The effects of stubble burning and tillage on soil carbon sequestration and crop productivity in southeastern Australia

Abstract. In Australia, stubble burning and tillage are two of the major processes responsible for the decline of soil organic carbon concentration in cropped soils, and the resulting soil degradation. However, the relative importance of these two practices in influencing the soil organic carbon concentration and the long-term impact on soil quality and productivity are not clear. The effects of stubble burning as practised by farmers in southeastern Australia were evaluated in two field trials, one of 19 years duration, the other of 5 years. Conventional tillage (three tillage passes) led to greater loss of soil organic carbon than stubble burning. Loss of total soil organic carbon attributed to stubble burning in the 0–10 cm layer was estimated to be 1.75 t C ha⁻¹ over the period of the 19-year trial, equivalent to 29% of that lost due to tillage. In the 5-year trial, no change in soil organic carbon due to stubble burning was detectable. Changes in soil quality associated with stubble burning detected in the longer trial included a reduction in macro-aggregate stability, and increases in pH and exchangeable K⁺. Only the latter two were detected in the shorter trial. A higher mean wheat yield (average 0.15 t ha⁻¹) following stubble burning was observed in the 19-year trial but not in the 5-year trial. Research to monitor the longer term effects of stubble burning is needed, and to identify conditions where loss of soil organic carbon is minimized.     

Response of labile organic C and N pools to plastic film removal from semiarid farmland soil

To examine the effects of plastic film removal on grain yield and soil organic matter (SOM), a spring maize (Zea may L.) field experiment was conducted for 5 yr at Changwu Agricultural and Ecological Experimental Station of Northwest China. Compared with traditional plastic film mulching during entire growing stages (FM), plastic film removal at the silking stage (RM) resulted in a 6.3% higher average maize yield. Under the RM treatment, soil organic carbon and total nitrogen significantly increased after the 5‐yr cultivation in the 0‐ to 20‐cm layer. Significant increases in extractable organic C (EOC), KMnO₄‐oxidizable C (KMnO₄‐C) and C management index (CMI) in the 0‐ to 20‐cm layer, and light fraction organic C and EOC in the 20‐ to 40‐cm layer were observed in response to plastic film removal after the 1‐yr treatment; the responses were more significant after 5 yr. Under the RM treatment, significant increases in microbial biomass C, light fraction organic N, extractable organic N, KMnO₄‐C and CMI were also observed after five years in the 20‐ to 40‐cm layer. Moreover, KMnO₄‐C and EOC were much more sensitive than other labile SOM fractions to the application of RM, even after only 1 yr of cultivation. Therefore, compared with mulching for the whole growing season, plastic film removal at the maize silking stage is an effective option for increasing yields and enhancing SOM concentration and soil sustainability in the regions with semiarid monsoon climates that have sufficient rainfall during maize reproductive stages.     

Novel soil quality indicators for the evaluation of agricultural management practices: a biological perspective

Developments in soil biology and in methods to characterize soil organic carbon can potentially deliver novel soil quality indicators that can help identify management practices able to sustain soil productivity and environmental resilience. This work aimed at synthesizing results regarding the suitability of a range of soil biological and biochemical properties as novel soil quality indicators for agricultural management. The soil properties, selected through a published literature review, comprised different labile organic carbon fractions [hydrophilic dissolved organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), hot water extractable carbon and particulate organic matter carbon], soil disease suppressiveness measured using a Pythium-Lepidium bioassay, nematode communities characterized by amplicon sequencing and qPCR, and microbial community level physiological profiling measured with MicroResp^TM. Prior studies tested the sensitivity of each of the novel indicators to tillage and organic matter addition in ten European long-term field experiments (LTEs) and assessed their relationships with pre-existing soil quality indicators of soil functioning. Here, the results of these previous studies are brought together and interpreted relative to each other and to the broader body of literature on soil quality assessment. Reduced tillage increased carbon availability, disease suppressiveness, nematode richness and diversity, the stability and maturity of the food web, and microbial activity and functional diversity. Organic matter addition played a weaker role in enhancing soil quality, possibly due to the range of composition of the organic matter inputs used in the LTEs. POXC was the indicator that discriminated best between soil management practices, followed by nematode indices based on functional characteristics. Structural equation modeling shows that POXC has a central role in nutrient retention/supply, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, erosion control and disease regulation/suppression. The novel indicators proposed here have great potential to improve existing soil quality assessment schemes. Their feasibility of application is discussed and needs for future research are outlined.     

