Evaluation of long-term soil management practices using key indicators and soil quality indices in a semi-arid tropical Alfisol

Sharma, K. L.; Grace, J. Kusuma; Mandal, Uttam Kumar; Gajbhiye, P. N.; Srinivas, K.; Korwar, G. R.; Bindu, V. Hima; Ramesh, V.; Ramachandran, Kausalya; Yadav, Shipra

doi:10.1071/sr07184

Cited by 98 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Indicators of soil quality differ among soil types, climates and land uses. For example, there are specific soil quality indicators for the intensively managed soils of the Indo-Gangetic Plains [30] that will differ from those for tropical Alfisols in semi-arid regions [31][32][33][34]. A spectral soil quality index based on application of reflectance spectroscopy has also been proposed as a diagnostic tool to assess soil quality [35].…”

Section: Soil Quality Indexmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoring Soil Quality to Mitigate Soil Degradation

2015

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Abstract:Feeding the world population, 7.3 billion in 2015 and projected to increase to 9.5 billion by 2050, necessitates an increase in agricultural production of ~70% between 2005 and 2050. Soil degradation, characterized by decline in quality and decrease in ecosystem goods and services, is a major constraint to achieving the required increase in agricultural production. Soil is a non-renewable resource on human time scales with its vulnerability to degradation depending on complex interactions between processes, factors and causes occurring at a range of spatial and temporal scales. Among the major soil degradation processes are accelerated erosion, depletion of the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool and loss in biodiversity, loss of soil fertility and elemental imbalance, acidification and salinization. Soil degradation trends can be reversed by conversion to a restorative land use and adoption of recommended management practices. The strategy is to minimize soil erosion, create positive SOC and N budgets, enhance activity and species diversity of soil biota (micro, meso, and macro), and improve structural stability and pore geometry. Improving soil quality (i.e., increasing SOC pool, improving soil structure, enhancing soil fertility) can reduce risks of soil degradation (physical, chemical, biological and ecological) while improving the environment. Increasing the SOC pool to above the critical level (10 to 15 g/kg) is essential to set-in-motion the restorative trends. Site-specific techniques of restoring soil quality include conservation agriculture, integrated nutrient management, continuous vegetative cover such as residue mulch and cover cropping, and controlled grazing at appropriate stocking rates. The strategy is to produce "more from less" by reducing losses and increasing soil, water, and nutrient use efficiency.

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Section: Soil Quality Indexmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoring Soil Quality to Mitigate Soil Degradation

2015

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“…Although many of these soil properties are regularly used as indicators of soil degradation (Trabaquini et al, 2015), the use of single soil characteristics often provides an incomplete representation of soil degradation (De la Rosa, 2005;Puglisi et al, 2005Puglisi et al, , 2006Sione et al, 2017). To overcome this shortcoming, an integration of soil properties into numeric indices has been proposed (Doran and Parkin, 1994;Leirós et al, 1999;Bastida et al, 2006;Gómez et al, 2009;Puglisi et al, 2005Puglisi et al, , 2006Sharma et al, 2008;Xu et al, 2016;Pulido et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a composite soil degradation assessment index for cocoa agroecosystems in southwestern Nigeria

2017

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Abstract. Cocoa agroecosystems are a major land-use type in the tropical rainforest belt of West Africa, reportedly associated with several ecological changes, including soil degradation. This study aims to develop a composite soil degradation assessment index (CSDI) for determining the degradation level of cocoa soils under smallholder agroecosystems of southwestern Nigeria. Plots where natural forests have been converted to cocoa agroecosystems of ages 1-10, 11-40, and 41-80 years, respectively representing young cocoa plantations (YCPs), mature cocoa plantations (MCPs), and senescent cocoa plantations (SCPs), were identified to represent the biological cycle of the cocoa tree. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 0 to 20 cm in each plot and analysed in terms of their physical, chemical, and biological properties. Factor analysis of soil data revealed four major interacting soil degradation processes: decline in soil nutrients, loss of soil organic matter, increase in soil acidity, and the breakdown of soil textural characteristics over time. These processes were represented by eight soil properties (extractable zinc, silt, soil organic matter (SOM), cation exchange capacity (CEC), available phosphorus, total porosity, pH, and clay content). These soil properties were subjected to forward stepwise discriminant analysis (STEPDA), and the result showed that four soil properties (extractable zinc, cation exchange capacity, SOM, and clay content) are the most useful in separating the studied soils into YCP, MCP, and SCP. In this way, we have sufficiently eliminated redundancy in the final selection of soil degradation indicators. Based on these four soil parameters, a CSDI was developed and used to classify selected cocoa soils into three different classes of degradation. The results revealed that 65 % of the selected cocoa farms are moderately degraded, while 18 % have a high degradation status. The numerical value of the CSDI as an objective index of soil degradation under cocoa agroecosystems was statistically validated. The results of this study reveal that soil management should promote activities that help to increase organic matter and reduce Zn deficiency over the cocoa growth cycle. Finally, the newly developed CSDI can provide an early warning of soil degradation processes and help farmers and extension officers to implement rehabilitation practices on degraded cocoa soils.

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“…Various approaches for soil quality (SQ) evaluation have been proposed to help ensure its protection against degradation through inappropriate agricultural management practices [1][2][3][4][5]. Being aware of soil physical, chemical, and biological functioning is a basic step for soil conservation, especially in intensely managed agroecosystems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tillage Effects on Soil Quality after Three Years of Irrigation in Northern Spain

et al. 2017

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Abstract:Irrigation is being initiated on large areas of traditionally rainfed land to meet increasing global demand for food, feed, fiber and fuel. However, the consequences of this transition on soil quality (SQ) have scarcely been studied. Therefore, after previously identifying the most tillage-sensitive SQ indicators under long-term rainfed conditions, conversion of a research site on a Haplic Calcisol in Navarre, in northeast Spain provided an ideal location to reevaluate those SQ indicators after three years of irrigated management. The Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) was used to test our hypothesis that adopting irrigation could change the sensitivity and importance of non-irrigated SQ indicators. Several soil physical, chemical, and biological indicators along with crop yields were used to evaluate SQ three years after initiating irrigation on a long-term conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT) and no-tillage (NT) study where either barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) or wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was being grown. The results confirmed our hypothesis that irrigation would change the relative importance of various SQ indicators and suggested that some SMAF algorithms, such as those used to assess bulk density, needed to be recalibrated for these Mediterranean soils.

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Evaluation of long-term soil management practices using key indicators and soil quality indices in a semi-arid tropical Alfisol

Cited by 98 publications

References 43 publications

Restoring Soil Quality to Mitigate Soil Degradation

Restoring Soil Quality to Mitigate Soil Degradation

Development of a composite soil degradation assessment index for cocoa agroecosystems in southwestern Nigeria

Tillage Effects on Soil Quality after Three Years of Irrigation in Northern Spain

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