Assessing extractable soil phosphorus methods in estimating phosphorus concentrations in surface run‐off from Calcic Hapludolls

Understanding soil test phosphorus (STP) and surface run‐off phosphorus (P) relationships for soils is necessary for P management. The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of various soil test indices to predict P losses in surface run‐off. Selected sites were subjected to in situ rainfall simulations according to the protocol of the National Phosphorus Research Project ( NPRP, 2001 ). P from a composite of twenty‐four 2.0‐cm‐diameter core soil samples (0–5 cm) was extracted using the Olsen, Bray–Kurtz, Mehlich III, distilled water and 0.01 m calcium chloride procedures. All of these P extraction methods explained a significant amount of variability in surface run‐off total dissolved P [TP (<0.45)] (r² ≥ 0.67; P ≤ 0.01), where 0.45 is the filter pore diameter in microns. Multiple regression models showed extractable P to be the best soil predictor of surface run‐off TP (<0.45) among the studied soils. Despite extraction method or soil type, extractable P was the best soil predictor of surface run‐off TP (<0.45). Either agronomic (0.92 ≤ r² ≤ 0.96) or environmental (0.94 ≤ r² ≤ 0.96) soil tests were effective in estimating surface run‐off TP (<0.45) in select Mollisols.     

Assessment of co‐blending water treatment residual with dairy manure to reduce phosphorus concentrations in run‐off in Northern Ireland

Losses of phosphorus (P) to water that follow manure applications can be high while water treatment residuals (WTR) have an appreciable capacity to sorb soluble P which is an important risk factor in determining the susceptibility of manure P to run‐off losses. The objective of this study was to assess whether co‐blending WTR with dairy cow manure prior to surface application would reduce P concentrations in run‐off from grassland. An alum‐derived WTR was collected from a water treatment works (WTW), dried and characterized for its phosphorus sorption capacity (PSC) based on oxalate‐extractable Al and Fe. Multipoint P sorption isotherms were used to calculate the Langmuir P sorption maximum (P_max) and equilibrium P concentration (EPC₀). The WTR contained 170 g Al_ox/kg and 2.2 g Fe_ox/kg with a nominal long‐term PSC of 118 g/kg. Following a 6 day incubation of WTR, the Langmuir P_max was 82.6 g/kg and the EPC₀ of 0.13 mg P/L. Laboratory incubations of manure co‐blended with WTR indicated that 144 g WTR/kg dry matter (DM) manure significantly lowered (P < 0.001) manure WSP by 71.5 ± 16.6% after 108 h, but lower WTR mixing rates of 72 and 36 g WTR/kg had no statistical effect on manure WSP. Results from a field experiment using simulated rain on 0.5‐m² grassland plots showed no significant effect on run‐off P 2 days after applying 50 m³/ha of 6% DM manure co‐blended WTR at rates of 150 and 250 g WTR/kg.     

Runoff,soil loss,and nutrient depletion under traditional and alternative cropping systems in the Transmexican Volcanic Belt,Central Mexico

In the Transmexican Volcanic Belt a traditional fallow system is practiced, called “ año y vez ” (AV), which does not benefit soil conservation due to its low level of nutrient recycling and because soil protection is poor during the cultivation year. The objective of the present work was to measure runoff and soil and nutrient losses during three annual cycles (2002–2004) in Central Mexico under AV rotation and two alternative systems: improved traditional (IT) and traditional organic (TO). Soil losses in the three systems were moderate (<1.2 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) except during 2002, in which significant soil losses were recorded in IT and TO due to the scarcity of plant cover (<20 per cent) that was present throughout the rainy season. During the resting period of the AV system (2003), the annual runoff increased from 19 to about 600 per cent, compared to IT and TO without grazing. The difference in runoff was attributed to an 18 per cent increase in bulk density of soil surface (0–5 cm) caused by cattle trampling while grazing. Nutrient losses in the three treatments were mainly of N, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺. These results suggest that AV has a higher topsoil degradation effect during the resting year than during the cultivation period. The study shows that incorporating the maize/beans‐black oat rotation and residue cover causes a low runoff response that is important in reducing soil degradation. A spatial analysis is presented of erosion at watershed level for two soil management systems assessed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Off‐site impacts of soil erosion and runoff: Why connectivity is more important than erosion rates

