Herbstliche Nmin-Grenzwerte als Funktion von Bodenbeschaffenheit,Klima und Bodennutzung: Modellüberlegungen

Upper limits for soil nitrate in late fall as function of soil properties, climate and soil use: Model considerations Strategies and measures to reduce the leaching of nitrate from agricultural soils can only be successful if possibilities of control are available. In temperate regions measurement of soil mineral nitrogen (predominantly nitrate) in late fall, together with appropriate upper limits for tolerable soil nitrate, can be considered as an efficient control instrument. With assumptions about the mineralization of crop residues and the input of nitrate from the atmosphere, a procedure is developed with which the nitrate leaching in winter can be estimated if the amount of soil nitrate in late fall is known. With the procedure sample calculations for the crop rotation sugarbeets-summer wheat-winter barley are carried out for a variety of site conditions. The calculations show, that when no residual nitrate is left in the soil at the time of harvest, the cumulative amount of leached nitrate for the crop rotation (due to mineralization of residues) is 63.7 kg/ha NO₃^? N. However, when each year an amount of soil mineral nitrogen of 45 kg/ha in late fall is allowed for, the leached amount of soil nitrate can, for average site conditions, be as high as 133.6 kg/ha. It is shown how with the model in a rational way late fall site- and crop-specific upper limits for soil nitrate can be derived. However, the stipulation of such upper limits is not a matter of soil science only.     

Organic farming promotes selective uptake of glycine over nitrate uptake by pakchoi

ABSTRACT

Understanding how plants use of various nitrogen (N) sources is important for improving plant N use efficiency in organic farming systems. This study investigated the effects of farming management practices (organic and conventional) on pakchoi short-term uptake of glycine (Gly), nitrate (NO₃ ^?) and ammonium (NH₄ ⁺) under two N level conditions. Results showed that plant N uptake rates and N contributions from the three N forms in the low N (0.15 μg N g^?1 dry soil) treatment did not significantly differ between the organic and conventional soils, except the significantly greater Gly contribution in organic soil at 24 h after tracer addition. Under high N (15 μg N g^?1 dry soil) conditions, the N uptake rates, uptake efficiencies, and N contributions of Gly and NH₄ ⁺-N were significantly greater in pakchoi cultivated in the organic soil compared to conventional soil, whereas the N uptake rates and N contributions from NO₃ ^–-N decreased in pakchoi cultivated in the organic soil. The greater Gly-N uptake in plants grown in high-N treated organic soil may be related to the greater gross N transformation, Gly turnover rate and the increased expression of an amino acid transporter gene BcLHT1. Intact Gly contributed at most 6% to Gly-derived N at 24 h after tracer additions, which accounting for about 1.24% of the total N uptake in organic soil. Our study suggested that Gly-N and other organic source N might serve as a more important compensatory N source for plants in organic farming.     

Die Bedeutung der Umsetzung von Weizenstroh im Hinblick auf den C- und N-Haushalt von Löß-Ackerböden

The significance of wheat straw decomposition with regard to the C- and N-cycle of a cultivated loess soil In 1984/85, a microplot experiment with ¹⁵N-enriched fertilizer was carried out on a field of the Calenberg loess area near Hannover (surface area of the plots: 1 ± 2 m; experimental soil: stagnigleyic cambisol from loess). On the one hand, the extent of immobilization as well as remobilization of native soil- and fertilizer-N associated with straw incorporation (± 8 t/ha) was quantified. On the other hand, the turnover as well as the alteration of C- and N-masses in the decomposing straw material was studied. About 70% of the initial dry organic matter of straw was mineralized within one year. An enrichment of fertilizer-N as well as native soil-N in the residues of up to 20 kg/ha was observed as compared to the initial N-mass. On a microplot cropped with winter-wheat, microbial N-immobilization of about 30–40 kg/ha (native soil-N and fertilizer-N) occured in the soil after straw incorporation. The immobilization extended to march 1985. Subsequent, associated with a C/N-ratio in the straw of 43, N-remineralization as well as -extramineralization was observed with 40 kg/ha at maximum in december 1985.     

