Tillage - fertilizer changes: Effect on some soil quality attributes under long-term crop rotations in a thin Black Chernozem

2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
C A Campbell ◽  
F. Selles ◽  
G P Lafond ◽  
V O Biederbeck ◽  
R P Zentner
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Crop Residue ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Quality Attributes ◽  
Zero Tillage ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
C And N ◽  
Wet Aggregate Stability ◽  
Legume Green Manure

A crop rotation experiment initiated in 1958 on a thin Black Chernozemic clay at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, was managed using conventional tillage until 1989 and changed to zero-tillage in 1990. We soil sampled in 1987 and 1997 to determine management effects on selected soil biochemical characteristics, and the change in some of the more labile soil quality attributes relative to the change in soil organic C and total N. Rotations examined were: fallow-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (F-W), fallow-wheat-wheat (F-W-W), continuous wheat (Cont W), legume green manure (GM)-W-W, and F-W-W-hay (legume-grass)-hay-hay (F-W-W-H-H-H). The monoculture cereal rotations were either fertilized with N and P based on soil tests or unfertilized, while the legume-containing systems were unfertilized. There was also a F-W-W (N + P) treatment, in which about 20% of the straw was harvested each crop year. With the change to zero-tillage management in 1990 and in anticipation of greater soil water storage, higher rates of N were added thereafter. This resulted in an upward trend in stubble-crop yields and a positive yield response of wheat grown on fallow, where before the change wheat grown on fallow did not respond to fertilizer. The corresponding increase in crop residue production and residue C inputs resulted in all fertilized systems gaining organic C and total N in the 0- to 15-cm depth between 1987 and 1997, while the unfertilized systems remained unchanged. Soil organic C and total N, microbial biomass C (MBC), light fraction organic C and N (LFC and LFN), mineralizable N (Nmin) and wet aggregate stability (WAS), generally had positive responses to fertilization, to increased cropping frequency, and to the inclusion of legume green manure or legume hay crops in cereal-based rotations. Straw harvesting did not influence grain yields, nor did it influence the soil biochemical characteristics, though it tended to render the soil more prone to erosion. Response to cropping frequency was apparent only in the fertilized systems, where the more labile soil quality attributes, (i.e., MBC, LFC, LFN, and Nmin) were more sensitive than organic C or total N. However, gains in LFC and MBC in response to fertilizer did not account for a significant fraction of the gain in total organic C. During the period 1987 to 1997, MBC in the 0- to 15-cm depth increased by 40% in absolute value and by 33% relative to organic C (3.6% of organic C in 1997 vs. 2.7% in 1987). The same was true for LFN in the fertilized treatments and in the green manured system (1.46% of total N in 1997 vs. 1.15% in 1987). However, LFC hardly changed over this period. Relative to total N, Nmin decreased in 1997 compared with 1987, likely due to higher immobilization. Wet aggregate stability was generally greater in 1997 compared with 1991, reflecting greater crop residue inputs and less soil disturbance under zero-tillage management. Key words: Microbial biomass, Light fraction C and N, aggregate stability, Mineralizable N, yields

Effect of ground covers and tillage between raspberry rows on selected soil physical and chemical parameters and crop response

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Zebarth ◽  
S. Freyman ◽  
C. G. Kowalenko
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
General Pattern ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Rubus Idaeus ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Wet Aggregate Stability

The use of inter-row ground covers has been suggested to reduce soil degradation in raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) production. The effect after 6 yr of consistent inter-row management of ground covers or roto-tillage in raspberry on soil wet aggregate stability (WAS), bulk density, organic C and total N, and mineralizable nitrogen in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia was studied. Management treatments included no cover crop or cover crops of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and white clover (Trifolium repens L.). A general pattern of perennial grasses > legume and barley > control was observed for soil WAS. Some quantitative and qualitative differences in the organic component of the soil profile to 30 cm were detected among management treatments. The differences were not statistically strong because the changes were small relative to the large pool present, but were relatively consistent overall. The white clover treatment tended to have more organic carbon, particularly in the subsurface, than the other treatments. The four treatments that included inter-row vegetation tended to have a greater amount of total and mineralizable N than the clean-tilled control. Crop vigour, as indicated by cane diameter, was reduced by the perennial grasses, but the inter-row management had only limited effects on berry yield. White clover appears to provide the best compromise between improving soil quality and minimizing competition with the berry crop. Key words: Wet aggregate stability, barley, sheep's fescue, perennial ryegrass, white clover

scholarly journals Long-term tillage and crop rotation effects on soil quality, organic carbon, and total nitrogen

