Impact of 47 Years of No Tillage and Stubble Retention on Soil Aggregation and Carbon Distribution in a Vertisol

Somasundaram, J.; Reeves, Steven; Wang, Weijin; Heenan, Marijke; Dalal, Ram C.

doi:10.1002/ldr.2689

Cited by 106 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 101 publications

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“…The results of the different aggregate size fractions in terms of DSA indicated that the 2-1 mm and 1-0.5 mm fractions were both affected in cropland (Table 4), with the DSA at 0-20 cm increasing in the order of Clm, Clw, CAO, GL, SGL, and AAO. As many authors revealed before, farm machinery could disturb the soil aggregate fractions and ultimately affect WSA [2,4,7,36], our findings also indicated that the 2-1 mm and 1-0.5 mm fractions were destroyed by ploughing; the study findings suggest that plant restoration and a change in crop cultivation patterns could improve WSA formation in cropland, particularly in the study areas. Soil aggregation can be increased with cropland conversion to no-tillage due to the rapid turnover of SOC in the soil layers [37].…”

Section: The Dsa and Wsa Distribution Of Soil Aggregate Compositions (%)supporting

confidence: 75%

Effects of Different Land-Use Systems on Soil Aggregates: A Case Study of the Loess Plateau (Northern China)

Kalhoro

Chen

et al. 2017

Sustainability

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Soil aggregate stability is an important indicator for controlling soil losses and can improve soil quality, particularly in an area such as the Loess Plateau. The objective of this study was to estimate the differences in soil aggregates across six different land-use systems (grassland, apple orchard, abandoned apple orchard, cropland maize, cropland wheat, and shrub-grassland). For this purpose, dry and wet sieving techniques were employed to assess aggregate content and aggregate stability. Higher percentages of water stable aggregates were observed in the abandoned apple orchard and shrub-grassland at 63% and 61%, respectively. The maximum dry aggregate stability (%) was recorded at 78% and 77% in both wheat cropland and common apple orchard, and the abandoned apple orchard was only 74%. Both mean weight diameters and geometric mean diameters of aggregate were recorded as higher in grassland, shrub-grassland, and the abandoned apple orchard, than the other land uses. The formation of soil aggregates and their stability were positively correlated with soil organic carbon content and root biomass of different plant communities. Higher amounts of soil organic carbon content were noted in the abandoned apple orchard, common apple orchard, and natural grassland at the 0-20 cm soil layer. The results of the correlation coefficient showed a positive significant correlation between the mean weight diameter, geometric diameter, root biomass, and soil organic carbon content. Conclusively, the type of land use affected the soil aggregation and distribution of size fractions; the small fractions of the aggregates formed large fractions by combining with fresh organic matter, and increased soil organic carbon concentrations were closely linked with the formation of macro-aggregates. Thus, converting slope farmland to forestland and grassland could improve water-stable aggregate and reduce soil disturbances in areas (like the Loess Plateau) with the highest erosion risk.

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Section: The Dsa and Wsa Distribution Of Soil Aggregate Compositions (%)supporting

confidence: 75%

Effects of Different Land-Use Systems on Soil Aggregates: A Case Study of the Loess Plateau (Northern China)

Kalhoro

Chen

et al. 2017

Sustainability

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“…Tisdall and Oades 79 proposed that the formation and stability of micro-aggregates and macro-aggregates were interrelated processes. A wealth of research had manifested that macro-aggregates composed of organic binding agents [80][81][82][83][84] . Consequently, the protective mechanism of macro-aggregates on SOC was better than micro-aggregates 85,86 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil aggregates stability and storage of soil organic carbon respond to cropping systems on Black Soils of Northeast China