Stickstoffverlagerung unter spätbeweidetem Grünland

Leaching of nitrogen from pastures at the end of the grazing season A trial was carried out to describe nitrogen dynamics under excrement patches. On three grassland sites differing in water capacity, soil water was extracted by porous ceramic cups placed under the patches. Soil water was analyzed for different nitrogen fractions. Infiltration water and the amount of leached nitrogen was calculated by a simulation model. The rapid rise in concentrations under the urine patches to 30–60 mg NH₄?N/I was due to the rapid hydrolysis of urea in spite of low soil temperatures. While the rates of ammonium decreased, the concentration of nitrate increased continuously up to 160 mg NO₃?N/I and did not fall until the beginning of plant growth in early spring. Under the dung patches almost no nitrogen was found. For the urine patches the calculated nitrogen leaching was between 150 and 320 kg/ha, for the dung patches between 3 and 28 kg/ha. From the total of leached nitrogen the nitrate fraction (83%) was the most significant, followed by the organic nitrogen fraction (11%) and ammonium (6%). Taking account of an estimated grazing pressure, the urine-affected soil surface was calculated between 1% and 3     

Simulation of nitrogen dynamics in farmland areas of Denmark (1989–1993)

Abstract. Each year since 1986 information has been collected about the farming systems at intersections of a nationwide 7 km square grid in Denmark. These management data and corresponding soil analyses were used in the model DAISY to simulate water and nitrogen dynamics. The model was validated with respect to harvested dry matter yield and nitrogen content in the soil. Simulated nitrate leaching from farmland areas from 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1993 was related to precipitation zones, soil type, fertilizer strategies and cropping systems. The mean simulated nitrate leaching for the whole of Denmark was 74 kg N/ha/yr, with a large yearly variation in the period considered. The simulated nitrate leached from soils with a sandy subsoil corresponded to 51% of the applied fertilizer, twice that leached from soils with a loamy subsoil. The application of pig manure resulted in average leaching losses of 105 kg N/ha/yr. The simulated nitrate leaching losses at sites where only artificial fertilizer was applied were in the following order: cereal with undersown grass < crop followed by winter cereal or winter rape < cereal or rape without a catch crop < root crops without a catch crop. Where only artificial fertilizers were applied, the simulated mean annual leaching was 59 kg N/ha from spring barley and 40 kg N/ha from winter wheat. A map of simulated nitrate leaching in Denmark was produced using a Geographical Information System.     

Quantitative und qualitative Veränderungen im A-Horizont von Sandböden nach Umwandlung von Dauergrünland in Ackerland

Quantitative and qualitative changes in soil properties of A- horizons of sandy soils caused by conversion of grassland to arable land Changes in physical soil properties and in soil organic matter of the A-horizons due to the conversion of permanent grassland to arable land are quantified and described as a function of time for sandy soils. The study was carried out in an area northeast of Hannover. A decrease of about 100 t/ha C_org (- 57%), 5 – 6 t/ha N_org (- 58%) and 1 t/ha S_t (- 58%) was measured for a period of 2 – 4 years after grassland conversion. Thereby the quality of the soil organic matter remains unchanged (no changes of the C/N ratio and of the distribution of N_org in 5 N-fractions). However, an increase of soil bulk density from 1.0 to 1.3 g/cm³ and a decrease of total pore volume from 0.59 to 0.47 were observed. The fast mineralization of soil organic matter in the A-horizon following the conversion of grassland soils results in a temporary heavily increased nitrate input into the groundwater. Furthermore mineralization and leaching of nitrate and sulfate induces an acidification push in the soil by a proton release in the order of 350 keq/ha during a 2 – 4 years period. However, this proton production is compensated quantitatively by several applications of lime or marl by farmers and by the buffering of bases cations released from mineralized soil organic matter.     

