Seasonal Dynamics of Microbial Biomass in Soddy-Podzolic Soil

Eurasian Soil Science - The seasonal dynamics of the structure of microbial biomass in a soddy-podzolic soil under fallow was assessed using luminescent microscopy. Samples from three soil horizons...     

Agrocenosis Stability during Long-Term Application of Fertilizers on Soddy-Podzolic Soil

Eurasian Soil Science - In a long-term field experiment in the western part of the nonchernozemic zone of Russia (Smolensk oblast) on sandy loamy soddy-podzolic soil (Albic Glossic Retisol...     

Impact of Nonylphenols on Biological Activity of Loamy Soddy-Podzolic Soil

Eurasian Soil Science - The effect of the endocrine disruptor nonylphenol on the biological activity of loamy soddy-podzolic soil (Eutric Albic Retisol (Abruptic, Loamic, Aric, Ochric)) was studied...     

Structural and Functional Characteristics of the Prokaryotic Community of Soddy-Podzolic Soil Influenced by the Herbicide Glyphosate

The amount of chemicals used for plant protection is growing due to the intensification of agriculture. Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides; consequently, its influence on the microbial communities of agricultural soils is of interest. Structural and functional changes in the prokaryotic community in soddy-podzolic soil related to glyphosate treatment have been studied. No influence of the herbicide on the total number of prokaryotes or on the indices of substrate utilization intensity by the soil microbial community was observed. An increase in CO₂ emissions was a short-term effect of glyphosate application. The numbers of metabolically active Archaea and Acidobacteria decreased, while the number of metabolically active Actinobacteria increased after long-term exposure of the soil to glyphosate.     

Effect of Long-Term Application of Organic and Mineral Fertilizers on the Organic Carbon Content and Nitrogen Regime of Soddy-Podzolic Soil

Eurasian Soil Science - The effect of long-term application of organic and mineral fertilizers on the organic carbon content and nitrogen regime of soddy-podzolic heavy loamy soils (Umbric...     

Specific Features of the Microbial Community Development in Soddy-Podzolic Soil in the Course of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Growing

Eurasian Soil Science - The development of microbial community in a soddy-podzolic soil (Albic Retisol) on the roots of common barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was studied. Morphometric characteristics...     

Rheological Properties and Tomographically Determined Pore Space of Undisturbed Samples of Typical Chernozems and Soddy-Podzolic Soils

Coupled studies of pore space and rheological behavior of undisturbed samples from soddypodzolic soils (Albic Glossic Retisols (Loamic, Aric, Cutanic)) of Moscow oblast under forest and under cropland and from typical chernozems (Haplic Chernozems (Loamic, Aric, Pachic)) of Kursk oblast under oak forest, shelterbelt, and cropland were conducted. Soil pore space was investigated using a Bruker SkyScan 1172 G (Belgium) microtomograph, and 3D models of pore space were constructed. The total pore space (in percent of the volume of analyzed samples) and the volumes of open and closed pores were determined from these models. The nondestructive tomographic method made it possible to analyze the rheological properties of soils for the same samples using the amplitude sweep method on an MCR-302 (Anton Paar, Austria) rheometer. The following parameters of the rheological behavior were determined: storage modulus in the range of linear viscoelastic behavior, the range of linear viscoelastic behavior, and the range of plastic behavior. A joint analysis of the rheological properties and morphometric characteristics of the undisturbed samples of soddy-podzolic soils and chernozems demonstrated the dependence of the rheological behavior of these soils on their physicochemical properties and pore space structure reflecting the differences in the genesis and physical and chemical properties of soil horizons. The correlation analysis attested to direct (positive) relationships between the values of the total and open tomographic porosities, the range of linear viscoelastic behavior, and the deformation upon the destruction of soil structure. Negative relationships were found between the values of open and total porosity and the structural strength of the soil monoliths. A hypothesis about an increase in the range of plastic behavior of soils and a decrease in the strength of soil structure with an increase in porosity was suggested.     

Recent Soil-Forming Processes in Postagrogenic Soddy-Podzolic Soils of the Udmurt Republic

Eurasian Soil Science - We have revealed the dependence of current soil-forming processes in laylands on the period of theirs overgrowing, landform, and cultivation intensity. The main object of...     

