Magnesium in tropical and subtropical soils from north-eastern Australia. I. Magnesium fractions and interrelationships with soil properties

Soil Research ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 615 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. J. Hailes ◽  
R. L. Aitken ◽  
N. W. Menzies

The magnesium (Mg) status of 52 highly weathered, predominantly acidic, surface soils from tropical and subtropical north-eastern Australia was evaluated in a laboratory study. Soils were selected to represent a range of soil types and management histories. Exchangeable Mg concentrations were generally low (median value 0·37 cmol(+)/kg), with deficient levels (<0·3 cmol(+)/kg) being measured in 22 of the soils, highlighting the potential for Mg deficiency as a limitation to plant growth in the region. Furthermore, acid-extractable Mg concentrations, considered a reserve of potentially available Mg, were generally modest (mean and median values, 1·6 and 0·40 cmol(+)/kg, respectively). The total Mg content of the soils studied ranged from 123 to 7894 mg/kg, the majority present in the mineral pool (mean 71%), with smaller proportions in the acid-soluble (mean 11%) and exchangeable (mean 17%) pools, and a negligible amount associated with organic matter (mean 1%). A range of extractant solutions used to displace exchangeable Mg was compared, and found to yield similar results on soils with exchangeable Mg <4 cmol(+)/kg. However, at higher exchangeable Mg concentrations, dilute extractants (0·01 M CaCl2, 0·0125 BaCl2) displaced less Mg than concentrated extractants (1 M NH4Cl, 1 M NH4OAc, 1 M KCl). The concentrated extractants displaced similar amounts of Mg, thus the choice of extractant is not critical, provided the displacing cation is sufficiently concentrated. Exchangeable Mg was not significantly correlated to organic carbon (P > 0·05), and only 45% of the variation in exchangeable Mg could be explained by a combination of pHw and clay content.

Soil Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 346
Author(s):  
K. L. Page ◽  
R. C. Dalal ◽  
S. H. Reeves ◽  
W. J. Wang ◽  
Somasundaram Jayaraman ◽  
...  

No-till (NT) farming has been widely adopted to assist in reducing erosion, lowering fuel costs, conserving soil moisture and improving soil physical, chemical and biological characteristics. Improvements in soil characteristics are often driven by the greater soil organic matter accumulation (as measured by soil organic carbon (SOC)) in NT compared to conventional tillage (CT) farming systems. However, to fully understand the effect of NT it is important to understand temporal changes in SOC by monitoring over an extended period. We investigated the long-term effect of NT and stubble retention (SR) on changes in SOC and total soil nitrogen (STN) using results from an experiment that has been running for 50 years in a semi-arid subtropical region of north-eastern Australia. In this experiment, the effects of tillage (CT vs NT), residue management (stubble burning (SB) vs SR), and nitrogen (N) fertiliser (0 and 90 kg-N ha–1) were measured in a balanced factorial experiment on a Vertisol (Ustic Pellusert). The use of NT, SR and N fertiliser generally improved SOC (by up to 12.8%) and STN stocks (by up to 31.7%) in the 0–0.1 m layer relative to CT, SB and no N fertiliser, with the greatest stocks observed where all three treatments were used in combination. However, declines in SOC (up to 20%) and STN (up to 25%) occurred in all treatments over the course of the experiment, indicating that changes in management practices were unable to prevent a loss of soil organic matter over time in this farming system. However, the NT and SR treatments did lose less SOC than CT and SB treatments, and SR also reduced STN loss. The δ13C analysis of samples collected in 2008 and 2015 highlighted that crop residues have significantly contributed to SOC stocks at the site and that their contribution is increasing over time.