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura L. Van Eerd ◽  
Katelyn A. Congreves ◽  
Adam Hayes ◽  
Anne Verhallen ◽  
David C. Hooker
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
C And N ◽  
Production Practices

Van Eerd, L. L., Congreves, K. A., Hayes, A., Verhallen, A. and Hooker, D. C. 2014. Long-term tillage and crop rotation effects on soil quality, organic carbon, and total nitrogen. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 303–315. Long-term studies allow for quantification of the effects of crop production practices, such as tillage and crop rotation, on soil quality and soil C and N stores. In two experiments at Ridgetown, ON, we evaluated the long-term (11 and 15 yr) effect of tillage system and crop rotation on soil quality via the Cornell Soil Health Assessment (CSHA) at 0–15 cm and soil organic C (SOC) and total N at 5-, 10-, and 20-cm increments to 120 cm depth. The CSHA soil quality score and SOC and total N were higher with no-till (NT) than fall moldboard plough with spring cultivation (conventional tillage, CT) and rotations with winter wheat [soybean–winter wheat (S-W) and soybean–winter wheat–corn (S-W-C)] compared with rotations without winter wheat. In both long-term trials, NT had ca. 21 Mg ha−1more or 14% higher SOC than CT in the 0- to 100-cm soil profile, a trend which contrasts previous research in eastern Canada. Thus, the two long-term trial results at Ridgetown suggest that to improve soil quality and storage of C and N, growers on clay loam soil in southwestern Ontario should consider adopting NT production practices and including winter wheat in the rotation.

Adopting zero tillage management: Impact on soil C and N under long-term crop rotations in a thin Black Chernozem

2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
C A Campbell ◽  
F. Selles ◽  
G P Lafond ◽  
R P Zentner
Keyword(s):  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Zero Tillage ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Soil C And N ◽  
C And N

Society’s desire to sequester C in soils, thereby reducing the net loss of CO2 (a greenhouse gas) to the atmosphere, is well known. It is also accepted that the choice of appropriate agricultural management practices adopted by producers will affect this goal. However, quantification of the extent and rate at which it can be achieved is uncertain. A crop rotation experiment that was initiated in 1957 on a thin Black chernozemic clay soil at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, was managed using conventional tillage until changed to zero tillage in 1990. Soil was sampled (0- to 7.5- and 7.5- to 15-cm depths) in May 1987 and 1997 to determine the effects of treatments on soil organic C (SOC) and total N. The rotations were: fallow-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (F-W), F-W-W, continuous wheat (Cont W), legume green manure (GM)-W-W, and F-W-W-hay (legume-grass)-hay-hay (F-W-W-H-H-H). The monoculture cereal rotations were either fertilized with N and P based on soil tests or unfertilized, while the legume systems were both unfertilized. There was also a F-W-W (N+P) treatment in which the straw was baled and removed. When the experiment was changed to zero tillage management in 1990, the fertilizer protocol was changed to satisfy the “moist soil” criteria. Consequently, higher rates of N and P were added thereafter to the fallow crop, resulting in a positive yield response of wheat grown on fallow, where before there was no response to fertilizer. Over the 10-yr period (1987-1997) fertilized soil gained C and N, but unfertilized soil did not. For example fertilized F-W, F-W-W and Cont W gained about 4, 5 and 2 Mg C ha–1 in the 10-yr period. During this period, C emissions from manufacture and transportation of N fertilizer was 0.28, 0.53 and 0.90. Mg ha–1 for these three rotations, respectively. These results suggest that without adequate fertility, conversion to zero tillage may not always result in an increase in soil C or N. By 1997, fertilizer increased soil C and N in F-W-W and Cont W, and soil C and N were greater in F-W-W-H-H-H than in GM-W-W and lowest in F-W-W (all unfertilized). Straw removal had no significant effect on C or N. The analysis showed that C inputs from crop residues was the main factor influencing SOC changes. Key words: C sequestration, crop rotation, fertilizer, grain yields, total N, tillage

scholarly journals Recycling Biogas Digestate from Energy Crops: Effects on Soil Properties and Crop Productivity

