Twenty-five years of changes in soil cover on Canadian Chernozemic (Mollisol) soils, and the impact on the risk of soil degradation

2012 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 471-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Huffman ◽  
D. R. Coote ◽  
M. Green
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Soil Degradation ◽  
Soil Cover ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
Canadian Prairie ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
The Impact

Huffman, T., Coote, D. R. and Green, M. 2012. Twenty-five years of changes in soil cover on Canadian Chernozemic (Mollisol) soils, and the impact on the risk of soil degradation. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 471–479. Agricultural soils that are covered by vegetation or crop residue are less susceptible to degradation by wind and water erosion, organic matter depletion, structural degradation and declining fertility. In general, perennial crops, higher yields, reduced tillage and continuous cropping provide more soil cover than annual crops, lower yields, intensive tillage, residue harvesting and fallowing. This study presents a model for estimating the number of days in a year that the soil surface is protected and demonstrates its application on the Canadian prairies over the period from 1981 to 2006. Over the 25-yr study period, the average soil cover on Canadian prairie soils increased by 4.8% overall. The improvement came primarily as a result of widespread adoption of no-till and a decline in the use of summerfallow, but the gains were offset to a great deal by a shift from higher-cover crops such as wheat, oats and barley to more profitable but lower-cover crops such as canola, soybeans and potatoes. The implication of these trends is that, even though protection of prairie agricultural soils has improved over the past 25 yr, soil cover could decline dramatically over the next several decades if crop changes continue, the adoption of conservation tillage reaches a peak and residue harvesting for biofuels becomes more common.

scholarly journals Measuring the Labile and Recalcitrant Pools of Carbon and Nitrogen in Forested and Agricultural Soils: A Study under Tropical Conditions

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 544
Author(s):  
Risely Ferraz de Almeida ◽  
Joseph Elias Rodrigues Mikhael ◽  
Fernando Oliveira Franco ◽  
Luna Monique Fonseca Santana ◽  
Beno Wendling
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Environmental Stability ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Human Intervention ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Nitrogen Pools ◽  
Tropical Conditions ◽  
Recalcitrant Carbon ◽  
The Impact

Soil organic carbon and nitrogen can be divided into labile and recalcitrant pools according to the time it takes to be cycled. The way in which carbon and nitrogen pools are cycled and distributed between labile and recalcitrant pools can directly relate to soil quality. This paper tested the hypothesis that labile and recalcitrant pools of carbon and nitrogen vary between agricultural soils with different species and fertilization management systems (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium need) under tropical conditions. This study aimed to examine the impact of land-uses on stocks and losses of carbon and nitrogen under tropical conditions. We explored labile (soil microbial biomass and labile carbon) and recalcitrant carbon pools (humin, humic acid, and fulvic acid) in forested and agricultural soils, defined as latosol (forest, fertilized pasture, and unfertilized pasture) and cambisol (forest, coast pasture, sugarcane, and silage corn). Forested soil was used as an appropriate use to soil conservation in tropical that presents levels adequate of carbon and nitrogen stocks and biological condition in soil. Results showed that pools of labile and recalcitrant carbon are different on soil layers and the use of soil. Forest use in cambisol and latosol promoted higher labile and recalcitrant pools of carbon and nitrogen due to the greater environmental stability without human intervention. On the other hand, human intervention occurred in fertilized pasture and coast pasture; however, both uses presented similar recalcitrant carbon and nitrogen pools when compared to forested soil on the soil surface due to fertilizer uses and the high volume of the grass root system. Overall, our findings reveal that under tropical conditions, agriculture and forested soil can present similar recalcitrant pools of carbon and nitrogen if agricultural soils are associated with the appropriate fertilizer management. Pasture with adequate fertilization management systems can be used as an alternative to recover degraded areas with low levels of recalcitrant carbon and nitrogen pools.

scholarly journals Is Diminishing Solar Activity Detrimental to Canadian Prairie Agriculture?