Carbon Stocks and Carbon Protection Capacity of Soddy-Podzolic Soils in Natural and Agricultural Ecosystems of the Cis-Ural Region

Eurasian Soil Science - The amount of stabilized and protected from decomposition soil organic matter characterizes the carbon protection capacity (CPC) of soil. Experimental data on the...     

Effect of the chemical composition of green manure crops on humus formation in a Soddy-Podzolic soil

The effects of different types of green manure (Trifolium pratense L., Dactylis glomerata L., and Secale cereale L.) and the time of its input into the soil (autumn and spring) on the contents of humus and labile humus substances in a soddy-podzolic soil and the relationship between the formation of humus and the chemical composition of the applied biomass were studied. Green manure had a positive effect on the accumulation of humus in the soil. When the plants were plowed into the soil in the fall, the amount of humus formed in the soil in the first year was 0.1% higher in comparison with the spring application of green manure. The most active synthesis of new humus substances took place upon the following properties of the plant biomass: C: N = 15–25, the cellulose content of 20–28%, and the lignin content of 14–17%. The highest amount of labile humus substances was formed during the decomposition of the biomass with the C: N ratio above 20, the cellulose content of 19–20%, and the lignin content of 14–16%.     

Microbial Biomass,Respiratory Activity and Nitrogen Fixation in Soddy-Podzolic Soils of the Pre-Urals Area under Various Agricultural Uses

Eurasian Soil Science - Indicators of the microbiological activity of virgin (mixed forest and forb–grassy meadow) and arable (permanent black fallow, permanent barley crop, field crop...     

Changes in the Metagenome of Prokaryotic Community as an Indicator of Fertility of Arable Soddy-Podzolic Soils upon Fertilizer Application

The influence of different systems of fertilization and liming on the changes in the taxonomic structure of prokaryotic community in arable soddy-podzolic soil (Albic Retisol (Loamic, Aric, Cutanic, Differentic, Ochric)) was studied in a stationary field experiment of Vologda State Dairy Farming Academy with the use of high-performance sequencing method of gene 16S rRNA. The 25-year-old fallow plot, in which the intensity of microbiological processes was close to that in the virgin soddy-podzolic soils, was used as a control. At the first stage, dominant phyla were identified: Proteobacteria (45.3–56.2%), Actinobacteria (13.6–20.4%), Bacteroidetes (7.2–19.3%), Acidobacteria (7.1–11.5%), and Verrucomicrobia (4.3–10.3%). Several groups of microorganisms-indicators, whose portion changes in the arable soil under the influence of liming, fertilizer application, and soil treatment in comparison with the control, were determined. The applied approach made it possible to relate the taxonomic structure of the soil microbial cenosis with external factors for assessing changes in the structure of soil microbial complex under the impact of different uses of the arable soil.     

Soddy-Podzolic Soils with a Complex Organic Profile in the Right-Bank Part of the Lower Vyatka River Basin

Data on soddy-podzolic soils with the second humus horizon in the southwestern part of Kirov oblast are discussed. These soils were first studied by the authors on mantle calcareous loams of the Yarano- Kokshagskaya Plain in the eastern part of the Central Russian southern-taiga province of medium-humus soddy-podzolic soils of European Russia. The aim of this study is to reconstruct the history of the development of soil properties and soil cover in automorphic landscapes of this region. Morphology, substantive properties of mineral and organic components, soil genesis and evolution are analyzed using a set of physical, chemical, physicochemical, biochemical, and geochronological methods. The results of our study attest to the relict character of second the humus horizon and polygenetic nature of the studied soils. These soils have passed through two essentially different evolutionary stages in the Holocene: the accumulative stage in the first half of the Holocene and the accumulative-eluvial stage of erasing evolution with preservation of some inherited features in the second half of the Holocene. According to their properties, the studied soils are analogous to the earlier studied southern-taiga Vyatka–Kama province of high-humus soddy-podzolic soils of the northeast. At present, plowing of these soils leads to a partial or complete destruction of the second humus horizon; thus, spontaneous degradation processes are complemented by the human-induced soil degradation. A tendency for a gradual disappearance of these soils from the soil cover under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors has been noted. The materials presented in this paper may be useful for organization of specially protected soil areas in the southwestern part of the Vyatka River basin.     