Einfluß der NO3- bzw. NH4-Ernährung auf Ertrag und Nitratgehalt von Spinat und Kopfsalat

Influence of NO₃ and NH₄-nutrition on yield and nitrate content of spinach and lettuce Field and pot experiments were conducted in order to study the effect of N-supply (N_min + N-fertilization) and partial and complete NH₄-nutrition on yield and nitrate content of spinach and lettuce. The highest yields were obtained when the N-supply of spring spinach was 250 kg N/ha, autumn spinach 200 kg N/ha and lettuce 120 kg N/ha. Nitrate content of plants could be diminished by reducing N-supply. However, if N-supply is below the optimum value yield depressions are inevitable. NH₄-nutrition reduced in both species nitrate content. But, spinach yield was reduced heavily. Very low nitrate content of plants occured, when N-nutrition of plants cultivated in nutrient solution, was changed from NO₃ to NH₄ during the last days before harvest. Herewith similar weights and head quality were obtained as with permanent NO₃-nutrition.     

Do carbon farming practices build bioavailable nitrogen pools?

Agricultural soils contain large amounts of nitrogen (N), but only a small fraction is readily available to plants. Despite several methods developed to estimate the bioavailability of N, there is no consensus on which extraction methods to use, and which N pools are critically important. In this study, we measured six soil N pools from 20 farms, which were part of a multi-year soil carbon sequestration on-farm experiment (Carbon action, 2019–2023). The aim was to quantify the N pools and to evaluate if farming practices that aim to build soil carbon pools, also build bioavailable N pools. We also aimed to test if the smaller and rapidly changing N pools could serve as an indicator for the slower change in soil organic matter. The measured N pools decreased in size, when moving from total N (7700 ± 1500 kg/ha) to slowly cycling (Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test ISNT-N: 1063 ± 220 kg/ha, autoclave citrate-extracted ACE protein N: 633 ± 440 kg/ha), water-soluble organic N (50 ± 17 kg/ha), potentially mineralizable N (33 ± 13 kg/ha) and finally readily plant available inorganic pools (nitrate and ammonium, total: 14 ± 8 kg/ha). In total, the measured pools covered only 18%–44% of total N, indicating a large unidentified N pool, which is either tightly bound to soil mineral fraction and not easily extractable or is bound to undecomposed plant residues and not hydrolysed by the methods. Of the large N pools (ISNT-N, ACE protein and unidentified residual N), clay, carbon (C) and C:Clay ratios explained most of the variability (R² = .90–.93), leaving a minor part of the variation to the management effect. A pairwise comparison of carbon farming and control plots concluded that farming practices had a small (3%–5%) but statistically significant (p < .05) effect on soil total N and ISNT-N pools, and a moderate and significant effect (18%, p < .01) on potentially mineralizable N. The large variation in protein N, water-soluble organic N and inorganic N reduced statistical significance, although individual C sequestration practices had large effects (−30% to +50%). In conclusion, carbon sequestration practices can build both slowly cycling N pools (ISNT) and increase the mineralisation rate of these pools to release plant available forms, resulting in an additional benefit to agriculture through reduced fertilizer application needs.     

Einfluß unterschiedlicher Düngungsarten auf das potentielle Stickstoff-Fixierungsvermögen (Acetylen-Reduktionstest) einer Sandparabraunerde

Effect of different fertilizers on the potential N₂-fixing capacity (acetylene-reduction assay) of a sandy orthic luvisol The N₂-fixation capacity of 36 different soil samples, taken from a field trial with 4 fields crops, was tested by the acetylene-reduction-method. Each of the 4 plots was divided into strips. I = mineral fertilizer (NPK), II = stable manure compost, III = stable manure compost with bio-dynamic preparations. These different kinds of fertilizer were given in three amounts of N: 1 = 0,5 × A kg N/ha, 2 = 1 × A kg N/ha, 3 = 1,5 × A kg N/ha. Like the 3 years before in 1984 rye ?Halo”? A = 100, potatoes ?Nicola”? A = 120, red beets ?Rote Kugel”? A = 160, carrots ?Luwal”? A = 120 were cultivated. The soil samples were taken after harvest, dried and sieved. 50 g soil were moistened with a glucose-solution, hatched at 25°C for 24 h and then incubated for another 24 h at the same temperature and an acetylene concentration of 9,23%. The amount of ethylene which had developed after 8 h, 15 h and 24 h was analysed by GC. The acetylene-reduction (AR) of the soils was significantly higher after the cultivation of rye and potatoes compared with carrots and red beets; but always the crops formed the main influence. On an average the organic manured soils showed a higher AR than the mineral fertilized ones. The encouraging effect of the different organic manures was depending on the type of crop.     