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Activity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Precipitation Pattern ◽  
Canadian Prairie ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Mean Temperature ◽  
Grain Yield And Quality ◽  
The Impact

During the grain growing months of May-July, the mean temperature on the Canadian prairies has cooled down by 2ºC in the last 30 years. The cooling appears to be most certainly linked to diminishing solar activity as the Sun approaches a Grand Solar Minimum in the next decade or so. This cooling has led to a reduction in Growing Degree Days (GDDs) and has also impacted the precipitation pattern. The GDDs in conjunction with mean temperature and precipitation are important parameters for the growth of various grains (wheat, barley, canola etc.) on the prairies. In this study, we investigate the impact of declining GDDs and associated temperature and precipitation patterns on Prairie grain yields and quality. Our analysis shows that there has been a loss of about 100 GDDs over the time frame of 1985-2019. The loss in GDDs is also linked to some of the large-scale Atmosphere-Ocean parameters like the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), North Pacific Index (NPI) and Arctic Oscillation (AO). Our analysis suggests grain yield and quality could be significantly impacted in the coming years as solar activity continues to diminish.

scholarly journals In Field Measurements of Nitrogen Mineralization following Fall Applications of N and the Termination of Winter Cover Crops

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. ASWR.S13861 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey G. Lacey ◽  
Shalamar D. Armstrong
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Inorganic N ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
N Application ◽  
Cereal Rye ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

Little is known about the timing and quantity of nitrogen (N) mineralization from cover crop residue following cover crop termination. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the impact of cover crop species on the return of fall applied N to the soil in the spring following chemical and winter terminations. Fall N was applied (200 kg N ha−1) into a living stand of cereal rye, tillage radish, and control (no cover crop). After chemical termination in the spring, soil samples were collected weekly and were analyzed for inorganic N (NO3-N and NH4-N) to investigate mineralization over time. Cereal rye soil inorganic N concentrations were similar to that of the control in both the spring of 2012 and 2013. Fall N application into tillage radish, cereal rye, and control plots resulted in an average 91, 57, and 66% of the fall N application rate as inorganic N in the spring at the 0-20 cm depth, respectively. The inclusion of cover crops into conventional cropping systems stabilized N at the soil surface and has the potential to improve the efficiency of fall applied N.

Cover crops improve some, but not all, soil health indicators in horticultural rotations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn B. Marshall ◽  
David L. Burton ◽  
Derek H. Lynch
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Soil Degradation ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
Available Nitrogen ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Production of fruits and vegetables provides nutrient dense and high values crops. However, horticulture production is often very intensive and degrading to soil, with high levels of soil disturbance, high use of fertilizer inputs, and with prolonged periods of exposed soil. This can lead to increased soil degradation when compared to other types of cropping. We used a subset of the Atlantic Soil Health Laboratory’s database of on-farm soil samples collected between 2016-2018 to assess the impact of cover crops (CC) use in horticulture production in Nova Scotia on soil health. We analyzed 21 soil health parameters on soil collected from 14 fields, seven of which incorporated CCs in their crop rotation and seven of which used no CCs. The inclusion of CCs significantly increased permanganate oxidizable carbon, soil respiration, autoclaved-citrate extractable (ACE) protein, residual soil nitrogen, and biologically available nitrogen. However, we also found that the variation in these parameters was greater when CCs were part of the rotation. This is likely attributable to the wide range of CC species used and differences in their management, such as the chosen termination method. While cover cropping is seen as a best management practice to improve soil health simply using a CC in a horticulture rotation does not necessarily lead to improved soil health. Research trials on specific CC species and management to target soil degradation are needed to tailor recommendations to ensure the desired soil health outcomes can be achieved with CC use.