Changes in the Content,Composition, and Properties of Humic Substances in Particle-Size Fractions of Soddy-Podzolic Soils under the Impact of Long-Term Drainage

Specific features of the transformation of humic substances in particle-size fractions of drained soddy-podzolic soils were studied on a field (12 ha) of the Experimental and Educational Center of Lomonosov Moscow State University in Moscow oblast. The field had a clearly pronounced microtopography. Surface-gleyed soddy-podzolic soils (Albic Stagnic Glossic Retisols (Loamic, Aric, Ochric)) of microdepressions with excessive surface moistening and nongleyed soddy-podzolic soils (Albic Glossic Retisols (Loamic, Aric, Ochric)) of elevated positions were examined. These soils were studied before the field drainage and during 25 years after drainage works in the periods differing in conditions of humification and with due account for not only drainage works but also other factors, such as topography and agrotechnology and their joint action. The specificity of transformation of humic substances in the soils and their particle-size fractions was analyzed in the basis of data on the organic carbon content, group and fractional composition of humus, the intensity of individual stages of humification (the neoformation of humic acids and the formation of humates), and the optical density of the fractions of humic acids. The results of the study of these properties in the fine soil fractions (<50 μm) made it possible to assess the response of the clay (<1 μm) and silt (1–5, 5–10, 10–50 μm) fractions to changes in the ecological situation and the role of separate particle-size fractions in the degradation of humus under adverse impacts. Overall, a clear tendency toward worsening of the humus quality was observed in both soils during the 25-year-long period, which is related to the long-term (20 years) agricultural use of the reclaimed field without application of agrochemicals. The features of humus degradation were mainly manifested in the finest (<10 μm) fractions with a general decrease in the humus content, slowing down of the formation of humic acids and humates, and considerable loss of humic acids, including their agronomically valuable fractions HA1 and HA2. The degradation of humus quality in the clay fraction was largely due to the impact of the reclamation (drainage) factor; the degradation of humus quality in the fine and medium silt fractions was mainly due to the negative changes in the agricultural background. Among negative consequences of the worsening humus quality, the lowering of soil fertility, ecological sustainability, and productivity of agrocenoses should be noted.     

Soil Health and Soil Fertility Assessment by the Haney Soil Health Test in an Agricultural Soil in West Tennessee

The Haney Soil Health Test (HSHT) is a recent approach to quantify soil health by focusing mostly on soil biology. It uses a new extractant (H3A) for the extraction of plant available nutrients, a new method of soil respiration measurement (24-hr CO₂ burst) using Solvita® gel system, and a new approach in determining bioavailable carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) namely water extractable organic C (WEOC) and water extractable organic N (WEON). A soil health score is calculated by combining Solvita® respiration, WEOC, and WEON data. The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of HSHT to detect the management-induced changes in soil nutrient levels and soil health in the production systems of west Tennessee. We tested soils collected from a cover crop field trial established in 2013 on a no-till corn (Zea mays L.) – soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation. Compared to Mehlich-1 and Mehlich-3, H3A extracted the lowest amount of soil extractable phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Neither the soil health score nor its component parameters showed significant differences between cover crop treatments and the control. In addition, the Solvita® CO₂ data did not provide a reliable estimation of potentially mineralizable N. Overall, the HSHT did not detect differences in soil health due to cover cropping in west Tennessee. We conclude that HSHT, though a promising concept due to its focus on linking soil biology with soil fertility and soil health, may need extensive field evaluation and refinement in contrasting soils and climates across the US.     