Nitrate leaching and pasture yields following the application of dairy shed effluent or ammonium fertilizer under spray or flood irrigation: results of a lysimeter study

Abstract. Nitrate leaching and pasture ( Lolium perenne / Trifolium repens ) yields were measured on monolith lysimeters (80 cm diam. × 120 cm depth) of a Templeton sandy loam soil (Udic Ustochrept), following repeated applications of dairy shed effluent (DSE) or ammonium fertilizer (NH₄Cl), under spray (50 mm/month) or flood (100 mm/month) irrigation. Applications of DSE at 400 kg N/ha per annum resulted in significantly less nitrate leaching (8–25 kg N/ha per yr) compared with NH₄Cl (28–48kg N/ha per yr) ( P < 0.01). Over the two year period, the total mineral N (predominantly nitrate) leached was equivalent to 2.5–3.7% of the total N applied in the DSE and 8.7–9.8% of the N applied in the NH₄Cl. There was a trend of slightly less nitrate leaching under the flood irrigation than under the spray irrigation, probably because of the greater potential for denitrification under the wetter conditions. Average nitrate concentrations in the leachate were generally below the drinking water standard except in the NH₄Cl treatment under spray irrigation where it averaged 10 mg NO₃-N/l over the two year period. DSE was equally as effective as NH₄Cl in stimulating pasture dry matter production. Annual nitrogen uptakes were similar for the DSE (343 kg N/ha) and NH₄Cl (332–344kg N/ha) treatments in the first year but were higher in the DSE (361–412 kg N/ha) than in the NH₄Cl (324–340 kg N/ha) treatments in the second year. Pasture uptakes of phosphorus and sulphur were also higher in the DSE than in the NH₄Cl treatments in the second year. The results emphasize the need to set different regulatory limits for land application of organic wastes of various types and for N fertilizers.     

YIELD,FRUIT QUALITY AND NITROGEN UPTAKE OF ORGANICALLY AND CONVENTIONALLY GROWN MUSKMELON WITH DIFFERENT INPUTS OF NITROGEN,PHOSPHORUS, AND POTASSIUM

The effects of varied amounts of fertilization on yield, fruit quality, and nitrogen (N) uptake of muskmelons (Cucumis melo L. var reticulatus Naud) grown under both organic and conventional farming conditions were evaluated. Organic fertilizer (0.0, 0.55, 1.1, and 2.2 kg m^?2) and mineral fertilizers containing the same amounts of estimated plant available nutrients [N, phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)] were applied to organic and conventional farming plots, respectively, in both the spring and autumn seasons of 2005. In comparison to conventional farming conditions, muskmelons grown under organic farming conditions had the same yield, total soluble solids (TSS) and soluble sugar contents in both growing seasons, and fruit pulp nitrate content was significantly reduced by 12% on average in spring and 16% on average in autumn. At harvest maturity the aboveground plant N concentration was significantly higher in the conventional treatments than in the organic treatments. At the vine growth stage, the plant N concentrations were similar in all treatments in both seasons. The ratios of nitrate N to total N amount in aboveground biomass were higher in conventional and high fertilized organic treatments than in low or not fertilized organic treatments under limited N supply from the soil. Muskmelon plants absorbed mainly inorganic N, and the protein N fraction in the xylem sap was larger than the amino acid N fraction. Plants grown in the organic system had a higher proportion of organic N in their xylem sap, especially when manure input was low.     