Off‐site impacts of soil erosion are of greater social and economic concern in Western Europe than on‐site impacts. They fall into two related categories: muddy flooding of properties and ecological impacts on watercourses because of excessive sedimentation and associated pollutants. Critical to these impacts is the connectedness of the runoff and sediment system between agricultural fields and the river system. We argue that well‐connected systems causing off‐site damage are not necessarily related to areas of high erosion rates; emphasis should therefore be on the way in which connections occur. In temperate, arable systems, important elements of connectivity are anthropogenic in origin: roads, tracks, sunken lanes, field drains, ditches, culverts and permeable field boundaries. Mapping these features allows us to understand how they affect runoff and modify its impacts, to design appropriate mitigation measures and to better validate model predictions. Published maps (digital and paper) do not, by themselves, give sufficient information. Field mapping and observation, aided by remote sensing, are also necessary.     

A systems analysis of soil and forest degradation in a mid‐hill watershed of Nepal using a bio‐economic model

Forest degradation, manifested through decline in forest cover, and the resulting soil erosion and organic carbon losses, is a serious problem caused by a complex coupling of bio‐physical, socio‐economic and technological factors in the Himalayan watersheds. Greater understanding of the linkages between these factors requires a systems approach. We have proposed such an approach using a bio‐economic model to explore the system behaviour of forest degradation, soil erosion, and soil C losses in the forest areas. The outcome of the model simulation over a 20‐year period indicates that soil erosion and C loss rates may increase more than four‐fold by the year 2020 under the existing socio‐economic and biophysical regime (the base scenario). Reductions in the population growth rate, introduction of improved agricultural technology and increase in the prices of major agricultural crops can help slow down the rates of forest decline, soil erosion and C loss or even stabilize or reverse them. The results suggest that economic incentives may be highly effective in the reduction of soil loss, as well as C release to the atmosphere. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long‐term effects of fertilization on some soil properties under rainfed soybean‐wheat cropping in the Indian Himalayas

This study aims to examine the effects of long‐term fertilization and cropping on some chemical and microbiological properties of the soil in a 32 y old long‐term fertility experiment at Almora (Himalayan region, India) under rainfed soybean‐wheat rotation. Continuous annual application of recommended doses of chemical fertilizer and 10 Mg ha^–1 FYM on fresh‐weight basis (NPK + FYM) to soybean (Glycine max L.) sustained not only higher productivity of soybean and residual wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop, but also resulted in build‐up of total soil organic C (SOC), total soil N, P, and K. Concentration of SOC increased by 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 was 29% and that from wheat was 24% of the harvestable aboveground biomass yield. Annual gross C input and annual rate of total SOC enrichment from initial soil in the 0–15 cm layer were 4362 and 333 kg C ha^–1, respectively, for the plots under NPK + FYM. It was observed that the soils under the unfertilized control, NK and N + FYM treatments, suffered a net annual loss of 5.1, 5.2, and 15.8 kg P ha^–1, respectively, whereas the soils under NP, NPK, and NPK + FYM had net annual gains of 25.3, 18.8, and 16.4 kg P ha^–1, respectively. There was net negative K balance in all the treatments ranging from 6.9 kg ha^–1 y^–1 in NK to 82.4 kg ha^–1 y^–1 in N + FYM–treated plots. The application of NPK + FYM also recorded the highest levels of soil microbial‐biomass C, soil microbial‐biomass N, populations of viable and culturable soil microbes.     