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 750
Author(s):  
Roberta Pastorelli ◽  
Giuseppe Valboa ◽  
Alessandra Lagomarsino ◽  
Arturo Fabiani ◽  
Stefania Simoncini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yield ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Biogas Production ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Energy Crop ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C

Digestate from biogas production can be recycled to the soil as conditioner/fertilizer improving the environmental sustainability of the energy supply chain. In a three-year maize-triticale rotation, we investigated the short-term effects of digestate on soil physical, chemical, and microbiological properties and evaluated its effectiveness in complementing the mineral fertilizers. Digestate soil treatments consisted of combined applications of the whole digestate and its mechanically separated solid fraction. Digestate increased soil total organic C, total N and K contents. Soil bulk density was not affected by treatments, while aggregate stability showed a transient improvement due to digestate treatments. A decrement of the transmission pores proportion and an increment of fissures was observed in digestate treated soils. Soil microbial community was only transiently affected by digestate treatments and no soil contamination from Clostridiaceae-related bacteria were observed. Digestate can significantly impair seed germination when applied at low dilution ratios. Crop yield under digestate treatment was similar to ordinary mineral-based fertilization. Overall, our experiment proved that the agronomic recycling of digestate from biogas production maintained a fair crop yield and soil quality. Digestate was confirmed as a valid resource for sustainable management of soil fertility under energy-crop farming, by combining a good attitude as a fertilizer with the ability to compensate for soil organic C loss.

scholarly journals Assessing Soil Quality for Sustainable Cropland Management Based on Factor Analysis and Fuzzy Sets: A Case Study in the Lhasa River Valley, Tibetan Plateau

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fuqiang Dai ◽  
Zhiqiang Lv ◽  
Gangcai Liu
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Soil Quality Index ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Land Use Types

Ecologically fragile cropland soils and intensive agricultural production are characteristic of the valley area of the Tibetan Plateau. A systematic assessment of soil quality is necessary and important for improving sustainable cropland management in this area. This study aims to establish a minimum data set (MDS) for soil quality assessment and generate an integrated soil quality index for sustainable cropland management in the Tibetan Plateau. Soil samples were collected from the 0–20 cm depths of agricultural land in the middle and lower reaches of the Lhasa River. These samples were analyzed by routine laboratory methods. Significant differences were identified via statistical test between different soil types and land use types for each soil property. Principal component analysis was used to define a MDS of indicators that determine soil quality. Consequently, effective porosity, pH, total organic C, total N, available P, and catalase were identified as the final MDS. The soil quality index was obtained by the fuzzy-set membership function and the linear weighted additive method. The soil quality index differed significantly between the soil types and land use types. The soil quality can be ranked based on their indices in the following order: 1. Grain land with meadow soils, 2. Grain land with steppe soils, 3. Greenhouse vegetable land with fluvo-aquic soils, 4. Grain land with fluvo-aquic soils. The soils with higher soil quality indices exhibited better soil structure, higher nutrient contents, and superior resistance to water and nutrient loss. While the intensive tillage practices associated with vegetable production could reduce the values for effective porosity, pH and catalase, the application of appropriate fertilizers increased the values for total organic C, total N and available P. Therefore, the MDS method is an effective and useful tool to identify the key soil properties for assessing soil quality, and provides guidance on adaptive cropland management to a variety of soil types and land use types.

Autumn and spring applications of ammonium nitrate and urea to bromegrass influence total and light fraction organic C and N in a thin Black Chernozem

2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
S S Malhi ◽  
J T Harapiak ◽  
M. Nyborg ◽  
K S Gill ◽  
N A Flore
Keyword(s):  
Ammonium Nitrate ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Light Fraction ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Soil C And N ◽  
C And N ◽  
Light Fraction Organic C ◽  
Total Organic C