长期施肥对红壤性水稻土不同土层活性有机质及碳库管理指数的影响

【目的】研究基于长期定位试验,探索长期不同施肥下红壤性水稻土不同土层活性有机质（labile organic matter (LOM)）和碳库管理指数（carbon pool management index,CPMI）变化特征,为红壤性水稻土碳库的合理管理提供依据。【方法】选取进贤红壤长期定位试验站4个典型施肥处理：（1）不施肥（CK）;（2）单施化肥（NPK）;（3）在NPK的基础上早稻施绿肥,晚稻施猪粪和稻草冬季还田（NPKSM）;（4）在NPK的基础上早稻施绿肥,稻草冬季还田（NPKS）,测定并分析0—10、10—20、20—40及40—60 cm土层土壤高活性有机质（HLOM）、中活性有机质（MLOM）、低活性有机质（LLOM）、非活性有机质（NLOM）含量以及CPMI变化特征。【结果】不同处理土壤有机质（SOM）含量均随土层加深而降低,施肥处理相对CK均明显提高了不同土层的SOM;在0—20 cm土层,SOM含量表现为NPKSM>NPKS>NPK>CK,且均以NPKSM处理最高,达到43.47 g·kg ^-1（10—20 cm）和45.09 g·kg ^-1（0—10 cm）;在20—60 cm土层,NPKSM和NPKS处理相较于CK显著提高了土壤有机质含量,但两者之间差异不显著。除NPK处理外,各处理土壤可溶性有机碳（DOC）含量随土层的加深显著降低。NPKSM和NPKS处理相较于NPK和CK,显著提高了耕层（0—20 cm）土壤DOC的含量,其中NPKSM处理最高,为35.93 mg·kg ^-1。施肥处理比CK处理提高了土壤HLOM、MLOM、LLOM含量,相同处理相同土层表现为LLOM>MLOM>HLOM,其中NPKSM和NPKS显著提高了各LOM组分含量,且随土层的加深无明显犁底层效应,这可能与活性有机质随水分下渗相关。其中,各施肥处理土壤HLOM、MLOM均随土层加深呈先升高后下降趋势,NPKSM和NPKS处理HLOM含量在20—40 cm土层中达到最高,分别为5.31和5.49 g·kg ^-1;各处理MLOM均在10—20 cm土层中达到最高,以NPKSM处理含量最高,为10.62 g·kg ^-1;而土壤LLOM含量随土层的加深而逐渐降低,在0—20 cm土层中以NPKSM处理含量最高,达到18.52 g·kg ^-1（0—10 cm）和15.93 g·kg ^-1（10—20 cm）。不同长期施肥处理提高了土壤各LOM组分的比例及碳库管理指数,在0—10 cm表层土中,NPKS和NPKSM处理相较于CK,总活性有机质比例分别提高了27.9%和29.48%,MLOM占比分别提高了7.21%和7.72%,HLOM占比分别提高了5.10%和4.96%。以不施肥处理为参照,各施肥处理碳库管理指数均大于100,且以NPKSM和NPKS处理提高效果最好,有助于提高红壤性水稻土肥力。相较于CK,单施化肥一定程度上提高了表层土壤有机质、活性有机质、可溶性有机碳及碳库管理指数。耕层（0—20 cm）土壤中3种活性有机质两两之间呈极显著正相关关系（P≤0.01）,且与总有机质、全氮、可溶性有机碳及水稻产量均呈现显著正相关（P≤0.05）。【结论】不同施肥处理土壤有机质和低活性有机质均随土层加深而降低。NPKSM处理提高土壤有机质及活性有机质含量的效果最佳,并能显著提高0—20 cm土层土壤高活性有机质和碳库管理指数,NPKS次之;而在20—60 cm土层中,NPKS处理对提高中活性有机质和碳库管理指数效果最明显。     

Film fully-mulched ridge-furrow cropping affects soil biochemical properties and maize nutrient uptake in a rainfed semi-arid environment