Soil organic carbon temperature sensitivity of different soil types and land use systems in the Brazilian semi‐arid region

Quantifying the sensitivity of soil organic matter decomposition (SOM) to global warming is critical for predict future impacts of climate change on soil organic carbon stocks (SOC) and soil respiration, especially in semi‐arid regions such as north‐eastern Brazil, where SOC stocks are naturally small. In this study, the responses of the labile and recalcitrant carbon components and soil respiration dynamics were evaluated in three different soil types and land use systems (native vegetation, cropland and pasture) of the Brazilian semi‐arid region, when submitted to temperature increase. After 169 days of incubation, the results showed that an increase of 5°C generated an average increase in CO₂ emission of 12.0%, but which could reach 28.1%. Overall, the labile carbon (LC) in areas of native vegetation showed greater sensitivity to temperature than in cropland areas. It was also observed that recalcitrant carbon (RC) was more sensitive to warming than LC. Our results indicate that Brazil's semi‐arid region presents a substantial vulnerability to global warming, and that the sensitivity of RC and of LC in areas of native vegetation to warming can enhance SOC losses, contributing to positive feedback on climate change, and compromising the productive systems of the region. However, further studies evaluating other types of soil and texture and management systems should be carried out to consolidate the results obtained and to improve the understanding about SOM decomposition in the Brazilian semi‐arid region.     

Soil structural stability and erosion rates influenced by agricultural management practices in a semi‐arid Mediterranean agro‐ecosystem

Unsuitable agricultural practices can cause loss in soil quality and erodibility to thus increase or trigger desertification under Mediterranean conditions. A field experiment was performed at the El Teularet‐Sierra de Enguera Experimental Station (eastern Spain) to assess the influence during a 5‐yr period of different agricultural practices on physical and chemical indicators of soil quality (total and water‐soluble carbohydrates, glomalin‐related soil proteins (GRSP), total organic carbon, aggregate stability (AS), vegetation cover and soil erosion). The management practices included residual herbicide use, ploughing, ploughing + oats, addition of oat straw mulch and a control (land abandonment). Adjacent soil under natural vegetation was used as a reference for local, high‐quality soil and as a control for comparison with the agricultural soils under different management practices. Oat straw mulching led to higher levels of water‐soluble carbohydrates, GRSP and AS and lower soil erosion rates, resulting in values similar to those in the soil under native vegetation. The lowest levels of carbohydrates and GRSP were for the plots that were treated with herbicide or were ploughed. The maintenance of and increases in stable aggregates promoted by the different agricultural management practices over the years were attributed to increases in labile organic fractions such as carbohydrates and to the GRSP content. The results demonstrate that land abandonment (control plot) or the use of a cover (plants or straw) contributes to increases in soil quality and reduces the risk of erosion. The research also shows that sustainable agricultural management allows soil to recover and that the use of straw mulching is the most effective management strategy.     

Farmers' perceptions of soil erosion and soil fertility loss in Southern Ethiopia

Data and information about farmers' perceptions of soil degradation were collected using household survey, focus group discussion and field observations. The results indicate that farmers in the Sidama zone of southern Ethiopia are able to identify soil erosion and fertility loss indicators, take a holistic view of soil degradation and have a broad knowledge of the reasons for soil degradation. They perceive soil degradation mainly by reduced yields, soil changing in appearance and becoming stoney or coarse. The most frequently mentioned soil erosion indicator was soil becoming coarse and stony, followed by rill formation, dissection of fields and gullies and topsoil removal. The most important perceived indicator of soil fertility loss was reduced crop yield, followed by poor crop performance and yellowing of the crop. Farmers also have knowledge of solutions; however, participation in soil conservation activities is minimal because of the immediate threat of food insecurity. Any programme designed to address soil degradation in the region will have to be cognisant of farmers' knowledge and holistic view of soil degradation, and be integrated with aid measures to guarantee food security. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Phytoremediation of selenium‐contaminated soils: the efficiency of different cropping systems