Zhou

Liu

Wang³

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Monoculture and improper management may reduce soil fertility and deteriorate soil structure in Black soils (Mollisols) of Northeast China. The experiment was carried out from 2015 to 2016 in Black Soils comprising five cropping systems: continuous corn (CC), soybean-corn rotation (SC), cornsoybean rotation (CS), fallow-corn (FC), and fallow-soybean (FS). Our results showed that CS and FS treatments significantly increased mean weight diameter (MWD) and fractal dimension (D) in mechanical stability aggregates (MSAs), and increased MWD and geometric mean diameter (GMD) in water-stable aggregates (WSAs) compared with CC treatment. These two treatments were also significantly increased water-stable aggregates stability rate (WSAR), but decreased percentage of aggregates destruction (PAD) than CC treatment. Meanwhile, CS and FS treatments exhibited a higher carbon accumulation than cc treatment in bulk soils. Soil organic carbon (Soc) concentration in WSA 0.106-0.25 ,WSA 2-5 mm and WSA 0.5-1 mm had a dominant effect on aggregate stability. Simutaneously, Soc in WSA >5 mm affected SOC concentration in bulk soils. As a whole, the CS and FS treatments can increase the percentage of macro-aggregates, enhance aggregate stability, as well as increase SOC concentration in bulk soils and all soil aggregate sizes. Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a key role in forming and stabilizing soil structure, enhancing soil physical properties, and nutrient recycling 1-3. Soil aggregate, the basic unit of soil structure, mediates many physical and chemical processes in soils 4-8 , such as soil compaction, soil nutrient recycling, soil erosion, root penetration, and crop yield 9. Aggregate stability is frequently used as an indicator of soil structure 10-12 because better soil structure and higher aggregate stability are vital to improve soil fertility, soil sustainability, and productivity 13,14. SOC influenced aggregate stability and soil structure 15,16. The stability of organic carbon in different size aggregates is different. Organic carbon in the micro-aggregates is less susceptible to change than it is in the macro-aggregates 17. The soil organic matters of different cropping systems differed based on the quantity and quality of the crop residue coverage and the environment, affecting the organic carbon contents of the soil and the aggregate stability 18. The cropping systems mainly create conditions for the decomposition and transformation of soil organic matter by changing the distribution of soil organic carbon and the active habitat of microorganisms, thereby causing changes in soil aggregates 19. Soil mean weight diameter (MWD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), fractal dimension (D), percentage of aggregates destruction (PAD) and water-stable aggregates stability rate (WSAR) are all indicators of soil aggregate stability. The larger the MWD and GMD values are, the higher the average particle size agglomeration of soil aggregates are, and the stronger the stability of soil structure is 20. Castrignano and Stelluti 21 found that ...

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“…Soils with contrasting texture demonstrated to benefit from no‐tillage adoption both in the medium and long period. For example, Australian clay‐rich Vertisols had better soil aggregation especially when associated with stubble retention and nitrogen fertilization after 47 years of no‐tillage adoption (Somasundaram et al, ). In Danish sandy‐loam soils, Garbout et al () observed a distinct pipe‐like macropore structure in the 0–5 cm soil layer under 7‐year no‐tillage management.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation Agriculture Had a Poor Impact on the Soil Porosity of Veneto Low‐lying Plain Silty Soils after a 5‐year Transition Period

et al. 2017

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Conservation agriculture practices have been proposed as a set of techniques for improving soil structure properties and related ecosystem services. This study compared conservation agriculture (CA) practices (no‐tillage, cover crop and residue retention) and conventional intensive tillage system in order to evaluate their effects on total porosity, pore size distribution, pore architecture and morphology. The experiment was set up in 2010 on four farms of the low‐lying Veneto Region plain characterized by silty soils. Almost hundred soil samples were collected in 2015 at four depths down to 50‐cm layer and investigated for porosity from micrometre (0·0074 μm) to macrometre (2·5 mm) by coupling mercury intrusion porosimetry and X‐ray computed microtomography (μCT). Indices of soil morphology and architecture were derived by analysing 3D images and mercury intrusion porosimetry pore size curves. Results suggested that silty soils of Veneto plain are microstructured because much (82%) of the porosity ranged between 0·0074 and 30 μm. CA practices positively influenced the ultramicroporosity class (0·1–5 μm) (1·86E‐01 vs 1·67E‐01 μm3 μm−3) that is strictly linked to soil organic carbon stabilization while no effects were observed in X‐ray μCT porosity domain (> 26 μm). Silty soils of Veneto plain showed a slow reaction to CA because of the poor aggregate stability and low soil organic carbon. However, the positive response of the ultramicropore fraction indicates that a virtuous cycle was initiated between soil organic carbon and porosity, hopefully leading to well‐developed macropore systems and, in turn, enhanced soil functions and ecosystem services. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Impact of 47 Years of No Tillage and Stubble Retention on Soil Aggregation and Carbon Distribution in a Vertisol

Cited by 106 publications

References 101 publications

Effects of Different Land-Use Systems on Soil Aggregates: A Case Study of the Loess Plateau (Northern China)

Effects of Different Land-Use Systems on Soil Aggregates: A Case Study of the Loess Plateau (Northern China)

Soil aggregates stability and storage of soil organic carbon respond to cropping systems on Black Soils of Northeast China

Conservation Agriculture Had a Poor Impact on the Soil Porosity of Veneto Low‐lying Plain Silty Soils after a 5‐year Transition Period

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