Simultane Bestimmung von N-Transformationsraten in Bodensäulen unter Verwendung von 15-N: Stickstoffmodell für eine Terra fusca-Rendzina

Simultaneous determination of nitrogen transformation rates in soil columns using 15-N: N-Model of a Terra fusca-Rendzina soil Rates of ammonification, nitrification, immobilization, and denitrification were determined in undisturbed columns of a Terra fusca Rendzina soil. A steady input of 15-N labelled ammoniumsulfate with the irrigation water created a steady state of the turnover processes in the soil resulting in a constant output of 15-N-nitrate. In this state the rate constants (8°C) were K₁ = 0.64 for the netto-N-nitrification, K₂ = 0.11 for the netto-N-denitrification, and K₃ = 0.25 for the netto-N-immobilization. 64% of the nitrate was leached, 25% immobilized in organic matter, and 11% denitrified. Relating these rate constants to the turnover of the soil nitrogen one can calculate the mean annual rates for the different processes of a forest soil, using the mean annual temperature. For the Göttinger Wald situation (T = 6.9°C) the following rates were calculated; Ammonification = 183 kg N·ha^?1·a^?1, immobilization = 44 kg N·ha^?1·a^?1, netto N-denitrification = 19 kg N·ha^?1·a^?1, and netto-N-mineralization = 120 kg N·ha^?1·a^?1.     

Coupled effects of biochar use and farming practice on physical properties of a salt-affected soil with wheat–maize rotation

Purpose

Being carbon-rich and porous, biochar has the potential to improve soil physical properties, so does conventional farming practice. Here, a field trial was conducted to investigate the combined effects of biochar use and farming practice on the physical properties of a salt-affected compact soil for wheat–maize rotation in the Yellow River Delta region.

Materials and methods

Salix fragilis L. was used as feedstock to produce biochar in the field via aerobic carbonization at an average temperature of 502 °C, terminated by a water mist spray, for use as a soil amendment at 0, 1, 2, and 4 g kg^?1 doses (CK, T1, T2, and T3, respectively). Farming practices included rotary tillage/straw returning for wheat sowing, spring irrigation, no-tillage seeding of maize, and autumn irrigation. Both cutting ring and composite samples of the soil were collected at four stages of wheat–maize rotation (22, 238, 321, and 382 d after the benchmark date of land preparation for wheat sowing) for the determination of soil properties by established methods.

Results and discussion

Rotary tillage/straw returning reduced soil bulk density (BD) from 1.48 to 1.27 g cm^?3 (CK) and 1.14 g cm^?3 (T3) and increased saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) from 0.05?×?10^?5 to 0.75?× 10^?5 cm s^?1 (CK) and 1.25?× 10^?5 cm s^?1 (T3). This tillage effect on BD and Ks gradually disappeared due to the disturbance from the subsequent farming practice. Biochar use lessened the disturbance. At maize harvest, BD was 1.47 (CK) vs. 1.34 g cm^?3 (T3), and Ks was 0.06?×?10^?5 (CK) vs. 0.28?×?10^?5 cm s^?1(T3); in comparison with CK, T3 increased Na⁺ leaching by 65%, Cl^? leaching by 98%, organic carbon content by 40.3%, and water-stable aggregates (0.25–2 mm) by 38%, indicating an improvement in soil properties.

Conclusions

Biochar use and rotary tillage improved soil physical properties (BD, Ks) and favored soil aeration, water filtration, and salt leaching, which further helped the accumulation of soil organic carbon, the formation of water-stable aggregates, and the amelioration of salt-affected compact soil.

     

Bodennutzung und Nitrat-Stickstoff in der Dränzone von Lößdecken der südlichen Niederrheinischen Bucht

Land use and nitrate-nitrogen in the vadose zone of loess deposits in the southern part of the Lower Rhenish Embayment Mean annual nitrogen-leaching was studied at seven experimental sites with grain-sugar beet crop rotation. Soil water simulation models and determination of the nitrogen content in the vadose zone below the rooting zone were combined to quantify the annual leaching rates. Leaching amounts to 11–18 kg NO₃^? N/ha · a at sites where only mineral fertilizer was applied, whereas sites with additional organic fertilizers show higher leaching rates of 30–36 kg NO₃^? N/ha · a.     