水土保持措施对红壤缓坡地土壤活性有机碳及酶活性的影响

基于植物篱和稻草覆盖控制红壤坡耕地水土流失的长期定位试验,以花生常规等高种植为对照(CK),研究红壤缓坡地香根草篱(H)、稻草覆盖(M)、稻草覆盖+香根草篱(HM)3种水保措施下旱、雨季土壤活性有机碳含量及土壤酶活性变化特征,探讨不同水保措施对土壤活性有机碳含量及土壤酶活性的影响。结果表明∶(1)稻草覆盖、香根草篱处理均能显著提高土壤微生物生物量碳含量(p0.05),其中稻草覆盖和香根草篱相结合效果最佳,且在旱季提升效果优于雨季;而稻草覆盖是提高土壤可溶性有机碳含量的主要影响因素;(2)稻草覆盖和稻草覆盖+香根草篱2种水土保持措施均能显著提高雨季土壤酶活性(p0.05),其中稻草覆盖起决定作用;各水土保持措施对旱季土壤酶活性的影响较小。(3)相关性分析表明,土壤β-葡(萄)糖苷酶和纤维素酶活性与土壤活性有机碳含量呈现良好的相关性(p0.05),对于评价红壤缓坡地水土保持措施土壤环境质量功能、指导实际生产等方面具有重要意义。     

Effects of Different Soil Amendments Application on Soil Aggregate Stability and Soil Consistency under Wetting and Drying Altered Planting System

ABSTRACT

How to address improving degraded soil has become an increased concern for agricultural production. Biomass ash is used for remediation of degraded soil and improvement in soil structure. To investigate the responses of aggregate stability and soil consistency by biomass ash and other amendments, a pot experiment with a degraded soil and seven treatments including a control (CK), no fertilizer or amendment; only N-P-K fertilizer (F); N-P-K fertilizer with lime (FL), lime and zeolite (FLZ), biomass ash (FBA), biological fertilizer (FBF) and peat ash (FPA), respectively, were conducted. Stability of soil aggregate, water-holding capacity, and soil consistency was analyzed within a lettuce-water spinach-lettuce planting system. Results showed that amendment additions significantly raised the fractions of >0.25 mm soil aggregate. Applications of biomass ash reduced the percentage of aggregate destruction (PAD) by 45.07%-59.97% and reduced the value of fractal dimension (D) by 1.79–2.16 during whole cultivation period, indicating the stability of soil aggregates. Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a key role in soil consistency because of significant relationship between SOM and soil consistency indicators including plastic limit (PL), liquid limit (LL), plasticity index (PI) and liquidity index (LI). While, hydrodynamic characters and potential low clay content occurred in the soil treated with biomass ash during high moisture conditions. These findings suggest that the application of biomass ash improved the stability of soil aggregate, which improved the structural stability of degraded soil but may pose a risk to soil erosion by water force.     

黑土、潮土和红壤可溶性有机质的光谱特征及结构差异

为探究不同类型土壤可溶性有机质(DOM)含量和结构的差异性,选取黑土、潮土和红壤3种土壤的表层土壤(0～20 cm)为研究对象,提取其中的DOM,应用紫外–可见光谱、荧光光谱等技术,分析土壤中DOM的数量和光谱特征.结果显示:3种不同类型土壤中可溶性有机碳(DOC)含量及其与土壤有机碳(SOC)的比值(SOC/DOC)...     

Soil and sediments listservers

Internet listservers, a freely available resource on the Internet for anyone who can send and receive emails, provide a means for professionals to communicate and collaborate with each other in the field of soils and sediments. While moderated listservers are highly effective, in terms of quality and participation (activity) level, do not underestimate the knowledge base held within many of the soil and sediment-related listservers. Readers are encouraged to subscribe to those lists which match their own areas of the soil and sediment fields and to become active. Currently, the only listservers dedicated to sediments are of very low activity, with the lowest numbers of subscribers of all listservers surveyed. As a word of caution, Internet listservers are not a primary source of knowledge (in any scientific field), the quality of knowledge exchanged is highly variable, and if not properly managed, can waste time.     

关中地区塿土系统分类归属及代表土系建立

塿土是关中地区受人为长期土粪堆垫而在原土壤表层形成明显堆垫层的重要农业土壤,其分类一直备受关注.为了解塿土的成土特点及系统分类归属,选取关中地区18个典型塿土剖面,通过野外成土因素、剖面形态调查与土样分析测定,依据中国土壤系统分类方案,确定其在高级和基层分类单元归属.结果表明,供试剖面包含堆垫表层、黏化层、钙积层等9个...