动物粪液中可溶性磷在土壤中的吸附和迁移特性研究

农田土壤施用动物粪肥引入了大量的可溶性有机物、有机磷和无机磷,了解这些可溶性物质在土壤中的相对移动性及它们之间的相互作用有助于指导农田养分管理。本研究从粪液中分离获得含水溶性无机磷、有机磷和有机物（碳）的溶液,选择了具不同质地和有机质含量的4个土壤（含高量有机质的黄筋泥、含低量有机质的黄筋泥、淡涂泥和清水沙）,应用等温吸附和土柱模拟淋洗方法研究了可溶性有机碳、无机磷和有机磷共存条件下,粪液中可溶性有机态磷和无机态磷在土壤中的吸附和迁移特性。吸附试验表明,可溶性有机物（碳）的存在大大降低了土壤对有机态磷和无机态磷的吸附,表明施用液态有机肥比施用化肥具有更大的磷流失风险。供试土壤对无机态磷的吸附强度高于有机态磷,但对二者的吸附量大小为:黄筋泥>淡涂泥>清水沙;并与粘粒含量、氧化铁含量呈正相关。有机质较高的土壤对有机磷的吸附明显低于有机质低的土壤。淋洗试验表明,在供试土壤中,这3种可溶性物质在土壤中吸持(包括生物吸持)的顺序为:可溶性无机磷>可溶性有机碳>可溶性有机磷;有机态磷比无机态磷更易在土壤中迁移。     

盐化和有机质对土壤结构稳定性及阿特伯格极限的影响

对甘肃景电灌区盐化和有机质对土壤团聚体的稳定性、黏粒的分散性及阿特伯格极限进行了调查研究。研究结果表明该灌区盐化土壤中水溶性盐以钠盐为主,土壤具有钠质现象。随含盐量和交换性钠离子百分率（ESP）的增加土壤团聚体的稳定性显著降低,黏粒的分散性显著增加,阿特伯格极限具有降低的趋势,明确地说明盐化和伴随着的钠质化是土壤结构性能退化的主要原因。随有机质含量的增加,土壤团聚体的稳定性显著增加,黏粒的分散性显著降低,阿特伯格极限显著增加,说明增加有机质含量可以显著改善盐化土壤的结构性能。可以根据如下公式利用有机质含量（OM）和ESP预测团聚体的稳定性:WSAR=19.4 0.98OM-1.43 ESP（R2=0.5741,n=67）。团聚体稳定性、黏粒分散性、流限和塑限互相之间显著相关,说明流限和塑限可以作为反映盐化土壤结构状况的指标。     

Aggregate Development and Orin Mediterranean Mountain Soi

Soil aggregation and organic matter of soils from the pre-Pyrenean range in Catalonia (NE Spain) were studied,in order to assess their quality as carbon sinks and also to select the best soil management practices to preserve their quality.Aggregate stability,organic carbon and micromorphology were investigated.The highest amount of organic carbon was found in alluvial,deep soils (228 Mg C ha -1 ),and the lowest was in a shallow,stony soil with a low plant cover (78 Mg C ha -1 ).Subsurface horizons of degraded soils under pastures were the ones with smaller and less-stable aggregates.Fresh residues of organic matter (OM) were found mostly in interaggregate spaces.Within the aggregates there were some organic remains that were beginning to decompose,and also impregnative nodules of amorphous OM.Although OM was evenly distributed among the aggregate fractions,the larger blocky peds had more specific surface,contained less decomposed OM and had a lower organic/mineral interphase than smaller crumb aggregates,which were also more stable.Soil carbon storage was affected primarily by the OM inputs in the surface horizons.In order to store organic carbon over the mid- and long-term periods,the mechanisms favouring structuration through biological activity and creating small aggregates with intrapedal stable microporosities seemed to be the most effective.     

