scholarly journals Factors affecting soil organic matter conservation in Mediterranean hillside winter cereals-legumes cropping systems

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Marraccini ◽  
Marta Debolini ◽  
Claudia Di Bene ◽  
Hélène Rapey ◽  
Enrico Bonari
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Winter Cereals

Changes in soil carbon under long-term maize in monoculture and legume-based rotation

2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
E G Gregorich ◽  
C F Drury ◽  
J A Baldock
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Natural Abundance ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C

Legume-based cropping systems could help to increase crop productivity and soil organic matter levels, thereby enhancing soil quality, as well as having the additional benefit of sequestering atmospheric C. To evaluate the effects of 35 yr of maize monoculture and legume-based cropping on soil C levels and residue retention, we measured organic C and 13C natural abundance in soils under: fertilized and unfertilized maize (Zea mays L.), both in monoculture and legume-based [maize-oat (Avena sativa L.)-alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)-alfalfa] rotations; fertilized and unfertilized systems of continuous grass (Poa pratensis L.); and under forest. Solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to chemically characterize the organic matter in plant residues and soils. Soils (70-cm depth) under maize cropping had about 30-40% less C, and those under continuous grass had about 16% less C, than those under adjacent forest. Qualitative differences in crop residues were important in these systems, because quantitative differences in net primary productivity and C inputs in the different agroecosystems did not account for observed differences in total soil C. Cropping sequence (i.e., rotation or monoculture) had a greater effect on soil C levels than application of fertilizer. The difference in soil C levels between rotation and monoculture maize systems was about 20 Mg C ha-1. The effects of fertilization on soil C were small (~6 Mg C ha-1), and differences were observed only in the monoculture system. The NMR results suggest that the chemical composition of organic matter was little affected by the nature of crop residues returned to the soil. The total quantity of maize-derived soil C was different in each system, because the quantity of maize residue returned to the soil was different; hence the maize-derived soil C ranged from 23 Mg ha-1 in the fertilized and 14 Mg ha-1 in the unfertilized monoculture soils (i.e., after 35 maize crops) to 6-7 Mg ha-1 in both the fertilized and unfertilized legume-based rotation soils (i.e., after eight maize crops). The proportion of maize residue C returned to the soil and retained as soil organic C (i.e., Mg maize-derived soil C/Mg maize residue) was about 14% for all maize cropping systems. The quantity of C3-C below the plow layer in legume-based rotation was 40% greater than that in monoculture and about the same as that under either continuous grass or forest. The soil organic matter below the plow layer in soil under the legume-based rotation appeared to be in a more biologically resistant form (i.e., higher aromatic C content) compared with that under monoculture. The retention of maize residue C as soil organic matter was four to five times greater below the plow layer than that within the plow layer. We conclude that residue quality plays a key role in increasing the retention of soil C in agroecosystems and that soils under legume-based rotation tend to be more “preservative” of residue C inputs, particularly from root inputs, than soils under monoculture. Key words: Soil carbon, 13C natural abundance, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, maize cropping, legumes, root carbon

Quantifying in situ and modeling net nitrogen mineralization from soil organic matter in arable cropping systems

2017 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 44-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugues Clivot ◽  
Bruno Mary ◽  
Matthieu Valé ◽  
Jean-Pierre Cohan ◽  
Luc Champolivier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Nitrogen Mineralization ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Net Nitrogen Mineralization ◽  
Quantifying In

Onion-forage cropping systems on a Vertic Argiudoll in Uruguay: Onion yield and soil organic matter, aggregation, porosity and permeability

2022 ◽  
Vol 216 ◽  
pp. 105229
Author(s):  
José Miguel Reichert ◽  
Adão Leonel Corcini ◽  
Gabriel Oladele Awe ◽  
Dalvan José Reinert ◽  
Jackson Adriano Albuquerque ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Porosity And Permeability

Conversion of Wheat-Maize to Vegetable Cropping Systems Changes Soil Organic Matter Characteristics

2010 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 1320-1326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baokun Lei ◽  
Mingsheng Fan ◽  
Qing Chen ◽  
Johan Six ◽  
Fusuo Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Cropping Systems

