reclamation in traditional shifting cultivation systems. Therefore, in alternative farming systems with more intensive land use, it is essential to apply organic materials into soils to decrease the rate of soil degradation, or to improve the soil fertility, in avoiding soil acidification along with nitrification.