地中海山地土壤中团聚体的形成和有机质的储存

Soil aggregation and organic matter of soils from the pre-Pyrenean range in Catalonia (NE Spain) were studied, in order to assess their quality as carbon sinks and also to select the best soil management practices to preserve their quality. Aggregate stability, organic carbon and micromorphology were investigated. The highest amount of organic carbon was found in alluvial, deep soils (228 Mg C ha^-1), and the lowest was in a shallow, stony soil with a low plant cover (78 Mg C ha^-1). Subsurface horizons of degraded soils under pastures were the ones with smaller and less-stable aggregates. Fresh residues of organic matter (OM) were found mostly in interaggregate spaces. Within the aggregates there were some organic remains that were beginning to decompose, and also impregnative nodules of amorphous OM. Although OM was evenly distributed among the aggregate fractions, the larger blocky peds had more specific surface, contained less decomposed OM and had a lower organic/mineral interphase than smaller crumb aggregates, which were also more stable. Soil carbon storage was affected primarily by the OM inputs in the surface horizons. In order to store organic carbon over the mid-and long-term periods, the mechanisms favouring structuration through biological activity and creating small aggregates with intrapedal stable microporosities seemed to be the most effective.     

Aggregation in soils with small amounts of swelling clays. I. Aggregate stability

The respective role of organic materials and poorly-ordered Al and Fe hydrous oxides on soil aggregate stability was studied in silty soils with little swelling clay, using both multivariate analysis and physico-chemical approaches. Soil disaggregation is a function of the hydrophobic character of organic matter (OM), which depends on the nature of the organic materials, cationic environment and the aggregating effect of Al and Fe hydrous oxides.
Two kinds of aggregates >50 μm can be distinguished in organic soils, one being about six times more stable than the other. In soils poor in organic matter, weak aggregates dominate; the binding agents are Ca or Al OM rich in polysaccharides and peptides.     

Soil‐aggregate formation as influenced by clay content and organic‐matter amendment

Naturally occurring wetting‐and‐drying cycles often enhance aggregation and give rise to a stable soil structure. In comparatively dry regions, such as large areas of Australia, organic‐matter (OM) contents in topsoils of arable land are usually small. Therefore, the effects of wetting and drying are almost solely reliant on the clay content. To investigate the relations between wetting‐and‐drying cycles, aggregation, clay content, and OM in the Australian environment, an experiment was set up to determine the relative influence of both clay content (23%, 31%, 34%, and 38%) and OM amendments of barley straw (equivalent to 3.1 t ha^–1, 6.2 t ha^–1, and 12.4 t ha^–1) on the development of water‐stable aggregates in agricultural soil. The aggregate stability of each of the sixteen composite soils was determined after one, three, and six wet/dry cycles and subsequent fast and slow prewetting and was then compared to the aggregate stabilities of all other composite soils. While a single wet/dry cycle initiated soil structural evolution in all composite soils, enhancing macroaggregation, the incorporation of barley straw was most effective for the development of water‐stable aggregates in those soils with 34% and 38% clay. Repeated wetting‐and‐drying events revealed that soil aggregation is primarily based on the clay content of the soil, but that large straw additions also tend to enhance soil aggregation. Relative to untreated soil, straw additions equivalent to 3.1 t ha^–1 and 12.4 t ha^–1 increased soil aggregation by about 100% and 250%, respectively, after three wet/dry cycles and fast prewetting, but were of less influence with subsequent wet/dry cycles. Straw additions were even more effective in aggregating soil when combined with slow prewetting; after three wet/dry cycles, the mean weight diameters of aggregates were increased by 70% and 140% with the same OM additions and by 160% and 290% after six wet/dry cycles, compared to samples without organic amendments. We suggest that in arable soils poor in OM and with a field texture grade of clay loam or finer, the addition of straw, which is often available from preceding crops, may be useful for improving aggregation. For a satisfactory degree of aggregate stability and an improved soil structural form, we found that straw additions of at least 6.2 t ha^–1 were required. However, rapid wetting of straw‐amended soil will disrupt newly formed aggregates, and straw has only a limited ability to sustain structural improvement.     