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of plastic mulched ridge-furrow cropping on soil biochemical properties and maize (Zea mays L.) nutrient uptake in a semi-arid environment. Three treatments were evaluated from 2008 to 2010: no mulch (narrow ridges with crop seeded next to ridges), half mulch (as per no mulch, except narrow ridges were mulched), and full mulch (alternate narrow and wide ridges, all mulched with maize seeded in furrows). Compared to the no mulch treatment, full mulch increased maize grain yield by 50% in 2008 and 25% in 2010, but reduced yield by 21% in 2009 after low precipitation in early growth. Half mulch had a similar grain yield to no mulch in the three cropping years, suggesting half mulch is not an effective pattern for maize cropping in the area. Mulch treatments increased aboveground nitrogen (N) uptake by 21?34% and phosphorus (P) uptake by 21?42% in 2008, and by 16?32% and 14?29%, respectively, in 2010; but in 2009 mulching did not affect N uptake and decreased P uptake. Soil microbial biomass and activities of urease, β-glucosidase and phosphatase at the 0?15 cm depth were generally higher during vegetative growth but lower during reproductive growth under mulch treatments than no mulch. Mulching treatments increased carbon (C) loss of buried maize residues (marginally by 5?9%), and decreased light soil organic C (15?27%) and carbohydrate C (12?23%) concentrations and mineralizable C and N (8?36%) at harvest in the 0?20 cm depth compared with no mulch, indicating that mulching promotes mineralization and nutrient release in soil during cropping seasons. As a result of these biological changes, mineral N concentration under mulch was markedly increased after sowing in upper soil layers compared with no mulch. Therefore, our results suggest that mulched cropping stimulated soil microbial activity and N availability, and thus contributed to increasing maize grain yield and nutrient uptake compared with no mulch.     

Soil organic carbon fractions and humic substances are affected by land uses of Caatinga forest in Brazil

Caatinga is a Brazilian dry ecosystem that occupies around 1 million km² and is one of the largest tropical dry forests of the world. About 46% of the area that was originally covered has been deforested. Land use can cause pronounced reduction in soil carbon stocks that play a major role in the global carbon cycle. The objective of this study was to improve our understanding of the effect of land use on oxidizable carbon fractions, total carbon stocks and humic substances in different layers of soil in a Brazilian semi-arid region. We analyzed soils from tropical dry forest (TDF), forest succession with Anadenanthera falcata (ANA), with Tabebuia alba (TAB), secondary scrubby regeneration (SCR), and non-irrigated maize (MS). Forests showed larger fractions of more labile carbon, except for TDF. The most recalcitrant fraction of carbon stock, humin fraction stock, with the different land use decreased by 38–53% compared to TDF. Oxidizable carbon fractions, carbon stocks, and humic fraction stocks were able to differentiate the successional land uses and agricultural cover from TDF, mainly in the 0–5?cm layer. Our results show that changes in land use, especially with ANA forest succession, showed a larger labile carbon fraction, indicating easy decomposition and loss. Our results provide an alternative tool for the management of deforested areas in tropical dry caatinga ecosystems. This would contribute to the conservation of dry forest systems and could serve as guideline for sustainable management of agriculturally impacted caatinga areas.     

Air-drying changes the distribution of Hedley phosphorus pools in forest soils

Hedley labile phosphorus(P)pools in soil tend to be several times larger than annual forest requirements,even in highly weathered soils characterized by P limitation.The discrepancy between plant and soil P status could be partly attributable to the frequently adopted air-drying pretreatment that tends to increase soil P solubility.In this study,the effects of air-drying on the distribution of Hedley P fractions were examined using soils collected under 4 forest types at Gongga Mountain,southwestern China.The results showed that the microbial biomass P(Pmic)in the organic horizon decreased markedly after air-drying.The concentrations of Hedley labile P in the air-dried samples were 31%–73%more than those in the field-moist samples.Consequently,the air-drying-induced increments of Hedley labile P pools in the surface soil horizons were 0.8–3.8 times the annual plant P requirements.The organic horizon was more susceptible to the air-drying-induced increases in Hedley labile P than the mineral horizon,probably because of the stronger release of Pmicand disruption of soil organic matter.The quality of P,indexed by the ratio of Hedley labile P to slowly cycling P,shifted in favor of the Hedley labile fractions after air-drying,further revealing that air-drying changed the distribution of Hedley P pools in forest soils.These indicated that the effects of air-drying could not be ignored when interpreting the discrepancy between the P status of plants and the Hedley labile P pools in forest soils.To more efficiently evaluate the P status in forest soils via the Hedley fractionation procedure,the use of field-moist soils is recommended.     

