Conservation-based practices may differentially regulate the pathways of soil organic carbon (SOC) formation and stabilization. Yet, we lack the knowledge regarding alternative farming on the quantity and composition of distinct C pools within soil matrix. To fill the knowledge gap, we sampled soils down to 0–20 cm layer from three tillage practices, i.e., conventional tillage (CT), rotary tillage (RT), and no-tillage (NT) in a 17-year trial in Northern China. We quantified the targeted SOC molecular fingerprints (i.e., free lipids and lignin phenols, lability and origins) in three functional fractions: particulate organic matter (POM, > 53 μm), coarse (cMAOM, 2–53 μm) and fine mineral-associated organic matter (fMAOM, < 2 μm). Our results showed that NT (cf. CT) increased SOC amounts by 33 % in POM and by 61 % in fMAOM in the 0–10 cm layer. Compared with CT, NT increased the plant-derived lipids (i.e., ≥ C20 and steroids) by 19 % in POM and by 45 % in cMAOM, selectively preserving the structural plant-derived compounds; RT augmented microbial-derived lipids (i.e., < C20 and simple sugars) by 18 % in POM and plant-derived lipids by 64 % in cMAOM in this topsoil. In contrast, conservation-based practices (i.e., RT and NT) decreased the plant-derived lipids by 37–40 % and microbial-derived lipids by 20–40 % relative to CT in lower 10–20 cm layer. Besides, RT and NT (cf. CT) enhanced lignin phenols in both POM (26–35 %) and fMAOM fractions (42–58 %) in topsoil, but RT decreased these lignin phenols by 36 % in POM in deep layer. Partial Least Squares – Path Modeling revealed the increased topsoil organic C under conservation practices via restoring free lipids and lignin phenols in POM and fMAOM fractions. Collectively, our study highlights that conservation agriculture alters the SOC amounts and biogeochemistry in soil functional fractions, which could provide some mechanistic insights into soil C accrual pathways and persistence in temperate agroecosystems.
{"title":"Conservation agriculture boosts topsoil organic matter by restoring free lipids and lignin phenols biomarkers in distinct fractions","authors":"Qiqi Gao, Lihong Wang, Yunying Fang, Yue Gao, Lixiao Ma, Xiao Wang, Yuyi Li, Xueping Wu, Zhangliu Du","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106463","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2025.106463","url":null,"abstract":"Conservation-based practices may differentially regulate the pathways of soil organic carbon (SOC) formation and stabilization. Yet, we lack the knowledge regarding alternative farming on the quantity and composition of distinct C pools within soil matrix. To fill the knowledge gap, we sampled soils down to 0–20 cm layer from three tillage practices, i.e., conventional tillage (CT), rotary tillage (RT), and no-tillage (NT) in a 17-year trial in Northern China. We quantified the targeted SOC molecular fingerprints (i.e., free lipids and lignin phenols, lability and origins) in three functional fractions: particulate organic matter (POM, > 53 μm), coarse (cMAOM, 2–53 μm) and fine mineral-associated organic matter (fMAOM, < 2 μm). Our results showed that NT (<ce:italic>cf.</ce:italic> CT) increased SOC amounts by 33 % in POM and by 61 % in fMAOM in the 0–10 cm layer. Compared with CT, NT increased the plant-derived lipids (i.e., ≥ C<ce:inf loc=\"post\">20</ce:inf> and steroids) by 19 % in POM and by 45 % in cMAOM, selectively preserving the structural plant-derived compounds; RT augmented microbial-derived lipids (i.e., < C<ce:inf loc=\"post\">20</ce:inf> and simple sugars) by 18 % in POM and plant-derived lipids by 64 % in cMAOM in this topsoil. In contrast, conservation-based practices (i.e., RT and NT) decreased the plant-derived lipids by 37–40 % and microbial-derived lipids by 20–40 % relative to CT in lower 10–20 cm layer. Besides, RT and NT (<ce:italic>cf.</ce:italic> CT) enhanced lignin phenols in both POM (26–35 %) and fMAOM fractions (42–58 %) in topsoil, but RT decreased these lignin phenols by 36 % in POM in deep layer. Partial Least Squares – Path Modeling revealed the increased topsoil organic C under conservation practices via restoring free lipids and lignin phenols in POM and fMAOM fractions. Collectively, our study highlights that conservation agriculture alters the SOC amounts and biogeochemistry in soil functional fractions, which could provide some mechanistic insights into soil C accrual pathways and persistence in temperate agroecosystems.","PeriodicalId":501007,"journal":{"name":"Soil and Tillage Research","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143031420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.still.2025.106462