Aggregation and carbon storage in silty soil using physical fractionation techniques

Soil texture and degree of aggregation affect the stabilization of organic matter. We studied their influences in silty soils using samples from two field experiments with contrasting long‐term use (cropped versus bare fallow). The cropped soil had a larger organic C content than the bare fallow, and allowed us to compare a soil with pools of organic C differing in turnover time with a soil dominated by the passive organic C pool. Increasingly dispersive treatments applied to the soils yielded aggregates of various sizes, stabilities, and organic matter contents. We found an intimate interaction between soil structure and organic matter by demonstrating that aggregation is hierarchical and that active pools of organic matter are responsible for this hierarchy. Microaggregates were found to consist of a constant ratio of clay to silt particle‐size fractions. We propose that such a property be used to estimate true microaggregation and aggregate stability by estimating the amount of soil material dispersed by a given treatment. Organic matter associated with clay is confirmed as an important sink of long‐term stabilized C, and it appears to have been increasingly preserved when in increasingly larger aggregates. However, most of the soil mass and associated organic C is in smaller aggregates. We hypothesize that the physical protection within macroaggregates does not directly control long‐term stabilization of organic C in the soil, but rather contributes indirectly through the time and local conditions it offers for organic matter to gain chemical or physico‐chemical protection by interacting with the soil environment.     

Texture and sesquioxide effects on water-stable aggregates and organic matter in some tropical soils

Many tropical soils include sesquioxides, which influence the stability of soil organic matter (OM) and aggregation to an extent that is not fully characterized. The present study was carried out on a range of 18 topsoil samples (0–10 cm) from low-activity clay (LAC) soils from sub-Saharan Africa and Brazil, and aimed: (i) at characterizing the size distributions of water-stable aggregates and organic constituents, (ii) at studying how these distributions were affected by texture and sesquioxides, and (iii) how they interacted.The distributions of stable aggregates were generally dominated by macroaggregates (> 200 μm), and those of organic constituents by fine OM (< 20 μm). Aggregation was not clearly affected by soil texture, while total soil carbon (Ct) and the amount of carbon (C) as fine OM increased with soil content in clay plus fine silts (< 20 μm). Stable macroaggregation correlated with Ct and with C amount as fine OM, but each of them correlated more closely with citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite-extractable aluminium (Al), which was not expected. Stable macroaggregation also correlated with C amounts as coarse- and medium-sized OM (> 200 and 20–200 μm, respectively), but each of them correlated more closely with oxalate-extracted Al. These results suggested that for the LAC tropical soils under study OM and aggregate stability depended closely on Al-containing sesquioxides, on Al-substituted crystalline hematite and goethite especially. These sesquioxides also seemed to play a dominant role in the relations between aggregation and OM. As far as soils rich in sesquioxides are concerned, this confirmed that OM is not the main aggregating agent, and suggested that physical protection within aggregates is not necessarily the main mechanism for OM stabilization. However, as soil sesquioxide content cannot be managed easily, the effect of land use on soil OM and aggregation was determinant at the local scale: indeed, for a given location, stable macroaggregation, Ct and C amount as fine OM generally decreased with land use intensification (i.e. cultivation, tillage, reduced surface cover).     

Amending Soil with Sludge,Manure, Humic Acid,Orthophosphate and Phytic Acid: Effects on Infiltration,Runoff and Sediment Loss

Application of organic wastes to cultivated lands can replace mineral fertilizers but may also alter soil physical properties and enhance pollution potential. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of biosolids [composted manure (MC) and activated sludge (AS)] and specific biosolid component [orthophosphate (OP), phytic acid (PA) and humic acid (HA)] application on soils differing in texture [loamy‐sand (Ramat‐HaKovesh, RH), loam (Gilat, GL) and clay (Bet‐Dagan, BD)], infiltration rate, runoff volume and soil sediment loss. The soils were packed in erosion boxes (400 × 200 × 40 mm) and subjected to six consecutive simulated rainstorms, each of 186 mm deionized water. The results showed that runoff volume and sediment loss from untreated soils increased with increasing clay contents. In treated soils, the response to AS application differed from the response to other amendments; in the BD clay and GL loam, it was the only amendment that caused a decrease in sediment removed by runoff. In the RH loamy‐sand, all amendments reduced the final infiltration rate, but only AS and HA increased the measured runoff. It is proposed that the difference in the response of the soils to the amendments is associated with the soil's ability to attenuate changes in the negative charge on the clay edges following the increase in the specific adsorption of charged anions, thus controlling clay swelling and maintaining aggregate integrity. The effects of amending soils with a source of organic matter in order to control runoff and soil erosion are not straight forward and depend on soil and amendment properties. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analyzing organic matter composition at intact biopore and crack surfaces by combining DRIFT spectroscopy and Pyrolysis‐Field Ionization Mass Spectrometry#