An adequate level of organic matter is needed to sustain the productivity, improve the quality of soils and increase soil C. Grassland improvement is considered to be one of the best ways to achieve these goals. A field experiment, in which bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss) was grown for hay, was conducted from 1974 to 1996 on a thin Black Chernozemic soil near Crossfield, Alberta. Total organic C (TOC) and total N (TN), and light fraction organic C (LFOC) and light fraction N (LFN) of soil for the treatments receiving 23 annual applications of 112 kg N ha-1 as ammonium nitrate (AN) or urea in early autumn, late autumn, early spring or late spring were compared to zero-N check. Soil samples from 0- to 5- cm (layer 1), 5- to 10- cm (layer 2), 10- to 15- cm (layer 3) and 15- to 30-cm depths were taken in October 1996. Mass of TOC, TN, LFOC and LFN was calculated using equivalent mass technique. The concentration and mass of TOC and LFOC, TN and LFN in the soil were increased by N fertilization compared to the zero-N check. The majority of this increase in C and N occurred in the surface 5-cm depth and predominantly occurred in the light fraction material. In layer 1, the average increase from N fertilization was 3.1 Mg C ha-1 for TOC, 1.82 Mg C ha-1 for LFOC, 0.20 Mg N ha-1 for TN and 0.12 Mg N ha-1 for LFN. The LFOC and LFN were more responsive to N fertilization compared to the TOC and TN. Averaged across application times, more TOC, LFOC, TN and LFN were stored under AN than under urea in layer 1, by 1.50, 1.21, 0.06 and 0.08 Mg ha-1, respectively. Lower volatilization loss and higher plant uptake of surfaced-broadcast N were probable reasons from more soil C and N storage under AN source. Time of N application had no effect on the soil characteristics studied. In conclusion, most of the N-induced increase in soil C and N occurred in the 0- to 5-cm depth (layer 1) and in the light fraction material, with the increases being greater under AN than urea. Key words: Bromegrass, light fraction C and N, N source, soil, total organic C and N

Seasonal trends in selected soil biochemical attributes: Effects of crop rotation in the semiarid prairie

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
V. O. Biederbeck ◽  
G. Wen ◽  
R. P. Zentner ◽  
J. Schoenau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽  
Light Fraction ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Weather Variables ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
C And N

Measurements of seasonal changes in soil biochemical attributes can provide valuable information on how crop management and weather variables influence soil quality. We sampled soil from the 0- to 7.5-cm depth of two long-term crop rotations [continuous wheat (Cont W) and both phases of fallow-wheat (F–W)] at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, from early May to mid-October, 11 times in 1995 and 9 times in 1996. The soil is a silt loam, Orthic Brown Chernozem with pH 6.0, in dilute CaCl2. We monitored changes in organic C (OC) and total N (TN), microbial biomass C (MBC), light fraction C and N (LFC and LFN), mineralizable C (Cmin) and N (Nmin), and water-soluble organic C (WSOC). All biochemical attributes, except MBC, showed higher values for Cont W than for F–W, reflecting the historically higher crop residue inputs, less frequent tillage, and drier conditions of Cont W. Based on the seasonal mean values for 1996, we concluded that, after 29 yr, F–W has degraded soil organic C and total N by about 15% compared to Cont W. In the same period it has degraded the labile attributes, except MBC, much more. For example, WSOC is degraded by 22%, Cmin and Nmin by 45% and LFC and LFN by 60–75%. Organic C and TN were constant during the season because one year's C and N inputs are small compared to the total soil C or N. All the labile attributes varied markedly throughout the seasons. We explained most of the seasonal variability in soil biochemical attributes in terms of C and N inputs from crop residues and rhizodeposition, and the influences of soil moisture, precipitation and temperature. Using multiple regression, we related the biochemical attributes to soil moisture and the weather variables, accounting for 20% of the variability in MBC, 27% of that of Nmin, 29% for LFC, 52% for Cmin, and 66% for WSOC. In all cases the biochemical attributes were negatively related to precipitation, soil moisture, temperature and their interactions. We interpreted this to mean that conditions favouring decomposition of organic matter in situ result in decreases in these attributes when they are measured subsequently under laboratory conditions. We concluded that when assessing changes in OC or TN over years, measurements can be made at any time during a year. However, if assessing changes in the labile soil attributes, several measurements should be made during a season or, measurements be made near the same time each year. Key words: Microbial biomass, carbon, nitrogen, mineralization, water-soluble-C, light fraction, weather variables

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