Soil organic carbon dynamics, functions and management in West African agro-ecosystems

Bationo, A.; Kihara, Job; Vanlauwe, Bernard; Waswa, Boaz S.; Kimetu, J.M.

doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2005.08.011

Cited by 400 publications

(240 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…While no labile C was measured at depth in this study, it is likely that the labile C and N compounds were leached with the rainfall events between the sampling times. This is supported by findings by Bationo et al (2007) in work carried out in West Africa on sandy soils.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Tracking the Release of Soil Nitrate and Labile C in A Legume-Maize Rotation in Zimbabwe

Jiri¹,

Mafongoya²

2017

SAR

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This study compared the effect of a weedy fallow (5.2 t/ha biomass), a velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) cut for hay (7.2 t/ha biomass) and a green-manured M. pruriens (6.49 t/ha biomass) on the dynamics of soil N and C in a maize crop. An on-farm, farmer participatory experiment was established on a farmer's field in Wedza District, Zimbabwe. Soil mineral N and labile carbon were determined at intervals upto 120 cm depth, at maize planting and at 1 and 2 weeks after planting. Before planting, the soil mineral N content ranged from 28 kg N/ha after weed fallow to 107 kgN/ha following M. pruriens. Total nitrate concentration was highest in the 0-15 cm depth of the M. pruriens treatments in the pre-planting sampling, but following rainfall and maize planting, nitrate concentration declined rapidly. By 2 weeks after planting, 7.5 and 13.5 kg N/ha remained in the 0-120 cm soil depth of the weedy fallow and green-manured M. pruriens, respectively. Improving synchrony of nutrient release and uptake is critical when applying high quality residues which breakdown relatively slowly. This could result in significant inputs of C, release nutrients more slowly and reduce soil nutrient losses.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Tracking the Release of Soil Nitrate and Labile C in A Legume-Maize Rotation in Zimbabwe

Jiri¹,

Mafongoya²

2017

SAR

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“…Other Sahel research has observed an increase in CEC from crop residue application (Geiger et al 1992), but in our samples the treatment effects on both soil pH and OC were small. As CEC is more closely related to SOC content in the Sahel than it is to soil clay content or mineralogy (Bationo et al 2007), higher rates of organic matter input than used in these trials may be required to significantly improve CEC.…”

Section: Yield Average and Trendsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long term effects of reduced fertilizer rates on millet yields and soil properties in the West-African Sahel

Adams

Gillespie

Kar

et al. 2016

Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst

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Microdosing, the point-source application of a reduced fertilizer rate within 10 days of sowing, has increased short-term crop yields across the Sahel and is being actively scaled up as an agronomic practice. However, there is no information on the longterm effects of the technique upon soil fertility. To rectify this, this study used soil samples from the International Crop Research Institute for the SemiArid Tropics in Sadore, Niger, to assess the effects of 16 years of a reduced fertilizer rate of 15 kg N and 4.4 kg P ha -1 compared to unfertilized soil and a recommended rate of 30 kg N and 13.2 kg P ha -1 upon millet yield trend, soil chemical properties, and soil organic matter quality. The interaction of fertilizer with crop residue and manure amendments at 300, 900, and 2700 kg ha -1 was also assessed. Compared to unfertilized soil, the reduced fertilizer rate improved yield by 116 % but did not increase total N or available P. The recommended rate doubled available P and increased total N by 27 %, but resulted in slightly lower pH compared to the reduced rate. Yield trends were negative for both fertilizer treatments, indicating mineral fertilizer alone is not sustainable at Sadore. Crop residue or manure addition at 2700 kg ha -1 with fertilizer did not improve SOC but buffered pH by 0.3 units, provided nutrients beyond N and P, and changed the forms C and N functional groups in soil organic matter.

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“…Even though erosion of soil OC is recognized as one of the main mechanisms of land degradation (Bationo et al, 2007;Lal, 2003), little is known about its impact on the soil C cycle (Maïga-Yaleu et al, 2013), and the lack of awareness is almost complete when soils are covered by biocrusts. Our results indicate that the presence of biocrusts decreased TOC loss substantially respecting to the physical soil crusts (Table 3), contributing to reducing land degradation, which is considered one of the main drivers of global change in arid and semiarid ecosystems (MEA, 2005).…”

Section: Dynamics Of Oc Losses In Biocrustsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamics of organic carbon losses by water erosion after biocrust removal

Cantón

Román

Chamizo

et al. 2014

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

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Abstract:In arid and semiarid ecosystems, plant interspaces are frequently covered by communities of cyanobacteria, algae, lichens and mosses, known as biocrusts. These crusts often act as runoff sources and are involved in soil stabilization and fertility, as they prevent erosion by water and wind, fix atmospheric C and N and contribute large amounts of C to soil. Their contribution to the C balance as photosynthetically active surfaces in arid and semiarid regions is receiving growing attention. However, very few studies have explicitly evaluated their contribution to organic carbon (OC) lost from runoff and erosion, which is necessary to ascertain the role of biocrusts in the ecosystem C balance. Furthermore, biocrusts are not resilient to physical disturbances, which generally cause the loss of the biocrust and thus, an increase in runoff and erosion, dust emissions, and sediment and nutrient losses. The aim of this study was to find out the influence of biocrusts and their removal on dissolved and sediment organic carbon losses. One-hour extreme rainfall simulations (50 mm h -1 ) were performed on small plots set up on physical soil crusts and three types of biocrusts, representing a development gradient, and also on plots where these crusts were removed from. Runoff and erosion rates, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and organic carbon bonded to sediments (S d OC) were measured during the simulated rain. Our results showed different S d OC and DOC for the different biocrusts and also that the presence of biocrusts substantially decreased total organic carbon (TOC) (average 1.80±1.86 g m -2 ) compared to physical soil crusts (7.83±3.27 g m -2 ). Within biocrusts, TOC losses decreased as biocrusts developed, and erosion rates were lower. Thus, erosion drove TOC losses while no significant direct relationships were found between TOC losses and runoff. In both physical crusts and biocrusts, DOC and S d OC concentrations were higher during the first minutes after runoff began and decreased over time as nutrient-enriched fine particles were washed away by runoff water. Crust removal caused a strong increase in water erosion and TOC losses. The strongest impacts on TOC losses after crust removal occurred on the lichen plots, due to the increased erosion when they were removed. DOC concentration was higher in biocrust-removed soils than in intact biocrusts, probably because OC is more strongly retained by BSC structures, but easily blown away in soils devoid of them. However, S d OC concentration was higher in intact than removed biocrusts associated with greater OC content in the top crust than in the soil once the crust is scraped off. Consequently, the loss of biocrusts leads to OC impoverishment of nutrient-limited interplant spaces in arid and semiarid areas and the reduction of soil OC heterogeneity, essential for vegetation productivity and functioning of this type of ecosystems.

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Soil organic carbon dynamics, functions and management in West African agro-ecosystems

Cited by 400 publications

References 28 publications

Tracking the Release of Soil Nitrate and Labile C in A Legume-Maize Rotation in Zimbabwe

Tracking the Release of Soil Nitrate and Labile C in A Legume-Maize Rotation in Zimbabwe

Long term effects of reduced fertilizer rates on millet yields and soil properties in the West-African Sahel

Dynamics of organic carbon losses by water erosion after biocrust removal

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