In the clay‐illuvial horizons (Bt) of Luvisols, surfaces of biopores and aggregates can be enriched in clay and organic matter (OM), relative to the bulk of the soil matrix. The OM composition of these coatings determines their bio‐physico‐chemical properties and is relevant for transport and transformation processes but is largely unknown at the molecular scale. The objective of this study was to improve the interpretation of spectra from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in diffuse reflectance mode (DRIFT) by using thermograms and released ion intensities obtained with pyrolysis‐field ionization mass spectrometry (Py‐FIMS) for a more detailed analysis of the mm‐scale spatial distribution of OM components at intact structural surfaces. Samples were separated from earthworm burrow walls, crack coatings, uncoated cracks, root channels, and pinhole fillings of the Bt‐horizons of Luvisols. The information from Py‐FI mass spectra enabled the assignment of OM functional groups also from spectral regions of overlapping DRIFT signal intensities to specific OM compound classes. In particular, bands from C=O and C=C bonds in the infrared range of wave numbers between 1,641 and 1,605 cm^?1 were related to heterocyclic N‐compounds, benzonitrile, and naphthalene. The OM at earthworm burrow walls was composed of chemically labile aliphatic C‐rich and rather stable lignin and alkylaromatic compounds whereas the OM of thick crack coatings and pinholes was dominated by heterocyclic N and nitriles and high‐molecular compounds, likely originating from combustion residues. In combination with Py‐FIMS, DRIFT applications to intact samples seem promising for generating a more detailed mm‐scale spatial distribution of OM‐related sorption and wettability properties of crack and biopore surfaces that may serve as preferential flow paths in structured soils.     

Soil structural indices' dependence on irrigation water quality and their association with chromophoric components in dissolved organic matter

Irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW) may affect soil structure and stability and the characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) of the soil solution. The objectives of our study were (i) to evaluate the impact of TWW irrigation, as compared with fresh water (FW) irrigation, on aggregate stability and saturated hydraulic conductivity (indices of soil structure stability) and (ii) to determine whether these indices can be associated with the chromophoric indicators of water‐extractable DOM in TWW‐ and FW‐irrigated soils. We studied aggregate stability and soil hydraulic conductivity (HC) of four different soil types irrigated with either TWW (for at least 5 years) or FW. The results were linked to earlier published data on the concentration scores of fluorescent chromophoric DOM components (obtained from excitation‐emission matrices of flouorescence coupled with parallel factor analysis), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and absorbance at 254 nm (Abs254). These were all obtained from water extracts of the same soils as those used in the current study. Irrigation with TWW decreased aggregate stability, in comparison to irrigation with FW, in the sandy clay and clay soils, while in the loamy sand TWW increased aggregate stability. The apparent steady state HCs in the TWW‐irrigated samples in the loamy sand, sandy clay and clay soils were similar to, or significantly less than, those obtained in the FW‐irrigated samples. In the sandy loam the opposite trend was noted. Results of principal component and classification analyses showed that the aggregate stability indices were directly associated with soil organic matter and DOM attributes in the coarse‐textured soils, while in the fine‐textured soils inverse associations were noted. Only in the fine‐textured soils were the HC attributes associated (directly) with some of the DOM characteristics. Our results suggest that structural indices of fine‐textured soils are more sensitive than those of coarse‐textured soils to the composition of water extractable DOM.     