Rui Liu, Upendra M. Sainju, Rajan Ghimire, Hongyan Cheng, Fangyuan Guan, Yang Liu, Caidi Yang, Fazhu Zhao, Jun Wang
Cover cropping is an effective agricultural management strategy for enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and mitigating climate change. However, the contribution of different cover crop species to individual carbon (C) fractions in soil remains unclear. An in-situ decomposition experiment using 13C-labeled residues of soybean (SB) or sudangrass (SG), along with a control with no residue (CK), was designed to explore the dynamics of residue decomposition, distribution of cover crop-derived C into aggregate-protected and -unprotected C, and the sequestration mechanisms of these fractions. The aggregate-protected C included intra-aggregate particulate organic C (iPOC) and mineral-associated organic C (MAOC), and aggregate-unprotected C included coarse particulate organic C (cPOC) and free fine particulate organic C (fPOC). The amount and rate of cover crop residue C mineralization were greater in SB than in SG across all wheat-growing stages. The SB increased large macroaggregate (>2 mm) compared to SG during the early wheat growth stages. The aggregate-protected C fractions were greater in SB and SG than CK at the pre-sowing, tillering, and heading stages. The 13C labeling indicated that C sequestration occurred primarily as aggregate-protected C, predominantly as MAOC. The recovery efficiencies of cover crop-derived C into soil C fractions fell below 0 % at green-up and jointing stages. At maturity stage, the cumulative C recovery rate of cover crop-derived C into SOC was greater in SB (16.3 %) than in SG (8.76 %). Correlation analysis indicated that cover cropping promoted SOC sequestration primarily and directly by increasing the aggregate-protected C. Structural equation model analysis suggested that SG sequestered C into soils primarily by increasing cPOC and iPOC, In contrast, SB sequestered C by increasing cPOC, iPOC, and MAOC. This study elucidates the dynamic effects of cover cropping on soil C during wheat growth and the distinct C sequestration mechanisms in legume and non-legume systems.
{"title":"Mechanisms of cover crop-derived carbon sequestration in winter wheat fields: Insights from 13C labeling","authors":"Rui Liu, Upendra M. Sainju, Rajan Ghimire, Hongyan Cheng, Fangyuan Guan, Yang Liu, Caidi Yang, Fazhu Zhao, Jun Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106462","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2025.106462","url":null,"abstract":"Cover cropping is an effective agricultural management strategy for enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and mitigating climate change. However, the contribution of different cover crop species to individual carbon (C) fractions in soil remains unclear. An <ce:italic>in-situ</ce:italic> decomposition experiment using <ce:sup loc=\"post\">13</ce:sup>C-labeled residues of soybean (SB) or sudangrass (SG), along with a control with no residue (CK), was designed to explore the dynamics of residue decomposition, distribution of cover crop-derived C into aggregate-protected and -unprotected C, and the sequestration mechanisms of these fractions. The aggregate-protected C included intra-aggregate particulate organic C (iPOC) and mineral-associated organic C (MAOC), and aggregate-unprotected C included coarse particulate organic C (cPOC) and free fine particulate organic C (fPOC). The amount and rate of cover crop residue C mineralization were greater in SB than in SG across all wheat-growing stages. The SB increased large macroaggregate (>2 mm) compared to SG during the early wheat growth stages. The aggregate-protected C fractions were greater in SB and SG than CK at the pre-sowing, tillering, and heading stages. The <ce:sup loc=\"post\">13</ce:sup>C labeling indicated that C sequestration occurred primarily as aggregate-protected C, predominantly as MAOC. The recovery efficiencies of cover crop-derived C into soil C fractions fell below 0 % at green-up and jointing stages. At maturity stage, the cumulative C recovery rate of cover crop-derived C into SOC was greater in SB (16.3 %) than in SG (8.76 %). Correlation analysis indicated that cover cropping promoted SOC sequestration primarily and directly by increasing the aggregate-protected C. Structural equation model analysis suggested that SG sequestered C into soils primarily by increasing cPOC and iPOC, In contrast, SB sequestered C by increasing cPOC, iPOC, and MAOC. This study elucidates the dynamic effects of cover cropping on soil C during wheat growth and the distinct C sequestration mechanisms in legume and non-legume systems.","PeriodicalId":501007,"journal":{"name":"Soil and Tillage Research","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143031424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.still.2024.106425
