Soil acidification under clover pasture

1980 ◽  
Vol 20 (106) ◽  
pp. 561 ◽  
Author(s):  
CH Williams

Long-term changes in some chemical properties of yellow podzolic soils under subterranean clover pastures were studied near Binda, New South Wales. The rate of decrease in pH of the surface 10 cm of soil was greatest in the early years following pasture establishment, and decreased with time. Over 50 years the decrease in pH was approximately one unit, resulting in current soil pH values of about 5.0. The increased acidity had led to increases in CaCI,-extractable manganese and exchangeable aluminium. Although the build-up of soil organic matter under a 32- year-old subterranean clover pasture was largely confined to the surface 10 cm, the decrease in pH extended to a depth in excess of 30 cm. Total soil nitrogen increased gradually throughout the 50-year period, reflecting increases in the soil organic matter. There were associated increases in cation exchange capacity and titratable acidity. Total soil phosphorus also increased with time and was correlated with the decrease in pH. This reflected the accumulation of organic and inorganic residues from phosphate fertilizers, but it seems unlikely that the acidity of the superphosphate contributed directly to the increase in soil acidity although it is essential for the establishment and maintenance of the legume, the main source of the increase in soil organic matter. It seems likely that the area of pasture soils adversely affected by acidity problems will increase in the future.

Weed Science ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 629-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blake A. Brown ◽  
Robert M. Hayes ◽  
Donald D. Tyler ◽  
Thomas C. Mueller

Fluometuron adsorption and degradation were determined in soil collected at three depths from no-till + no cover, conventional-till + no cover, no-till + vetch cover, and conventional-till + vetch cover in continuous cotton. These combinations of tillage + cover crop + soil depth imparted a range of organic matter and pH to the soil. Soil organic matter and pH ranged from 0.9 to 2.5% and from 4.7 to 6.5, respectively. Fluometuron adsorption was affected by soil depth, tillage, and cover crop. In surface soils (0 to 4 cm), fluometuron adsorption was greater in no-till + vetch plots than in conventional-tilled + no cover plots. Soil adsorption of fluometuron was positively correlated with organic matter content and cation exchange capacity. Fluometuron degradation was not affected by adsorption, and degradation empirically fit a first-order model. Soil organic matter content had no apparent effect on fluometuron degradation rate. Fluometuron degradation was more rapid at soil pH > 6 than at pH ≤ 5, indicating a potential shift in microbial activity or population due to lower soil pH. Fluometuron half-life ranged from 49 to 90 d. These data indicate that tillage and cover crop may affect soil dissipation of fluometuron by altering soil physical and chemical properties that affect fluometuron degrading microorganisms or bioavailability.


Soil Research ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 809 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Bell ◽  
P. W. Moody ◽  
R. D. Connolly ◽  
B. J. Bridge

The relationships between fractions of soil organic carbon (C) oxidised by varying strengths of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) and important soil physical and chemical properties were investigated for Queensland Ferrosols. These soils spanned a wide range of clay contents (31-83%), pH values (4·4-7·9; 1 : 5 water), and total C contents (12· 1-111 g/kg). Carbon fractions were derived by oxidation with 33 mM (C1), 167 mM (C2), and 333 mM (C3) KMnO4, while organic C and total C were determined by Heanes wet oxidation and combustion, respectively. Aggregate stability was determined by wet sieving soil from the surface crust after 30 min of high intensity (100 mm/h), simulated rainfall on disturbed samples in the laboratory. The proportion of aggregates <0·125 mm (P125) was used as the stability indicator because of the high correlation between this size class and the final rainfall infiltration rate (r2 = 0qa86, n = 42). The soil organic C fraction most closely correlated with P125 was C1 (r2 = 0·79, n = 42). This fraction was also highly correlated with final, steady-state infiltration rates in field situations where there were no subsurface constraints to infiltration (r2 = 0·74, n = 30). Multiple linear regression techniques were used to identify the soil properties determining effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC, n = 89). Most variation in ECEC (R2 = 0 ·72) was accounted for by a combination of C1 (P < 0·0001) and pH (P < 0·0001). These results confirm the very important role played by the most labile (easily oxidised) fraction of soil organic matter (C1) in key components of the chemical and physical fertility of Ferrosols. Management practices which maintain adequate C1 concentrations are essential for sustainable cropping on these soils.