CULTIVO DO MILHO E DA SOJA EM SUCESSÃO AS CULTURAS DE SAFRINHA EM RIO VERDE-GO

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 291
Author(s):  
Wenderson Sousa Ferreira ◽  
Antonio Joaquim Braga Pereira Braz ◽  
Renato Lara de Assis ◽  
Kátia Aparecida De Pinho Costa ◽  
Alessandro Guerra da Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Soil Cover ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Tillage System ◽  
Spontaneous Vegetation ◽  
Summer Time ◽  
Crop Succession ◽  
Plot Design

A cobertura do solo com palhadas contribui para a sustentabilidade das atividades agrícolas, onde os resíduos das culturas deixados na superfície do solo favorecem o rendimento das culturas em sucessão. O presente trabalho visou avaliar a produção de biomassa das culturas de safrinha, a decomposição da palhada e o efeito na produtividade das culturas da soja e milho, cultivadas em sucessão. Foram conduzidos dois experimentos no ano agrícola 2007/2008 em Rio Verde (GO), sendo um com soja e o outro com milho. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados em esquema de parcela subdividida, com os tratamentos (girassol, sorgo, milho, feijão, milheto, trigo e pousio com a vegetação espontânea); na safra de verão foram cultivadas com soja e milho. A cultura do milho cultivada em safrinha produziu maior volume de biomassa seca, tanto em sucessão ao milho quanto à soja, no verão. A maior produtividade do milho foi verificada sob a palhada do trigo, seguido do milheto e girassol. As palhadas que apresentaram os maiores percentuais de perdas na safrinha foram o milho, seguido pelo milheto, na área cultivada com milho na safra de verão. A produtividade da soja não foi influenciada pela palhada das plantas de cobertura na safrinha.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Resíduos culturais, Sistema de Plantio Direto, sucessão de culturas. CORN AND SOYBEAN CROPS CULTIVATION IN OFF-SEASON SUCESSION IN RIO VERDE - GOABSTRACT: The soil cover with straws contributes to the sustainability of agricultural activities, where crop residues left on the soil surface favors crop yields in succession. This study aimed to evaluate the biomass production of off-season crops, the decomposition of straw and the effect on productivity of soybean and corn grown cultivated in succession. Two experiments were conducted in the agricultural year 2007/2008 in Rio Verde (GO), one with soybeans and other with corn. The experimental design was a randomized complete block in a split plot design, with the following treatments: sunflower, sorghum, corn, beans, millet, wheat and fallow with spontaneous vegetation. The summer harvest were planted with soybeans and corn. The corn grown in off-season produced a greater volume of dry biomass, both in succession to corn, and to soybeans, in summer time. The highest grain yield was observed in the area covered with straw of wheat, followed by millet and sunflower. The straws that had the highest percentage of losses in the second crop was corn, followed by millet, in the area under maize in the summer harvest. Soybean yield was not influenced by mulching the cover crops in the off-season.KEYWORDS: Crop residues, tillage system, crop succession.

Tillage, fertiliser and glyphosate timing effects on foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum) management in wheat

2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 655-660 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Blackshaw ◽  
G. Semach ◽  
X. Li ◽  
J. T. O'Donovan ◽  
K. N. Harker
Keyword(s):  
Weed Management ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Integrated Weed Management ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Application Timing ◽  
Hordeum Jubatum ◽  
Timing Effects

Foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum L.) is becoming a more severe weed problem as conservation tillage becomes widely adopted on the southern Canadian prairies. A 5-yr field study was conducted to determine the combined effects of tillage, N rate, N placement and application timing of glyphosate to manage foxtail barley in spring wheat. Wide-blade tillage conducted in fall and spring, compared to zero-till, reduced foxtail barley biomass and seed production in all yr and increased wheat yield in 4 of 5 yr. Foxtail barley was highly competitive with wheat for added N. N fertiliser placed mid-row in 10-cm-deep bands reduced foxtail barley growth in 2 of 5 yr and increased wheat yield in 3 of 5 yr compared with soil surface broadcast N. Wheat yield sometimes was similar when N was banded at 60 kg ha−1 or broadcast at 120 kg ha−1, indicating the large advantage of banding N in some situations. Glyphosate at 800 g ha−1 applied preharvest or postharvest gave similar levels of foxtail barley control in 2 of 3 yr. Results indicate that foxtail barley can be adequately managed in wheat production systems utilizing conservation tillage. Key words: Foxtail barley, Hordeum jubatum, glyphosate, integrated weed management, nitrogen placement, zero tillage