2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flávio Adriano Marques ◽  
Márcia Regina Calegari ◽  
Pablo Vidal-Torrado ◽  
Peter Buurman

The occurrence of Umbric Ferralsols with thick umbric epipedons (> 100 cm thickness) in humid Tropical and Subtropical areas is a paradox since the processes of organic matter decomposition in these environments are very efficient. Nevertheless, this soil type has been reported in areas in the Southeast and South of Brazil, and at some places in the Northeast. Aspects of the genesis and paleoenvironmental significance of these Ferralsols still need a better understanding. The processes that made the umbric horizons so thick and dark and contributed to the preservation of organic carbon (OC) at considerable depths in these soils are of special interest. In this study, eight Ferralsols with a thick umbric horizon (UF) under different vegetation types were sampled (tropical rain forest, tropical seasonal forest and savanna woodland) and their macromorphological, physical, chemical and mineralogical properties studied to detect soil characteristics that could explain the preservation of high carbon amounts at considerable depths. The studied UF are clayey to very clayey, strongly acidic, dystrophic, and Al-saturated and charcoal fragments are often scattered in the soil matrix. Kaolinites are the main clay minerals in the A and B horizons, followed by abundant gibbsite and hydroxyl-interlayered vermiculite. The latter was only found in UFs derived from basalt rock in the South of the country. Total carbon (TC) ranged from 5 to 101 g kg-1 in the umbric epipedon. Dichromate-oxidizable organic carbon represented nearly 75 % of TC in the thick A horizons, while non-oxidizable C, which includes recalcitrant C (e.g., charcoal), contributed to the remaining 25 % of TC. Carbon contents were not related to most of the inorganic soil variables studied, except for oxalate-extractable Al, which individually explained 69 % (P < 0.001) of the variability of TC in the umbric epipedon. Clay content was not suited as predictor of TC or of the other studied C forms. Bulk density, exchangeable Al3+, Al saturation, ECEC and other parameters obtained by selective extraction were not suitable as predictors of TC and other C forms. Interactions between organic matter and poorly crystalline minerals, as indicated by oxalate-extractable Al, appear to be one of the possible organic matter protection mechanisms of these soils.


Soil Research ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
RL Aitken

The objectives of this study were to examine (1) interrelationships between various forms of extractable A1 and selected soil properties, (2) the contribution of extractable A1 to pH buffer capacity, and (3) investigate the use of extractable A1 to predict lime requirement. Aluminium was extracted from each of 60 Queensland soils with a range of chloride salts: 1 M KCl (AlK), 0.5 M CuCl2 (AlCu), 0.33 M LaCl3 (AlLa) and 0.01 M CaCl2 (AlCa). The amounts of A1 extracted were in the order AlCu > AlLa > Alk > AlCa. Little or no A1 was extracted by KC1 or Lac13 in soils with pHw values greater than 5.5 , whereas CuCl2 extracted some A1 irrespective of soil pH. The greater amounts of A1 extracted by CuCl2 were attributed mainly to A1 from organic matter, even though all of the soils were mineral soils (organic carbon 54.7%). Both AlCu and AlLa, were significantly (P < 0.001) correlated with organic carbon, whereas none of the extractable A1 measures was correlated with clay content. AlK and A~L, were poorly correlated to pH buffer capacity. The linear relationship between AlCu and pH buffer capacity (r2 = 0.49) obtained in this study supports the view of previous researchers that the hydrolysis of A1 adsorbed by organic matter is a source of pH buffering in soils. However, the change in CEC with pH accounted for 76% of the variation in pH buffer capacity, indicating that other mechanisms such as deprotonation of organic groups and variable charge minerals are also involved in pH buffering. The ability of CuCl2 and LaCl3extractable Al to estimate lime requirement depended on the target pH. The results suggest that lime requirements based on neutralization of AlLa would be sufficient to raise pHw to around 5.5, whereas requirements based on neutralization of AlCu substantially overestimated the actual lime requirement to pHw 5.5, but gave a reasonable estimation of the lime requirement to pHw 6 5.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Jarosch ◽  
Luis Carlos Colocho Hurtarte ◽  
Konstantin Gavazov ◽  
Aleksander Westphal Muniz ◽  
Christoph Müller ◽  
...  