SOIL ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alemayehu Adugna ◽  
Assefa Abegaz

Abstract. Land use change can have negative or positive effects on soil quality. Our objective was to assess the effects of land uses changes on the dynamics of selected soil physical and chemical properties. Soil samples were collected from three adjacent soil plots under different land uses, namely forestland, grazing land, and cultivated land at 0–15 cm depth. Changes in soil properties on cultivated and grazing land were computed and compared to forestland, and ANOVA (analysis of variance) was used to test the significance of the changes. Sand and silt proportions, soil organic content, total nitrogen content, acidity, cation exchange capacity, and exchangeable Ca2+ content were higher in forestlands. Exchangeable Mg2+ was highest in grazing land, while clay, available phosphorous, and exchangeable K+ were highest in cultivated land. The percentage changes in sand, clay, soil organic matter, cation exchange capacity, and exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ were higher in cultivated land than in grazing land and forestland. In terms of the relation between soil properties, soil organic matter, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, and exchangeable Ca2+ were strongly positively correlated with most of soil properties, while available phosphorous and silt have no significant relationship with any of the other considered soil properties. Clay has a negative correlation with all soil properties. Generally, cultivated land has the least concentration of soil physical and chemical properties except clay and available phosphorous, which suggests an increasing degradation rate in soils of cultivated land. So as to increase soil organic matter and other nutrients in the soil of cultivated land, the integrated implementation of land management through compost, cover crops, manures, minimum tillage, crop rotation, and liming to decrease soil acidity are suggested.


1957 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 179 ◽  
Author(s):  
CH Williams ◽  
CM Donald

A further investigation has been made on soils examined by Donald and Williams (1955) in a survey of the influence of superphosphate and subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) on podzolic soils formed on granodiorite in the Crookwell district of New South Wales. The soil organic matter was found to have approximately constant proportions of carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, and phosphorus in the ratio 155 : 10 : 1.4 : 0.68, and it is suggested that the rate of build-up of soil organic matter under the clover pastures may have been limited by the amounts of sulphur supplied in the superphosphate top-dressings. The soil organic matter was found to have a cation-exchange capacity a t pH 7.0 of about 220 m-equiv./100 g, and increases in soil organic matter have led to substantial increases in the cation-exchange capacity of the soil. About 75 per cent. of the total cation-exchange capacity of the unimproved soils was due to organic matter while, in the most improved soils, this figure approached 90 per cent. The increases in cation-exchange capacity included increases in exchangeable hydrogen and were accompanied by decreases in soil pH. There were increases equivalent to 6.5 lb of exchangeable potassium, 25.5 Ib of exchangeable calcium, and 5.2 lb of exchangeable magnesium per acre in the surface 4 in. of soil for each hundredweight of superphosphate applied per acre. Increases in soil organic matter also resulted in increases in the field capacity which may reflect improvements in soil structure. Results indicate that heavier rates of superphosphate application would increase the rate of fertility build-up.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moritz Mohrlok ◽  
Victoria Martin ◽  
Alberto Canarini ◽  
Wolfgang Wanek ◽  
Michael Bahn ◽  
...  