Using active fractions of soil organic matter as indicators of the sustainability of Ferrosol farming systems

Soil Research ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 279 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Bell ◽  
P. W. Moody ◽  
S. A. Yo ◽  
R. D. Connolly
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Critical Concentrations ◽  
Aggregate Breakdown ◽  
Eastern Australia

Chemical and physical degradation of Red Ferrosols in eastern Australia is a major issue necessitating the development of more sustainable cropping systems. This paper derives critical concentrations of the active (permanganate-oxidisable) fraction of soil organic matter (C1) which maximise soil water recharge and minimise the likelihood of surface runoff in these soils. Ferrosol soils were collected from commercial properties in both north and south Queensland, while additional data were made available from a similar collection of Tasmanian Ferrosols. Sites represented a range of management histories, from grazed and ungrazed grass pastures to continuously cropped soil under various tillage systems. The concentration of both total carbon (C) and C1 varied among regions and farming systems. C1 was the primary factor controlling aggregate breakdown, measured by the percentage of aggregates <0·125 mm (P125) in the surface crust after simulated rainfall. The rates of change in P125 per unit change in C1 were not significantly different (P < 0·05) for soils from the different localities. However, soils from the coastal Burnett (south-east Queensland) always produced lower P125 (i.e. less aggregate breakdown) than did soils from the inland Burnett and north Queensland locations given the same concentration of C1. This difference was not associated with a particular land use. The ‘critical’ concentrations of C1 for each region were taken as the C1 concentrations that would allow an infiltration rate greater than or equal to the intensity of a 1 in 1 or 1 in 10 year frequency rainfall event of 30 min duration. This analysis also provided an indication of the risk associated with the concentrations of C1 currently characterising each farming system in each rainfall environment. None of the conventionally tilled Queensland Ferrosols contained sufficient C1 to cope with rainfall events expected to occur with a 1 in 10 frequency, while in many situations the C1 concentration was sufficiently low that runoff events would be expected on an annual basis. Our data suggest that management practices designed both to maximise C inputs and to maintain a high proportion of active C should be seen as essential steps towards developing a more sustainable cropping system.

CO2 fluxes and carbon balance of an agricultural grassland in southern Finland

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Heimsch ◽  
Annalea Lohila ◽  
Liisa Kulmala ◽  
Juha-Pekka Tuovinen ◽  
Mika Korkiakoski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Carbon Balance ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Management Procedures ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change

&lt;p&gt;Agriculture is globally a significant source of carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Main causes for these high emissions are conventional intensive management practices which include such as frequent ploughing, monocropping and high use of agrochemicals. These practices contribute to the loss of biodiversity and soil organic matter, as well as to the CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; emissions from land use. Recently, it has been recognised that agriculture functioning on the basis of regenerative practices is one of the most potential tools to mitigate climate change.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It is well known that topsoil layer and especially humus-rich soils can store more carbon than atmosphere and vegetation together. Therefore, increasing the amount of soil organic matter in the agroecosystems, by applying enhanced management practices such as reduced tillage, high biodiversity and cover cropping, agricultural soils would not only help to mitigate climate change but also to restore soil quality and fertility. To understand the carbon dynamics on different agricultural sites, factors affecting and comprising the carbon balance, and to verify soil carbon and ecosystem models, continuous long-term monitoring of the GHG fluxes is essential at such managed ecosystems. Here we present results from a new eddy covariance (EC) flux study site located in southern Finland.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Continuous CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; flux measurements using the EC method have been conducted at Qvidja farm on mineral (clay) soil forage grassland in Parainen, southern Finland (60.29550&amp;#176;N, 22.39281&amp;#176;E) since the spring 2018. Based on the flux and biomass data, the annual carbon balance was estimated to be negative, i.e. the site acted as an overall sink of carbon even in the dry and hot year 2018. However, the seasonal CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; fluxes were greatly dependent on weather conditions and management procedures. Results from 2019 show that the growing season accompanied with more mature and dense grass, a bit higher precipitation and lower temperatures, as well as higher cutting height was more favorable for carbon uptake in Qvidja as compared to year 2018.&lt;/p&gt;

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