scholarly journals Measuring the Supply of Ecosystem Services from Alternative Soil and Nutrient Management Practices: A Transdisciplinary, Field-Scale Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10303
Author(s):  
Alissa White ◽  
Joshua W. Faulkner ◽  
David Conner ◽  
Lindsay Barbieri ◽  
E. Carol Adair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Silage Production ◽  
The Impact

Farmers and policy makers pursue management practices that enhance water quality, increase landscape flood resiliency, and mitigate agriculture’s contribution to climate change, all while remaining economically viable. This study presents a holistic assessment of how two practices influence the supply of these ecosystem services—the use of an aerator prior to manure application in haylands, and the stacked use of manure injection, cover crops, and reduced tillage in corn silage production. Field data are contextualized by semi-structured interviews that identify influences on adoption. Causal loop diagrams then illustrate feedbacks from ecosystem services onto decision making. In our study, unseen nutrient pathways are the least understood, but potentially the most important in determining the impact of a practice on ecosystem services supply. Subsurface runoff accounted for 64% to 92% of measured hydrologic phosphorus export. Average soil surface greenhouse gas flux constituted 38% to 73% of all contributions to the equivalent CO2 footprint of practices, sometimes outweighing carbon sequestration. Farmers identified interest in better understanding unseen nutrient pathways, expressed intrinsic stewardship motivations, but highlighted financial considerations as dominating decision making. Our analysis elevates the importance of financial supports for conservation, and the need for comprehensive understandings of agroecosystem performance that include hard-to-measure pathways.

scholarly journals Limitations and Possibilities for Some Conservation Tillage Systems with Vegetable Crops in the Southern Plains of the United States

1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warren Roberts ◽  
James Shrefler ◽  
James Duthie ◽  
Jonathan Edelson ◽  
Bob Cartwright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vegetable Crops ◽  
Southern Plains

We conducted several experiments to determine the best system for production of spring cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. Capitata group) with conservation tillage (CT) in the southern plains of the United States. Rye (Secale cereale L.) was selected as the best cover crop to cover the soil in a short time. Raised beds were formed in the fall and planted with rye. With most studies, the rye was allowed to remain on the soil surface rather than being tilled into the soil. Planting densities, rates of nitrogen fertilizer, and herbicide materials were evaluated to determine the best system for cabbage production. In each study, various cover crop practices were compared with bare soil production systems. Soil erosion was reduced by the use of rye cover crops. Cabbage was produced in the CT system, but cabbage yields were higher in bare soil plots than in the rye-covered plots. We are also in the process of developing a system of CT that involves permanent bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] pastures and watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai]. This system allows both crops to be grown simultaneously on the same land.

Soil carbon dynamics under different cropping and pasture management in temperate Australia: Results of three long-term experiments

Soil Research ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 320 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Y. Chan ◽  
M. K. Conyers ◽  
G. D. Li ◽  
K. R. Helyar ◽  
G. Poile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Wagga Wagga ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
The Impact