&lt;p&gt;Soil organic matter (SOM) is composed of many pools with different properties (e.g. turnover times) which are generally used in biogeochemical models to predict carbon (C) dynamics. Physical fractionation methods are applied to isolate soil fractions that correspond to these pools. This allows the characterisation of chemical composition and C content of these fractions. There is still a lack of knowledge on how these individual fractions are affected by different climate change drivers, and therefore the fate of SOM remains elusive. We sampled soils from a multifactorial climate change experiment in a managed grassland in Austria four years after starting the experiment to investigate the response of SOM in physical soil fractions to temperature (eT: ambient and elevated by +3&amp;#176;C), atmospheric CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-concentration (eCO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;: ambient and elevated by +300 ppm) and to a future climate treatment (eT x eCO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;: +3&amp;#176;C and + 300 ppm). A combination of slaking and wet sieving was used to obtain three size classes: macro-aggregates (maA, &gt; 250 &amp;#181;m), micro-aggregates (miA, 63 &amp;#181;m &amp;#8211; 250 &amp;#181;m) and free silt &amp; clay (sc, &lt; 63 &amp;#181;m). In both maA and miA, four different physical OM fractions were then isolated by density fractionation (using sodium polytungstate of &amp;#961; = 1.6 g*cm&lt;sup&gt;-3&lt;/sup&gt;, ultrasonication and sieving): Free POM (fPOM), intra-aggregate POM (iPOM), silt &amp; clay associated OM (SCaOM) and sand-associated OM (SaOM). We measured C and N contents and isotopic composition by EA-IRMS in all fractions and size classes and used a Pyrolysis-GC/MS approach to assess their chemical composition. For eCO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; and eT x eCO&lt;sub&gt;2 &lt;/sub&gt;plots, an isotope mixing-model was used to calculate the proportion of recent C derived from the elevated CO&lt;sub&gt;2 &lt;/sub&gt;treatment. Total soil C and N did not significantly change with treatments.&amp;#160; eCO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; decreased the relative proportion of maA-mineral-associated C and increased C in fPOM and iPOM. About 20% of bulk soil C was represented by the recent C derived from the CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; fumigation treatment. This significantly differed between size classes and density fractions (p &lt; 0.001), which indicates inherent differences in OM age and turnover. Warming reduced the amount of new C incorporated into size classes. We found that each size class and fraction possessed a unique chemical fingerprint, but this was not significantly changed by the treatments. Overall, our results show that while climate change effects on total soil C were not significant after 4 years, soil fractions showed specific effects. Chemical composition differed significantly between size classes and fractions but was unaffected by simulated climate change. This highlights the importance to separate SOM into differing pools, while including changes to the molecular composition might not be necessary for improving model predictions.&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;


2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. F. E. McArthur ◽  
P M Huang ◽  
L M Kozak

Research has suggested a link between the bioavailability of soil Cd and total soil organic matter. However, some research suggested a negative relationship between total soil organic matter and bioavailable soil Cd while other research suggested a positive relationship. This study investigated the relationship between soil Cd and both the quantity and quality of soil organic matter as influenced by long-term cultivation. Two Orthic Chernozemic surface soil samples, one from a virgin prairie and the other from an adjacent cultivated prairie, were collected from each of 12 different sites throughout southern Saskatchewan, Canada. The samples were analyzed for total organic C, total Cd, Cd availability index (CAI), and pH. The nature of the soil organic matter was investigated with 13C Cross Polarization Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (13C CPMAS NMR). The total soil Cd, CAI, and total soil organic C of the cultivated soils were significantly lower than those of the virgin soils whereas the opposite trend was observed for the soil pH and the aromaticity of the organic C. The reduced CAI in the cultivated soils was related to the increase in both the soil pH and the aromaticity of the organic C. No relationship was found between the CAI and the soil organic C content, but a significant positive correlation was found between total organic C and total Cd in both the virgin and the cultivated soils. As well, a significant positive correlation was found between the fraction of total Cd removed from the soil after long-term cultivation and the corresponding fraction of organic C removed. Key words: Long-term cultivation, soil organic matter, 13C CPMAS NMR, cadmium


2008 ◽  
Vol 53 (No. 5) ◽  
pp. 225-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Finžgar ◽  
P. Tlustoš ◽  
D. Leštan