Field experiments were conducted at two locations in the seleniferous region of northwestern India from 2001 to 2006 to evaluate the efficiency of four cropping systems in removing Se from contaminated soil containing 2843–4345 μg Se per kg in the surface layer (0–15 cm). Rapeseed (Brassica napus) followed by arhar (Cajanus cajan), sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) or cotton (Gossypium arboretum) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) followed by rice (Oryza sativa) were the four cropping systems. The total biomass generated by Brassica‐based systems ranged from 16 to 21 t/ha when harvested at maturity. Corresponding values for a wheat–rice sequence were 22–26 t/ha. Among the different crops at both the experimental sites, the highest Se content was recorded in leaves (157–209 mg/kg), grains (64–201 mg/kg) and stems (42–93 mg/kg) of Brassica and the lowest in the shoots (10–27 mg/kg), grains (5–13 mg/kg) and straw (13–20 mg/kg) of the rice crop. Except for S and P, concentrations of other nutrients (Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe) were not significantly affected by variations in the Se content of plants. Significant correlation coefficients were observed between Se and S (r = 0.838, P ≤ 0.001), Se and P (r = 0.817, P ≤ 0.001) at the peak flowering stage (n = 16), and r = 0.743, P ≤ 0.001 and r = 0.498, P ≤ 0.05, respectively, at the maturity stage (n = 16). Total Se removal through harvested biomass of rapeseed‐based cropping sequences varied from 716 to 1374 g/ha/yr at peak flowering and 736–949 g/ha/yr at the maturity stage. Corresponding values for a wheat–rice system were 435–492 and 370–517 g/ha/yr, respectively. The amount of Se recycled through leaf senescence ranged from 255 to 500 g/ha/yr for Brassica‐based cropping systems. In the wheat–rice system, Se addition through irrigation varied from 170 to 243 g/ha/yr and was three to four times more than that added in Brassica‐based systems. On completion of the phytoremediation experiments at site I, Se removal through harvested biomass at maturity was 1.7–5.1% of total Se in the soil down to a depth of 120 cm and 4.8–13.2% at site II. Analysis showed that Se losses under different crop rotations were 18.5–24.5% at site I and 21–33% at site II of total soil Se. Thus, at both sites 16–20% of total Se lost from the soil was unexplained. Results show that Brassica‐based cropping systems lead to significant reductions in Se capital of contaminated soil over 2–3 years. Although a long‐term commitment is required, adoption of Brassica‐based systems as a regular agricultural practice must lead to sustainable management of seleniferous soils.     

Soil redistribution and organic carbon accumulation under long‐term (29 years) upslope tillage systems

Few studies have demonstrated soil redistribution under upslope tillage (UT) rather than downslope tillage (DT) and its impact on soil organic carbon (SOC) redistribution in long‐term agricultural practices in hillslope landscapes. We selected two neighbouring sites from the Sichuan Basin, China, one under DT and the other under UT, to determine the pattern of soil and SOC redistribution under a long‐term UT practice. DT caused soil loss at upper slope positions and soil accumulation at lower slope positions. However, UT resulted in soil accumulation at upper slope positions and soil loss at lower slope positions. The total erosion rate decreased by 60.5% after 29 years of UT compared with DT. Having the same direction of soil movement by tillage and water exaggerated total soil loss, whereas having the two movements in the contrasting direction of soil for the two reduced it. SOC stocks at positions from summit to downslope were much larger (33.8%) and at toe‐slope positions were only slightly greater (4.5%) in the UT soils than comparable values for the DT site. The accumulation rate of SOC at the UT site increased by 0.26 Mg/ha/year compared with that at the DT site. It is suggested that soil movement by water and tillage erosion occurred in the same direction accelerates the depletion of SOC pools, whereas the opposite direction of soil movement for the two can increase SOC accumulation. Our results suggest that UT has significant impacts on soil redistribution processes and SOC accumulation on steeply sloping land.     

Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to the study of long‐term soil degradation: A case study from Schleswig‐Holstein,Germany

Soil degradation is a serious problem and an important environmental issue in many ecosystems. Without integrative, interdisciplinary and historical approaches, understanding the effects of long‐term soil degradation is difficult. According to this idea it is hypothesized that in order to study long‐term natural and human‐induced soil degradation, it is necessary to use interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches with respect to temporal and spatial landscape changes. The results of the investigation of colluvial sediments and soils in research area in Schleswig‐Holstein (Germany) with a high resolution in space and time—using the four‐dimensional landscape analysis—indicated the temporal and spatial variation of soils and sediments from the Mesolithic until Modern times. Intensive soil degradation occurred as a result of the land clearance and agricultural land use in the investigation areas since the Neolithic time. The general results of this investigation show that the use of an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach with pedological and geomorphological perspectives for different times and places can help to reconstruct the long‐term natural and human‐induced soil degradation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of organic‐manure combinations on the productivity and soil quality in different cropping systems in central India

In a field experiment, the effect of combination of different organic manures on the productivity of crops and soil quality were evaluated in deep vertisols of central India. Combinations of cattle dung manure (CDM), poultry manure (PM), and vermicompost (VC) vis‐à‐vis mineral fertilizers were tested in four cropping systems involving soybean (Glycine max L.), durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.), mustard (Brassica juncea L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), and isabgol (Plantago ovata Forsk). The organic manures were applied based on the N‐equivalent basis and nutrient requirement of individual crop. The grain yields of durum wheat and isabgol were higher in the treatment that received a combination of CDM + VC + PM whereas in mustard, CDM + PM and in chickpea, CDM + VC recorded the higher yields. The yield levels in these organic‐manure combinations were similar to the yields obtained with mineral fertilizers. Among the cropping systems, soybean–durum wheat and among the nutrient sources, the combination of CDM + VC + PM recorded the highest total productivity. At the end of the 3‐year cropping cycle, application of organic manures improved the soil‐quality parameters viz., soil organic carbon (SOC), soil available nutrients (N, P, and K), soil enzymes (dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase), and microbial biomass C in the top 0–15 cm soil. Bulk density and mean weight diameter of the soil were not affected by the treatments. Among the cropping systems, soybean–durum wheat recorded the highest SOC and accumulated higher soil available N, P, and K. In conclusion, the study clearly demonstrated that the manures applied in different combinations improved the soil quality and produced the grain yields which are at par with mineral fertilizers.     

Soil fauna community in the black soil of Northeast China under different tillage systems

Soil fauna is an important component in soil ecosystems. This study tested whether conservation tillage or conventional tillage of a black soil (Udic Mollisol) field in Northeast China could affect its soil fauna communities. Two different conservation tillage systems, no-tillage (NT) and reduced tillage (RT), as well as a conventional rotary tillage system (CT), were chosen for this study. There were 4562 individuals isolated from this study, which included two orders and 35 families. Acariformes was the most abundant family and represented 91.56% of the total faunal abundance. The abundance and the number of faunal families were higher in conservation tillage systems than in the CT. The RT system had the highest individual number of soil fauna among three tillage methods. The faunal accumulation in the soil surface also was significantly higher in the two conservation tillage systems than in the CT. Our results indicate that the conservation tillage systems could protect the soil fauna in the soil ecosystem better than the CT.     

Modeling nitrate leaching and organic‐C build‐up under semi‐arid cropping conditions of N India

Nitrate leaching, overall N balance, and organic‐C build‐up in a semi‐arid agro‐ecosystem in NW India was estimated from the results of a long‐term manurial trial with farmyard manure (FYM) and mineral‐N fertilizer in operation since 1967 at the Research Farm of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India. The model LEACHN was calibrated for the wheat‐growing period November 2000 to April 2001 and the leaching of nitrate during this period was predicted to 48 kg N ha^–1 without mineral‐N fertilization and 59 kg N ha^–1 with addition of 120 kg mineral‐N fertilizer, both with the addition of 15 t ha^–1 FYM. The N balance for the simulation period showed that the 120 kg N ha^–1–mineral N fertilization compared to zero mineral N, both plus FYM, resulted in only slightly higher crop uptake, leaching losses, and NH₃ volatilization, and a negligible increase of N in organic matter. The largest amount remains as an additional build‐up of mineral N in the profile (84.3 kg N ha^–1) which is prone to losses as ammonia or nitrate. The model was used to simulate organic‐C build‐up with FYM and a decrease of organic C without FYM for a period of 33 y (1967–2000). The simulated C build‐up to about 0.1 g kg^–1 agreed very well with the measured values and showed that additional mineral‐N fertilization will not have any significant effect on organic‐C content. Simulations with the assumption of no FYM application showed a gradual decrease of organic C from its starting value of 0.046 g kg^–1 in 1967 down to almost half of this. This agreed well with the observed organic‐C values of 0.028 g kg^–1 as measured for unmanured plots.     