&lt;p&gt;The conversion of tropical forest for cassava cultivation is widely known to decrease the soil organic matter (OM) and nutrient contents of highly weathered soils in the tropics. Amazonian Dark Earth (ADE) might be affected less due to their historical anthropogenic amelioration with e.g. charcoal, ceramics and bones, leading to higher soil OM and nutrient concentrations. In this study, we analysed the effect of land use change on the OM dynamics and its composition under tropical conditions, using ADE and an adjacent Acrisol (ACR) as model systems. Soil samples were obtained south of Manaus (Brazil), from a secondary forest and an adjacently located 40-year-old cassava plantation. The land use change induced a severe decrease of organic carbon (OC) concentrations in ADE (from 35 to 15&amp;#160;g&amp;#160;OC&amp;#160;kg&lt;sup&gt;&amp;#8209;1&lt;/sup&gt;) while OC in the adjacent ACR was less affected (18 to 16&amp;#160;g&amp;#160;OC&amp;#160;kg&lt;sup&gt;&amp;#8209;1&lt;/sup&gt;). Soils were analysed by &lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C NMR spectroscopy to obtain information on how the conversion of secondary forest to cassava affected the chemical composition of OM. Our results show that land use change induces differences in the OM composition: The OM in ADE changes to a more decomposed state (increase of alkyl:O/N-alkyl ratio) whereas the OM in ACR changes to a less decomposed state (decrease of alkyl:O/N-alkyl ratio). According to a molecular mixing model, land use change influenced mostly the proportion of lipids, which might be related with a change of the plant input. The incubation of the soils with &lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C glucose enabled resolving how soil microorganisms were affected by land use change. In both soil types ADE and ACR, land use change caused a reduction of the total &lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C glucose respiration by approximately one third in a 7-days incubation, implying lower microbial activity. Microorganisms in both soil types appear to be more readily active in soils under forest, since we observed a distinct lag time between &lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C glucose addition and respiration under cassava planation. This indicated differences in microbial community structure, which we will assess further by determining the &lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C label uptake by the microbial biomass and the microbial community structure using &lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C PLFA analysis. Preliminary results from synchrotron-based STXM demonstrate a distinct arrangement of OM at fine-sized charcoal-particle interfaces. Samples of soils receiving &lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C label will be further analysed by NanoSIMS with the hypothesis that charcoal interfaces foster nutrient dynamics at the microscale. Despite the high loss of OC in the ameliorated ADE through land use change, the remaining OM might improve the nutrient availability thanks to charcoal interactions compared to the ACR. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the sensitivity of OM upon land use change and how the microbial community is responding to land use change in highly weathered tropical soils.&lt;/p&gt;


1987 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 09-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. W. Forno

AbstractThe curculionid Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder & Sands and the pyralid Samea multiplicalis Guenée were released in north-eastern Australia for the biological control of the floating fern Salvinia molesta. C. salviniae destroyed large areas of weed and was successful at coastal and elevated sites. At equilibrium, there was less than 1 adult/20 plants and only a few, very small plants at each site. The rate at which the weed was controlled varied with mat density. The moth did not reduce plant growth permanently at any site and did not interfere with the performance of the weevil.


Weed Science ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 429-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. E. Dutt ◽  
R. G. Harvey

Pronamide [3,5-dichloro-(N-1, 1-dimethyl-2-propynyl) benzamide] phytotoxicity was compared in 10 Wisconsin soils and the relationship of activity to soil physical and chemical properties appraised. Twelve soil properties were measured and correlated with pronamide I50(50% fresh weight inhibition) values using oats (Avena sativaL. ‘Portal’) as the indicator plant in bioassays conducted under greenhouse conditions. Organic matter was the soil variable most inversely correlated with pronamide phytotoxicity. Cation exchange capacity, field moisture capacity, and Mg content were also inversely correlated with pronamide phytotoxicity, but probably reflect changes in soil organic matter levels. Clay content did not significantly affect pronamide phytotoxicity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludan Zhang ◽  
Yuyang Peng ◽  
Jian Li ◽  
Xinyue Tian ◽  
Zhichang Chen