有机物料对宅基地复垦土壤培肥效果评价

以成都平原宅基地复垦土壤为研究对象,设空白对照(CK)、常规化肥(CF)、全量秸秆还田(T1)、高量秸秆还田(T2)、全量菌渣还田(T3)、高量菌渣还田(T4)、全量猪粪还田(T5)、高量猪粪还田(T6)共8个处理,研究复垦宅基地耕作层(0～20 cm)土壤容重、孔隙度、酸碱度、总有机碳、全氮、全磷、全钾、碱解氮、有效磷、速效钾共10个指标的变化并开展综合评价。秸秆、菌渣、猪粪3种农业废弃物与化肥配施处理下宅基地复垦土壤的物理性状得到改善,总有机碳、全磷、碱解氮、有效磷与速效钾含量显著提高(P0.05)。总有机碳及全量养分变化结果表明,T6处理提升效果最优;速效养分变化结果以T4处理提升效果最佳;综合肥力评价结果表明,T4处理提升效率最高,年均提升0.385级肥力。高量菌渣还田(T4)处理推荐为最优培肥方案:小麦季施菌渣8 507 kg/hm~2、尿素307 kg/hm~2、过磷酸钙825 kg/hm~2、氯化钾38 kg/hm~2,玉米季施菌渣9 411 kg/hm~2、尿素324 kg/hm~2、过磷酸钙925 kg/hm~2、氯化钾172 kg/hm~2。     

An evaluation of anion exchange resin used to measure nitrate movement through soil

Abstract

The attribute that ion‐exchange resins remove ions from solutions moving through them can be used to measure nitrate transport through soils. The characteristics of nitrate adsorption by resins must be known to interpret nitrate accumulation on ion‐exchange resins embedded in soil. The extent to which anion exchange resins retain NO₃‐ from soil leachate was measured in 15.9 cm diam.by 60 cm long intact cores of Nolin (fine silty mixed mesic Dystric Fluventic Eutrochroept) soil. A NC₃ ^‐‐selective resin and a non‐selective resin were tested. Columns were fertilized at a rate of 300 kg N/ha and 150 kg Br/ha and leached with 50 cm of water. Under these conditions, both resins retained approximately 80% of the NO₃‐ and Br^‐ leached through the soil. This compared with greater than 95% retention in laboratory columns containing only resin. The difference in retention was attributed to different flow through the resin associated with the method of resin emplacement.     

Self-generated microbial population or cultured microflora – an important criterion toward development of an effective and economically viable road map for organic soil management

Huge depletion of soil microflora under conventional farming practice has become the primary contributory factor toward the present depletion of soil and crop productivity. Reconstitution of soil microbial dynamics has been identified as the only way out, but there has been a debate regarding the most effective pathway for soil rejuvenation i.e. whether to create the environment for natural proliferation or opt for inoculation of laboratory generated microbes. In this respect, a study was undertaken at Maud T.E. (Assam) under FAO-CFC-TBI Project, where bio-fertilizer (microbial inoculant, MI), vermicompost (organic food source, OF), vermicompost + bio-fertilizer (OF+MI), and Novcom compost (representing self-generated native microflora in the order of 10¹⁶c.f.u. along with organic food source, SNM); were taken as treatments for a yield target of 1500 kg made tea/ha. The highest crop yield (1500 kg ha^?1) along with high and consistent soil quality development was noted under SNM treatment; while MI influenced lowest yield (1268 kg ha^?1) and minimal soil response. Addition of the organic food source with cultured microbes (MI+OF) was found to improve crop performance (1427 kg ha^?1), but with 7.60 times higher cost (Rs. 39.97 kg^?1 made tea). Economic viability study indicated that except SNM, all other treatments were vulnerable toward crop loss or market downfall.     