不同土壤管理措施下基于水蚀过程的含沙量变异及其驱动

In order to prevent soil erosion in southern China, a study was performed to determine the drivers of sediment concentration variation using simulated rainfall and four soil management systems under field condition. Four soil management systems, i. e., forest and grass coverage (FG), forest coverage with disturbed soil surface (FD), contour tillage (CT) and downslope tillage (DT), were exposed to two rainfall intensities (40 and 54 mm h^-1) using a portable rainfall simulator. The drivers of sediment concentration variation were determined by the variations of runoff rate and sediment concentration as well as their relationships. The effects of the four soil management systems in preventing water and soil losses were compared using runoff rates and sediment concentrations at steady state. At runoff initial stage, sediment concentration variation was mainly driven by rainfall and management. The degree of sediment concentration variation driven by flow varied with different soil management systems. Three best relationships between runoff rate and sediment concentration were identified, i. e., reciprocal (CT), quadratic (FG and FD) and exponential (DT). At steady state, runoff rates of the four soil management systems varied slightly, whereas their sediment concentrations varied greatly. FG and CT were recommended as the best soil management systems for preventing water and soil losses.     

Soil organic carbon stock variability in the Northern Gangetic Plains of India: interaction between agro‐ecological characteristics and cropping systems

Soil organic carbon (SOC) content and its spatial distribution in the Northern Gangetic Plain (NGP) Zone of India were determined to establish the cause–effect relationship between agro‐ecological characteristics, prevailing crop management practices and SOC stock. Area Spread Index (ASI) approach was used to collect soil samples from the NGP areas supporting predominant cropping systems. Exponential ordinary kriging was found most suitable geo‐statistical model for developing SOC surface maps of the NGP. Predicted surface maps indicated that 43.7% area of NGP had 0.5–0.6% SOC, while the rest of the area was equally distributed with high (0.61–0.75%) and low (< 0.5%) SOC content levels. Averaged across cropping systems, maximum SOC content was recorded in Bhabar and Tarai Zone (BTZ), followed by Central Plain Zone (CPZ), Mid‐Western Plain Zone (MWPZ), Western Plain Zone (WPZ) and South‐Western Plain Zone (SWPZ) of the NGP. The SOC stock was above the optimum threshold (> 12.5 Mg/ha) in 97.8, 57.6 and 46.4% areas of BTZ, CPZ and MWPZ, respectively. Only 9.8 and 0.4% area of WPZ and SWPZ, respectively, had SOC stock above the threshold value. The variation in SOC stock was attributed largely to carbon addition through recycling of organic sources, cropping systems, tillage intensity, crop or residue cover and land‐use efficiency, nutrient‐use pattern, soil texture and prevailing ecosystem. Adoption of conservation agriculture, balanced use of nutrients, inclusion of legumes in cropping systems and agro‐forestry were suggested for enhancing SOC stock in the region.     

湖北潮土区不同轮作制度下土壤养分平衡状况与评价

通过连续5年定点调查和取样分析,研究了湖北省2个潮土区域农田土壤养分平衡状况,并用允许养分平衡盈亏率进行了评价.结果表明:①在几种主要轮作制中,所有作物的K肥施用量及施用比例均明显比N肥低,但几乎所有作物的K素吸收量均明显高于N素吸收量,早、晚稻吸收P、K的比例明显高于其它作物.②不同轮作制中土壤养分平衡状况表现为N素有不同程度的盈余、P素基本平衡、K素总是亏缺的,且水田K素亏缺量明显高于早地.在此基础上,作者提出"减N稳P增K"和以一个轮作周期为单位进行统筹施肥的养分平衡调控措施,以实现作物生产的高产稳产和土壤养分平衡的良性循环.     

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.