Soil aggregation and organic carbon in short-term stockpiles

Surface mining is known to drastically reduce soil organic carbon (OC) pools through various mechanisms associated with topsoil salvage, stockpiling and respreading. Stockpiling is an important management practice; however, the effects of this practice on reductions and recovery of soil aggregation and aggregate OC are poorly understood. Objectives of this research were to monitor soil aggregation and aggregate OC in the surface of a short‐term stockpile (<3 yr) followed by a second movement of stockpiled soils to a temporary location. Samples were analysed for aggregate size distribution, aggregate fractions, OC, and organic matter turnover using ¹³C natural abundance. Macroaggregate proportions increased and microaggregate proportions decreased after 3 yr of storage, possibly indicating recovery of soil structure. Following the removal of the stockpile and placement in a temporary pile, macroaggregation decreased and free silt and clay fractions increased relative to initially stockpiled soils. The second disturbance resulted in greater destruction of aggregate structure than the initial disturbance during topsoil salvage. Aggregate organic matter (as indicated by OC) increased significantly between the early sampling of the stockpiled soils (<1 yr in storage) and the placement of the topsoil in a temporary pile in macroaggregates and remained the same for microaggregates. Organic matter not protected within aggregates decreased with storage time as this material was available for utilization by microbes while aggregate protected organic matter (OM) remained unchanged or slightly increased for macro‐ and microaggregates with stockpile storage time. Aggregate δ¹³C values did not indicate inclusion of new OM within soil aggregates after 3 yr of topsoil stockpiling. Short‐term stockpiling was beneficial for aggregation in the surface layers where plant roots and microbial communities were active; however, subsequent movement of the topsoil resulted in a greater loss of soil aggregation relative to the initial topsoil salvage without impacting soil OC.     

Washing agents from sewage sludge: efficiency of Cd removal from highly contaminated soils and effect on soil organic balance

Purpose

To compare Cd removal from different soils with three washing agents recovered from sewage sludge (dissolved organic matter (DOM), soluble humic-like substances (HLS), soluble humic substances (SHS)). Also, to investigate how washing with these agents changes soil organic-matter composition (OM).

Materials and methods

Sandy clay loam (S1) and clay (S2) highly contaminated with Cd (300 mg kg^?1) were washed with DOM, HLS, or SHS solutions at various pHs, and with various washing times and washing modes (single or double). Cd distribution and OM composition were determined (including content of humic substances (HS), fulvic fraction (FF), labile humic acids (L-HA), and stable humic acids (S-HA)).

Results and discussion

Cd removal proceeded with pseudo-second-order kinetics. Equilibrium was reached in 30 min (S1) and 60 min (S2). DOM, HLS, and SHS removed 75–82% of Cd from S1, and 80–87% from S2. The most mobile fraction of Cd was removed after one wash. S2 retained more OM, including HS, than S1. Although washing did not change the HA/FF ratio in most variants, washing with DOM and HLS increased the percentage of L-HA in both soils. Washing with SHS increased S-HA content in both soils, but the percent content of S-HA was similar to that in the unwashed soil.

Conclusions

DOM, HLS, and SHS derived from sewage sludge can effectively remediate clay and sandy clay soils highly contaminated with Cd. Washing with an SHS solution can increase the content of the most stable carbon forms (HA), which is beneficial for carbon sequestration in remediated soils.

     

Interactive effects of chlorimuron‐ethyl and copper(II) on their sorption and desorption on two typical Chinese soils

Concern about combined pollution of agricultural ecosystems by chlorimuron‐ethyl (CHL) and copper (Cu) has increased of late, particularly in northeastern China. Sorption and desorption of CHL and Cu on soils and their interactive effects strongly affect their mobility and bioavailability. Thus, the interaction between CHL and Cu(II) with regard to their sorption and desorption on brown earth (BE, luvisols) and black soils (BS, phaeozem), two typical soils in northeastern China, was investigated by using batch experiments. The results indicated that the presence of Cu(II) increased the sorption of CHL on the two soils, which can be attributed to decreased pH in the equilibrium solution and Cu‐bridging. The formation of a Cu‐CHL complex with stronger affinity to the soils than CHL itself may be another mechanism. Addition of Cu(II) also enhanced the hysteresis effect of CHL desorption from BS but decreased that from BE. CHL at small concentrations promoted Cu(II) slightly sorption on BE and BS by the bridging effect of CHL. In addition, CHL suppressed Cu(II) desorption from the two soils, decreasing the mobility and bioavailability of Cu(II).     

