Compost Applications Increase Water‐Stable Aggregates in Conventional and No‐Tillage Systems

Abstract

two ways. First, fertilizers can increase crop production, leading to higher inputs of crop residues and more WSA Agricultural practices that alter the soil organic matter (SOM) than in unfertilized soils (Campbell et al., 2001). Second, content are expected to cause changes in soil stability and aggregation. soils amended with organic fertilizers such as legume The objective of this study was to evaluate short-term (Ͻ2 yr) changes in water-stable aggregates (WSA) in a silt-loam soil under different green manure or animal manure tend to have a higher management regimes. The interactive effects of tillage (no-till and input of OM and more WSA than soils that receive conventional tillage), crop rotations (continuous corn, corn-soybean other types of fertilizer (Angers and N'Dayegamiye, rotation) and composted cattle manure applications [0, 15, 30, and 1991; Sun et al., 1995; Haynes and Naidu, 1998; Aoyama 45 Mg (wet weight) ha Ϫ1 ] on WSA were assessed in a factorial (tillet al., 1999). age ϫ crop rotation) split plot (compost) experiment. The proportion Although the separate effects of tillage, cropping sysof WSA Ͼ4 mm was greater in compost-amended than unamended tems, and fertilizers on aggregation have been docusoils within 1 yr, and the mean weight diameter (MWD) of aggregates mented, there is limited information on the ways that increased with increasing compost application rates. By the second these factors interact to affect aggregation. Bissonnette year of the study, no-till soils under continuous corn and the soybean et al. (2001) examined the interactive effects of eight phase of the corn-soybean rotation had more WSA Ͼ4 mm and a greater MWD than any crop rotation in conventionally tilled soils. management systems that included continuous barley Increasing the C input to soil increased the MWD of aggregates. The and a 3-yr barley-forage rotation, moldboard and chisel MWD of aggregates was related to the C content of soils under noplowing in the fall, and fertilization with liquid dairy till, but not conventional tillage, suggesting more physical stabilization manure or mineral fertilizers. Chisel-plowed soils under of organic matter (OM) in no-till than conventional tillage agroecosysthe barley-forage rotation that received liquid dairy tems. Our findings indicate rapid improvements in aggregation of a manure had among the highest annual C input, which silt-loam in the first 2 yr after compost application and the adoption led to a higher soil C content and a greater MWD of of no-tillage practices. aggregates in this system than other management systems. Bissonnette et al. (2001) concluded that management systems that increased the soil C content also Yield Estimated NPP † Estimated C input ‡ Tillage System Crop Rotation

Influence of tillage and liquid swine manure on productivity of a soybean-barley rotation and some properties of a fine sandy loam in Prince Edward Island

“…Past studies on the same soil type have shown that increases in MWD does not generally increase until SOC exceeds 2000 g m -2 (Carter 1992) and C inputs exceed 250 g m -2 yr -1 . Whalen et al (2003) found in a comparison of corn and soybean crops, that type of crop residue also affected aggregation as soybean was generally associated with a lower MWD than corn. In a comparison study of monoculture vs. rotation using liquid dairy manure, Bissonnette et al (2001) observed that MWD was closely associated with increasing levels of C inputs and concomitant increases in SOC.…”

“…Water-stable particles showed no response to the LSM/mineral fertilizer treatments, except for the <0.25-mm particles which were greater under Treatment 2. Generally, increase of SOC via direct drilling, organic amendments or cropping tends to increase soil structural stability (Carter 1992;Bissonnette et al 2001;Whalen and Chang 2002;Whalen et al 2003), however, the increase depends on the original SOC level and the C input rate. In the present study, SOC was not increased at the 0-to 20-cm soil depth (mean and SE, 1730 g m -2 ± 67.0, Fig.…”

Long‐lasting impact of biowaste‐compost application in agriculture on soil‐quality parameters in three different crop‐rotation systems

“…Besides a substitution of energy and nutrients, and a stimulation of the internal processes in soil governed by the microbial community, the application of biowaste compost in agricultural soils may positively affect soil organic-matter (SOM) content and soil-aggregate stability (Balesdent et al, 2000;Wahlen et al, 2003) and thus may reduce the potential risk of soil erosion (Barthès and Roose, 2002;Leguédois and Le Bissonais, 2004;Cantón et al, 2009). …”

Monitoring corn and soybean agroecosystems after establishing no-tillage practices in Québec, Canada

“…Annual nutrient applications included about 30 m 3 ha -1 of liquid dairy manure as well as 100 to 140 kg N ha -1 from urea fertilizer. Further description of the site has been provided by Whalen et al (2003) and Jiao et al (2004).…”