Sequential extractions, metal uptake by <i>Taraxacum officinale</i>, Ruby&rsquo;s physiologically based extraction test (PBET) and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), were used to assess the risk of Pb and Zn in contaminated soils, and to determine relationships among soil characteristics, heavy metals soil fractionation, bioavailability and leachability. Regression analysis using linear and 2nd order polynomial models indicated relationships between Pb and Zn contamination and soil properties, although of small significance (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Statistically highly significant correlations (<i>P</i> < 0.001) were obtained using multiple regression analysis. A correlation between soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) and soil organic matter and clay content was expected. The proportion of Pb in the PBET intestinal phase correlated with total soil Pb and Pb bound to soil oxides and the organic matter fraction. The leachable Pb, extracted with TCLP, correlated with the Pb bound to carbonates and soil organic matter content (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 69%). No highly significant correlations (<i>P</i> < 0.001) for Zn with soil properties or Zn fractionation were obtained using multiple regression.


Soil Research ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Curtin ◽  
P. M. Fraser

In New Zealand, cereal straw has traditionally been burned to facilitate seedbed preparation for the succeeding crop. Because of concerns over the decline of organic matter and the associated deterioration in soil structure, farmers are interested in incorporating crop residues as a means of maintaining organic matter levels. In a 6-year trial on a Wakanui silt loam on the Canterbury Plains, we evaluated the effects of 3 straw management practices (i.e. straw incorporation, burning of straw, and straw removal) on total and labile soil organic matter. A fourth treatment was included to evaluate the local practice of including seed crops (grass and clover) in cereal rotations. The seed crops were grown every second year, the crop sequence being cereal–ryegrass–cereal–clover–cereal–clover. The rate of straw (wheat) decomposition was determined using a litter bag technique, with the bags being buried at a depth of 15 cm for intervals of up to 19 months. In the straw-incorporated treatment, about 25 t/ha of straw (~11 t C/ha) was returned to the soil during the trial. However, there was no significant effect (P > 0.05) of straw management treatments on total soil C (or N), or on labile organic matter pools, although there was a tendency for higher levels of mineralisable C and N where straw was incorporated. Measured straw decomposition rates were consistent with predictions of the Douglas-Rickman residue decomposition model. Under the relatively warm conditions of the Canterbury Plains (thermal time typically >4000 degree-days per year, calculated as the sum of daily degree-days above a base temperature of 0�C), about three-quarters of incorporated straw decomposed within a year. Of the 11 t C/ha of straw-C incorporated, we estimated that only about 1 t C/ha would remain in the soil at the time of sampling. An increase in soil C by this amount would not be detectable (total soil C was about 55 t/ha in the upper 15 cm). Growing seed crops every second year increased several of the labile organic pools (mineralisable C and N, light fraction C and N, microbial biomass) in the 0–7.5 and 7.5 cm soil layers and this may have beneficial effects (e.g. improved N supply) on the succeeding cereal crop. However, the seed crops did not significantly increase total soil organic matter within the 6 years.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (2B) ◽  
pp. 595-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
L C R Pessenda ◽  
S E M Gouveia ◽  
R Aravena

During the last decade radiocarbon dating has been used extensively in distinct regions of Brazil to provide information about soil chronology in paleoenvironmental studies. This paper presents 14C data of soil organic matter (SOM), humin fraction, and charcoal in several soil profiles under natural vegetation from different Brazil locations (north, central, and southeast regions). The main objective is to compare the obtained 14C dating of total SOM with humin, the oldest fraction of SOM. In order to validate the humin ages these data are compared with the age of charcoal collected at similar depths. The 14C ages obtained on charcoal were, in most of the cases, in agreement with the humin fraction considering the experimental errors, or 20% older in average. The dates obtained from total SOM showed significantly younger ages than the humin fraction indicating contamination by younger carbon. These results show the humin fraction is considered a reliable material for 14C dating in soils. However, the humin fraction ages could be assumed as the minimum ages for carbon in soils.


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