Organic Fertilisation Increases C and N Stocks and Reduces Soil Organic Matter Stability in Mediterranean Vegetable Gardens

Given their organic matter (OM) depletion, agricultural soils can act as carbon (C) sinks if adequate management practices are implemented. OM stabilisation in highly OM‐depleted agricultural soils may depend upon the allocation of OM inputs among particle size fractions that differ in their capacity to stabilise OM. In a set of vegetable garden fields, we determined the magnitude of the differences in soil C and N content between organically and conventionally managed fields and the incorporation of the increased C and N pools to the fine fractions as an indication of the stability of the soil OM accrual. It was carried out in a stockless scenario in which exogenous OM was only used in organically managed fields for the last 20 years (as opposed to conventional management only using mineral fertilisers). Organic fertilisation caused a notable increase in soil organic C and N stocks compared with mineral‐fertilised soils. Such increase remained significant below the plough depth. C and N content increased at all fractions, but the relative contribution of the fine‐silt‐plus‐clay fraction to total C and N decreased at all depths. We concluded that organic management increases soil OM storage, but overall, the stability of the increased OM stocks decreases slightly. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Contributions of incorporated residue and living roots to aggregate-associated and microbial carbon in two soils with different clay mineralogy

We conducted a study to investigate the role of aggregates in the stabilization of residue‐ and root‐derived C in an illitic Mollisol and a kaolinitic Oxisol under the following treatments: (i) incorporated residue, (ii) growing plants, and (iii) both incorporated residue and growing plants. Residue‐C dynamics were followed in soils incubated with ¹³C‐labelled wheat residue with and without unlabelled growing wheat plants. Root‐C was traced by growing wheat plants with and without unlabelled wheat residue in a ¹³CO₂‐labelling chamber. After 46 and 76 incubation days, residue‐ and root‐C were measured in four aggregate size classes and in microbial‐C. Both soils had greater residue‐derived than root‐derived total aggregate‐associated C at day 76, which we attributed to the larger residue‐C than root‐C inputs at the start of the experiment. On an aggregate basis, the ratio of residue‐derived over root‐derived C decreased in most size fractions over time, indicating a greater potential for longer‐term root‐C than residue‐C stabilization by aggregates in both soils. At both sampling days, all aggregates > 53 µm had greater residue‐C concentrations in the illitic soil than in the kaolinitic soil and this difference increased with increasing aggregate size. This suggested a greater affinity of illite clay than kaolinite clay to bind with fresh residue‐derived compounds into larger aggregates and hence a greater importance of aggregates in stabilizing residue‐C in illitic compared with kaolinitic soils. The stabilization of root‐C by aggregates was less affected by clay mineralogy and thus less dependent on the affinity of clay minerals to bind with root‐derived compounds.     

Clay mineralogy differs qualitatively in aggregate‐size classes: clay‐mineral‐based evidence for aggregate hierarchy in temperate soils

Clay minerals have a major role in soil aggregation because of their large specific surface area and surface charges, which stimulate interactions with other mineral particles and organic matter. Soils usually contain a mixture of clay minerals with contrasting surface properties. Although these differences should result in different abilities of clay minerals regarding aggregate formation and stabilization, the role of different clay minerals in aggregation has been seldom evaluated. In this study, we took advantage of the intrinsic mineral heterogeneity of a temperate Luvisol to compare the role of clay minerals in aggregation. First, grassland and tilled soil samples were separated in water into aggregate‐size classes based on the aggregate hierarchy model. Then, clay mineralogy and organic C in the aggregate‐size classes were analysed. Interstratified minerals containing swelling phases accumulated in aggregated fractions compared with free clay fractions under the two land‐uses. The accumulation increased with decreasing aggregate size from large macroaggregates (> 500 µm) to microaggregates (50–250 µm). Carbon content and carbon‐to‐nitrogen ratio followed the opposite trend. This fully supports the aggregate hierarchy model, which postulates an increasing importance of mineral reactivity in smaller aggregates than in larger aggregates in which the cohesion relies mostly on physical enmeshment by fungal hyphae or small roots. Consequently, differences in the proportion of the different 2:1 clay minerals in soils can influence their structure development. Further research on the links between clay mineralogy and aggregation can improve our understanding of mechanisms of soil resistance to erosion and organic matter stabilization.     