The role of soils in the regional carbon budget of pine forests in Karelia

The carbon pool and its fluxes were studied in Karelian pine forests of automorphic sites for the characterization of the regional carbon cycle. On the permanent sample plots arranged in pine stands (dominant forest types) of the middle and northern taiga, the structure and dynamics of the phytomass, as well as the composition of the soil organic matter, were investigated. The contribution of different components of the forest ecosystems to the regional carbon budget was studied. The carbon pools in the soils of the middle and northern taiga subzones were 330–440 × 10² and 440–550 × 10² kg/ha, respectively. The share of soil carbon in the total carbon pool of the forest biogeocenoses studied amounted to 46–35 and 33–24%, respectively. The period of considerable carbon fixation in the pine ecosystem (nearly 20 × 10² kg/ha/yr) turned out to be limited to the middle-aged stands. In the mature and overmature pine forests, only 4 × 10² kg of C/ha/yr were fixed. The main part of carbon in the soil (65–75%) was contained in the illuvial horizons, although its content there was less that 1% as compared to 30–50% in the forest litters. On industrial harvesting of wood, the main reserves of soil carbon are not spent; only the fund of mobile carbon in organic horizons of poor soils is exhausted or carbon accumulates intensely due to the development of continuous plant cover on fertile soils.     

Effects of soil mesofauna and farming management on decomposition of clover litter: a microcosm experiment

The effects of soil mesofauna and different farming systems on decomposition of clover (Trifolium repens) litter were investigated in a laboratory experiment. Microcosms were incubated for 16 weeks with fine and coarse litterbags in soils from three types of management systems: fallow, integrated farming and organic farming, the latter two cropped with wheat. The effects were studied by analysing litter mass loss, C and N content, DOC, nitrate and pH in soil leachate, and CO₂ production, as well as mesofauna. Mesofauna significantly accelerated mass loss and C and N release from clover litter in all three soils. With mesofauna access, at the end of the experiment average clover mass loss was almost twice as high and clover C and N content were 60% lower than without mesofauna. Farming systems influenced the decomposition through affecting both element turnover and mesofauna. Although in the first weeks less N was leached from organic farming than from integrated farming soil, cumulative N leaching did not differ between these soils. However, more than 20% less N was leached from the fallow soil than from the field soils. CO₂ production was highest in fallow soil. Here, mesofauna had no effect on this variable. In soil with integrated farming, mesofauna reduced cumulative CO₂ production by 10% whereas in soil from organic farming it increased CO₂ production by 20%. Our data suggest that differences in C and N turnover in different management systems are strongly mediated by soil mesofauna.     

Soil moisture, carbon and nitrogen dynamics following incorporation and surface application of labelled crop residues in soil columns

One way to increase the amount of carbon sequestered in agricultural land is to convert conventional tillage into no‐tillage systems. This greatly affects the location of crop residues in soil. To investigate the impact of the location of residues on soil physical and biological properties and how the interactions between those properties influence the fate of carbon and nitrogen in soil, we did a laboratory experiment with repacked soil in columns. Doubly labelled ¹³C¹⁵N oilseed rape residues were incorporated in the 0–10 cm layer or left on the soil surface. The columns were incubated for 9 weeks at 20°C and were submitted to three cycles of drying and wetting, each of them induced by a rain simulator. The location of the residues affected the water dynamics and the distribution of C and N in the soil, which in turn influenced microbial activity and the decomposition rate of the added residues. After 9 weeks of’incubation, 18.4 ± 1.5% of the surface applied residue‐C and 54.7 ± 1.3% of the incorporated residue‐C was mineralized. We observed a nitrate accumulation of 10.7 mg N kg^?1 with residues at the soil surface, 3.6 mg N kg^?1 with incorporated residues and 6.3 mg N kg^?1 without addition of fresh organic matter, which entailed net N mineralization in soil under mulch and immobilization of N with residue incorporation compared with the control soil. We concluded that application of oilseed rape residues at the soil surface increased the storage of fresh organic C in soil in the short term, compared with the incorporation treatment, but increased the risk of nitrate leaching.