Magnesium (Mg) is an essential nutrient element for plant growth and plays an important role in numerous physiological and biochemical processes. Mg deficiency inhibits plant growth and has become a growing problem for crop productions in agriculture. However, the molecular mechanisms for the resistance to Mg deficiency in plants were not well understood. In this study, we identified a Mg transporter gene OsMGT1 that confers resistance to Mg deficiency in rice (Oryza sativa). The expression of OsMGT1 was highly induced by Mg deficiency in shoots. Investigation of tissue expression patterns revealed that OsMGT1 was mainly expressed in the phloem region; however, Mg deficiency remarkably enhanced its expression in xylem parenchyma and mesophyll cells in shoots. Knockout of OsMGT1 resulted in a significant reduction in Mg content and biomass when grown at Mg-limited conditions. Furthermore, the sensitivity to low-Mg in mutants was intensified by excessive calcium supply. In addition, overexpression of OsMGT1 increased Mg content and biomass under low-Mg supply. In conclusion, our results indicate that OsMGT1 plays an important role in rice Mg import and is required for the resistance to Mg deficiency, which can be utilized for molecular breeding of low-Mg tolerant plants.


Soil Research ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 629 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. J. Hailes ◽  
R. L. Aitken ◽  
N. W. Menzies

A glasshouse trial, in which maize (Zea mays L. cv. Pioneer 3270) was grown in 35 north-eastern Australian soils of low magnesium (Mg) status, was undertaken to study the response to applied Mg. Of the soils studied, 20 were strongly acidic (pH1:5 soil : water <5·4), and in these soils the response to Mg was studied in both the presence and absence of lime. Magnesium application significantly (P < 0·05) increased dry matter yield in 10 soils, all of which were strongly acidic. However, significant Mg responses were recorded in 6 soils in the presence of lime, indicating that, in many situations, liming strategies may need to include consideration of Mg nutrition. Critical soil test values for 90% relative yield were 0·21 cmol(+)/kg of exchangeable Mg or 7% Mg saturation, whilst the critical (90% yield) plant tissue Mg concentration (whole shoots) was 0·15%.


2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 295-301
Author(s):  
Samar Gangopadhyay ◽  
◽  
Samar Banerjee ◽  
Avinash Jain ◽  
Saikat Banerjee ◽  
...  

Forest soils supporting Sal-Shorea robusta (Roxb. ex Gaertn. f.) plantations in the foot hills of Darjeeling and Kurseong Divisions in West Bengal were studied for their physicochemical characteristics and carbon sequestration potential. Soils are acidic, high in organic carbon and clay content but low in soil reaction (pH) and bulk density (BD). Thick deposit of leaf litter and its decomposition products increase the soil organic carbon (SOC). Significant amount of clay content also increases the moisture content which helps in decomposing the organic matter, reducing the bulk density of soil and reduces erosion. Soil organic matter tends to concentrate with roughly more than half of the soil organic carbon in the upper soil horizons (0-30cm) at all the study sites. Among the study sites, Samardanga block registers lowest SOC while Bamanpukuri block shows highest SOC stock.


Soil Research ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
AV Spain ◽  
ME Probert ◽  
RF Isbell ◽  
RD John

Regression relationships between high temperature loss-on-ignition and organic carbon values are presented for data from a range of Australian soils. Inclusion of the clay content markedly improves the proportion of variance explained by the regressions. It is shown that soils differ in their regressions of organic carbon on loss-on-ignition. Loss-on-ignition is concluded to be a useful index of soil organic matter status closely related to organic carbon levels.


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