Primary particle size distribution of eroded material affected by degree of aggregate slaking and seal development

Primary particle size distribution (PSD) of eroded sediment can be used to estimate potential nutrient losses from soil and pollution hazards to the environment. We studied eroded sediment PSDs from three saturated soils, packed in trays (20 × 40 × 4 cm), that had undergone either minimal aggregate slaking (MAS) or severe aggregate slaking (SAS) prior to a 60 mm simulated rainstorm (kinetic energy, 15.9 kJ m⁻³; droplet diameter, 2.97 mm) and collected runoff at regular intervals. The degree of aggregate slaking was controlled by the rate at which soils were wetted to saturation. The PSDs of eroded materials and of parent soils were determined using a laser particle size analyser. For each soil, PSD frequency curves of eroded sediments and parent soils were generally of a similar shape but most eroded sediments had larger clay contents than their parent soils. In the SAS treatment, cumulative clay enrichment in the eroded materials was inversely related to the parent soil clay content, these being 28.5, 26.6 and 22.8% richer in clay than their parent soils for the loam, sandy clay and clay, respectively. Generally, total clay loss was greater from soils with SAS than from those with MAS because of erosion rates; however, clay enrichment of sediments, compared with parent soil clay contents, was mostly greater in samples with MAS. Greater clay enrichment took place during the early seal development stage in the loam, but could not readily be associated with specific stages of seal development for the clay. In the sandy clay, the relation between seal development and clay enrichment in the eroded material depended on the initial degree of aggregate slaking. The observed large preferential loss of clay by erosion in cultivated soils re-emphasizes the need to employ erosion control measures.     

Critical aspects of potassium management in agricultural systems

Abstract. Fertilizer and manure application rate and timing are often based on the optimal nitrogen rate and not on potassium (K) requirements. This can lead to excess or shortage of K depending on the crop and rotation. In grass‐dominated agricultural production, including many organic farming systems, K has become a critical element, especially in areas dominated by coarse‐textured or organic soils. In this paper we review K management in relation to long‐term sustainability of both the soil resource and the production of crops of high yield and quality. One question for the future is whether we can adopt management options that favour efficient use of K and secure a sustainable future for global K reserves. For example, is it possible to enhance the release rate of K from soil mineral sources so that we require less fertilizer K from K‐bearing salt deposits? A reduction in external K inputs requires improved on‐farm recycling of K in order to reduce losses. We also need a better understanding of soil processes and soil–plant interactions and decision‐support tools to predict the potential K release from mineral weathering. Certain areas dominated by young, clay‐rich soils can potentially supply enough K, whereas other areas with coarse sandy or organic soils have a very low weathering potential and would thus need external inputs of K.     

Clay mineralogy determines the importance of biological versus abiotic processes for macroaggregate formation and stabilization

Plant residues, living roots and microbial activity play an important role in aggregate formation and the stabilization of soil organic carbon (SOC), but their impact might differ among soils with different clay mineralogy. We investigated the effect of these organic agents on aggregation and SOC during a 76‐day incubation of 2‐mm sieved soil from an illitic Kastanozem and a kaolinitic Ferralsol, subjected to the following treatments: (i) control (no residue input or plant growth), (ii) residue input, (iii) living plants, and (iv) residue input and living plants. After 46 and 76 days, aggregate size distribution, aggregate‐associated SOC and microbial‐C were measured. In both soils, microbial‐C was less in the control than in the residue and/or plant treatments. After 46 days, new large macroaggregates (> 2000 µm) were formed in the control treatment of the kaolinitic soil, but not of the illitic soil. Control macroaggregates in the kaolinitic soil were formed out of silt and clay particles without accumulating C. Residue input and plant growth had a greater positive effect on macroaggregate formation in the illitic than in the kaolinitic soil. A stronger relation was found between microbial‐C and amount of large macroaggregates in the illitic than in the kaolinitic soil. We conclude that kaolinitic soils can rapidly form macroaggregates independent of biological processes due to physical or electrostatic interactions between the 1:1 clay minerals and oxides. However, biological processes led to stronger organic bonds between the illite compared with the kaolinite clay, resulting in more macroaggregates with long‐term stability in the illitic than in the kaolinitic soil.