Composition of organic C fractions in soils of different texture affected by sugarcane monoculture

ABSTRACT

Sugarcane is a strategic commodity in Indonesia. It is usually raised in a monoculture system. There is a lack of information about the effects of extended sugarcane monoculture on the soil carbon fraction. The aim of this study was to determine the relative changes in the soil organic C fractions in response to the duration of sugarcane monoculture on Entisols, Inceptisols, and Vertisols. The measured variables were the percentages of sand, silt, and clay, organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), pH (H₂O), cation exchange capacity (CEC), NH₄ ⁺, NO₃ ^-, labile carbon fraction (soil carbon mineralization (C-Min), soil microbial carbon (C-Mic), and carbon particulate organic matter (C-POM)), and stable carbon fraction (humic and fulvic acids). Soil type with sugarcane monoculture period had significant influences on the percentages of clay, sand, silt, CEC, and pH (H₂O). Soil type and sugarcane monoculture period had no apparent significant effect on C-Min or C-POM but did significantly influence C-Mic. The humic and fulvic acid levels in all three soil types were affected by the duration of sugarcane monoculture. To establish the impact of long-term sugarcane monoculture on the physicochemical properties of soils with various textures, it is more appropriate to measure the soil stable carbon fractions such as humic and fulvic acid rather than the soil labile carbon fractions such as C-Min, C-POM, or C-Mic.     

不同小生境对喀斯特山区花椒林表土团聚体有机碳和活性有机碳分布的影响

以贵州西南部典型喀斯特地区花椒林下的石缝、石沟、石洞、石槽、石坑及一般土壤为研究对象,对0-20cm土层土壤团聚体有机碳和活性有机碳分布特征进行分析。结果表明,与一般土壤相比,石沟和石坑明显增加了原状土壤和各粒径团聚体土壤有机碳及活性有机碳的含量,而石槽和石洞则有所降低。除石沟外,有机碳含量较高的土壤主要增加了>5mm粒级团聚体含量。随着土壤团聚体粒径的降低,有机碳和活性有机碳呈"∨"形分布,并在<0.25mm粒级达到最大。团聚体对土壤有机碳和活性有机碳的贡献出现2个峰值,分别在5～2mm和1～0.5mm 2个粒级中出现,而<0.25mm团聚体对有机碳和活性有机碳的贡献率最低。相关性分析表明,土壤团聚体活性有机碳含量与土壤团聚体总有机碳含量呈极显著正相关关系(r=0.796),团聚体活性有机碳可以作为衡量喀斯特山区土壤团聚体有机碳动态的一个敏感性指标。     

长期不同植被覆盖和施肥管理对黑土活性有机碳的影响

【目的】阐明长期不同植被覆盖与施肥管理后,同一地块的黑土的总有机碳(TOC)、活性有机碳的变化。探讨黑土可持续利用的土地管理模式。【方法】第一个田间试验开始于1985年,研究不同植被覆盖(裸地、草地、耕地)下的黑土活性有机碳的含量和分布变化。第二个田间试验开始于1993年,研究了不同施肥处理(无肥对照(CK)、氮磷(NP)、氮磷配施有机肥(NPOM))对活性有机碳变化的影响。【结果】不同植被凋落物和根系分泌物及长期不同施肥管理均对黑土活性有机碳的形成产生明显的影响。与1985年相比,裸地TOC和全氮(TN)分别下降11.2%和15.3%,草地TOC和TN分别增长13.2%和5.8%,耕地TOC增长1.1%,而TN下降15.5%。与裸地相比,耕地和草地轻组有机氮分别增长13.9%和46.2%,轻组有机碳增长36.48%和62.0%。不同植被下热水浸提有机碳和高锰酸钾氧化碳总量的顺序为草地耕地裸地。在第二个试验中,施加有机肥能使TOC和TN分别增加了25.5%和18.6%。与对照相比,有机肥和氮磷肥的配施,使轻组有机氮分别增加了126.7%和12.17%,轻组有机碳增加了125.14%和17.14%。与对照和施氮磷肥相比,施加有机肥使颗粒有机氮分别增加了49.8%和23.2%,颗粒有机碳增加了6.5%和29.9%。高锰酸钾氧化有机碳和热水浸提有机碳含量的顺序为CKNPNPOM。【结论】草地与氮磷配施有机肥处理均有利于土壤TOC及活性有机碳的积累。