In addition to its important influence on soil quality and therefore crop productivity, soil organic carbon (SOC) has also been identified as a possible C sink for sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide. Limited data are available on the impact of management practices on the rate of SOC change in agricultural soils in Australia. In this paper, results of three long-term trials (13–25 years) located near Wagga Wagga in temperate Australia were used to assess C dynamics under different tillage and stubble management practices, and under cropping intensities in pasture/crop rotations. Experimental results confirm the importance of management practices and pasture in determining first the steady-state SOC concentrations that are characteristic of given rotations and crop management systems, and second the rates of change of SOC concentrations as they approach steady-state concentrations in agricultural soils of this agro-ecological zone. A long-term crop/pasture experiment at a site with initial high SOC showed that the rate of SOC change in different treatments ranged from –278 to +257 kg C/ha.year over 0–0.3 m soil depth. Under continuous cropping, even under conservation agriculture practices of no-tillage, stubble retention, and crop rotation, the high initial SOC stock (0–0.3 m) present after a long-term pasture phase was, at best, maintained but tended to decrease with increased tillage or stubble burning practices. The effect of tillage was greater than that of stubble management. Increases in SOC were observed only in rotations incorporating a pasture phase. Our results suggest that improved soil nutrient and grazing management of permanent pasture can lead to an increase of 500–700 kg C/ha.year where the initial SOC concentrations are well below steady-state concentrations that could be expected after long periods of improved management. No difference was found between perennial pasture and annual pasture to the depth measured (0–0.3 m). Our results suggest that pasture holds the key to maintaining, and even increasing, SOC under crop/pasture in this environment.

scholarly journals The Impact of Organic Matter on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Availability and Persistence in Soils

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 2470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Ukalska-Jaruga ◽  
Bożena Smreczak
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Total Organic Carbon ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Turnover Time ◽  
Organic Carbon Content ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
The Impact

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exhibit persistence in soils, and most of them are potentially mutagenic/carcinogenic and teratogenic for human beings but also influence the growth and development of soil organisms. The PAHs emitted into the atmosphere are ultimately deposited (by dry or wet deposition processes) onto the soil surface where they tend to accumulate. Soil organic matter (SOM) plays an important role in the fate and transformation processes of PAHs, affecting their mobility, availability, and persistence. Therefore, the aim of this research was to investigate the influence of SOM fractional diversification (fulvic acids—FA, humic acids—HA, and humins—HN) on PAH availability and persistence in soils. Twenty soil samples (n = 20) were collected from upper horizons (0–30 cm) of agricultural soils exposed to anthropogenic emissions from industrial and domestic sources. The assessment of PAH concentrations included the determination of medium-molecular-weight compounds from the US EPA list: fluoranthene—FLA, pyrene—PYR, benz(a)anthracene—BaA, and chrysene—CHR. The assessment was conducted using the GC-MS/MS technique. Three operationally defined fractions were investigated: total extractable PAHs (TE-PAHs) fraction, available/bioavailable PAHs (PB-PAHs) fraction, and nonavailable/residual PAHs (RE-PAHs) fraction, which was calculated as the difference between total and available PAHs. TE-PAHs were analyzed by dichloromethane extraction, while PB-PAHs were analyzed with a hydrophobic β-cyclodextrin solution. SOM was characterized by total organic carbon content (Turin method) and organic carbon of humic substances including FA, HA, HN (IHSS method). Concentrations of PAHs differed between soils from 193.5 to 3169.5 µg kg−1, 4.3 to 226.4 µg kg−1, and 148.6 to 3164.7 µg kg−1 for ∑4 TE-PAHs, ∑4 PB-PAHs, and ∑4 RE-PAHs, respectively. The ∑4 PB-PAHs fraction did not exceed 30% of ∑4 TE-PAHs. FLA was the most strongly bound in soil (highest content of RE-FLA), whereas PYR was the most available (highest content of PB-PYR). The soils were characterized by diversified total organic carbon (TOC) concentration (8.0–130.0 g kg−1) and individual SOM fractions (FA = 0.4–7.5 g kg−1, HA = 0.6–13.0 g kg−1, HN = 0.9–122.9 g kg−1). FA and HA as the labile fraction of SOM with short turnover time strongly positively influenced the potential ∑4 PAH availability (r = 0.56 and r = 0.52 for FA and HA, respectively). HN, which constitutes a stable fraction of organic matter with high hydrophobicity and poor degradability, was strongly correlated with ∑4 RE-PAHs (r = 0.75), affecting their persistence in soil.

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