Kai Germer, Abu Zar Shafiullah, Andre Peters, Martin Kraft, Maike Weise, Lennart Rolfes, Marco Lorenz
Agricultural soils are often affected by compaction due to machinery loads, which alters pore-size distribution and thus hydraulic properties. Up to date most studies on traffic and its impact on soil functions lack a detailed analysis of the effect on pore-size distribution (PSD). Our study aimed to understand how different machinery types, load levels, and moisture conditions impact the water retention curve (WRC) and PSD at various soil depths and field areas (headland or inner field). Eight field campaigns were conducted between 2016 and 2019 on a variety of sub-fields within one agricultural farm site with a clayey-silty soil. Undisturbed soil samples were collected before and after the harvest of winter wheat, silage maize, and sugar beet, and before and after digestate application. The van Genuchten model was fitted to the laboratory data, and parameters were interpreted to deduce WRC features. Additionally, the pore water pressure head at the pore-size density maximum (PSDmax) was determined and interpreted. The parameter α responded to all types of field traffic and decreased with increased load, indicating a shift from coarser to finer pores. The parameter n generally increased due to field traffic, suggesting a narrowed pore-size distribution. The θs parameter, associated with porosity, decreased in all trials, with the tendency of lowest values occurring after wheeling under moist conditions. Load-induced shifts in the PSDmax towards finer pores were obvious down to 50 cm depth, even with relatively low loads. Our findings indicate that the majority of vehicles utilized in conventional agricultural operations can lead to severe soil compaction.
{"title":"Field traffic loads on a silty farm site cause shifting and narrowing of soil pore size distribution","authors":"Kai Germer, Abu Zar Shafiullah, Andre Peters, Martin Kraft, Maike Weise, Lennart Rolfes, Marco Lorenz","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2024.106425","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2024.106425","url":null,"abstract":"Agricultural soils are often affected by compaction due to machinery loads, which alters pore-size distribution and thus hydraulic properties. Up to date most studies on traffic and its impact on soil functions lack a detailed analysis of the effect on pore-size distribution (PSD). Our study aimed to understand how different machinery types, load levels, and moisture conditions impact the water retention curve (WRC) and PSD at various soil depths and field areas (headland or inner field). Eight field campaigns were conducted between 2016 and 2019 on a variety of sub-fields within one agricultural farm site with a clayey-silty soil. Undisturbed soil samples were collected before and after the harvest of winter wheat, silage maize, and sugar beet, and before and after digestate application. The van Genuchten model was fitted to the laboratory data, and parameters were interpreted to deduce WRC features. Additionally, the pore water pressure head at the pore-size density maximum (PSD<ce:inf loc=\"post\">max</ce:inf>) was determined and interpreted. The parameter <mml:math altimg=\"si0011.svg\"><mml:mi>α</mml:mi></mml:math> responded to all types of field traffic and decreased with increased load, indicating a shift from coarser to finer pores. The parameter <mml:math altimg=\"si0012.svg\"><mml:mi>n</mml:mi></mml:math> generally increased due to field traffic, suggesting a narrowed pore-size distribution. The <ce:italic>θ</ce:italic><ce:inf loc=\"post\"><ce:italic>s</ce:italic></ce:inf> parameter, associated with porosity, decreased in all trials, with the tendency of lowest values occurring after wheeling under moist conditions. Load-induced shifts in the PSD<ce:inf loc=\"post\">max</ce:inf> towards finer pores were obvious down to 50 cm depth, even with relatively low loads. Our findings indicate that the majority of vehicles utilized in conventional agricultural operations can lead to severe soil compaction.","PeriodicalId":501007,"journal":{"name":"Soil and Tillage Research","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143031425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The distributions and influencing factors of microbial- and plant-derived carbon (C) in saline-alkali soil under land use managements in the Songnen Plain have been ignored. Therefore, a 11-year field experiment was used to explore the microbial- and plant-derived C, as well as their relationships with plant residue inputs, soil chemical properties, and microbial biomass (phospholipid fatty acids, PLFAs) in the top 0–20 cm of soil. The experiment included four treatments: maize cropland (MC), alfalfa grassland (AG), Leymus chinensis grassland (LG), and natural restored grassland (RG), each replicated thrice. Results showed that the contents of microbial- and plant-derived C in AG, LG, and RG plots were significantly higher than those in the MC plot. The content of microbial-derived C in the RG plot was 73.60 % higher than that in the AG plot and 10.28 % higher than that in the LG plot (p < 0.05). The content of plant-derived C in the LG plot was 55.23 % and 29.43 % higher than that in the AG plot and RG plot, respectively (p < 0.05). The lowest ratios of (Ad/Al)v and (Ad/Al)s were observed in the LG plot (p < 0.05). The Pearson’s analysis, structural equation models, and random forest models revealed that soil available nitrogen, caused by nitrogen content in root and root inputs, primarily explained the variation in microbial-derived C. The increase in fungal-PLFAs, caused by aboveground inputs, positively correlated with microbial-derived C. The root inputs directly or indirectly caused the variation of plant-derived C by influencing the G+/G- ratio. In conclusion, converting cropland to natural restored grassland resulted in the highest microbial-derived C, due to higher fungal biomass and lower soil available nitrogen, which was more conducive to SOC sequestration in alkali-saline soil in the Songnen Plain.
{"title":"Nitrogen-rich roots regulate microbial- and plant-derived carbon in alkali-saline soil under land-use conversions in the Songnen Plain","authors":"Juan Hu, Yueqi Lv, Siqin Zhao, Yingxin Huang, Qiang Li, Daowei Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2024.106441","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2024.106441","url":null,"abstract":"The distributions and influencing factors of microbial- and plant-derived carbon (C) in saline-alkali soil under land use managements in the Songnen Plain have been ignored. Therefore, a 11-year field experiment was used to explore the microbial- and plant-derived C, as well as their relationships with plant residue inputs, soil chemical properties, and microbial biomass (phospholipid fatty acids, PLFAs) in the top 0–20 cm of soil. The experiment included four treatments: maize cropland (MC), alfalfa grassland (AG), <ce:italic>Leymus chinensis</ce:italic> grassland (LG), and natural restored grassland (RG), each replicated thrice. Results showed that the contents of microbial- and plant-derived C in AG, LG, and RG plots were significantly higher than those in the MC plot. The content of microbial-derived C in the RG plot was 73.60 % higher than that in the AG plot and 10.28 % higher than that in the LG plot (<ce:italic>p</ce:italic> < 0.05). The content of plant-derived C in the LG plot was 55.23 % and 29.43 % higher than that in the AG plot and RG plot, respectively (<ce:italic>p</ce:italic> < 0.05). The lowest ratios of (Ad/Al)<ce:italic>v</ce:italic> and (Ad/Al)<ce:italic>s</ce:italic> were observed in the LG plot (<ce:italic>p</ce:italic> < 0.05). The Pearson’s analysis, structural equation models, and random forest models revealed that soil available nitrogen, caused by nitrogen content in root and root inputs, primarily explained the variation in microbial-derived C. The increase in fungal-PLFAs, caused by aboveground inputs, positively correlated with microbial-derived C. The root inputs directly or indirectly caused the variation of plant-derived C by influencing the G<ce:sup loc=\"post\">+</ce:sup>/G<ce:sup loc=\"post\">-</ce:sup> ratio. In conclusion, converting cropland to natural restored grassland resulted in the highest microbial-derived C, due to higher fungal biomass and lower soil available nitrogen, which was more conducive to SOC sequestration in alkali-saline soil in the Songnen Plain.","PeriodicalId":501007,"journal":{"name":"Soil and Tillage Research","volume":"61 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143031423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Soil salinization is a problem that threatens agricultural productivity and food security. It occurs when soluble salts, sodium (Na+) and carbonate (CO32-) ions accumulate excessively in the soil. In this study we thoroughly investigate the potential of using calcium lactate (CL) as a soil amendment to mitigate the effects caused by soil salinization. We comprehensively analyze how CL affects soil parameters such, as salinity, colloid morphology and physicochemical properties. Our hypotheses are that CL can effectively counterbalance the adverse soil pH and high salinity conditions in the soil. This happens because CL reacts with free CO32- ions through an acid base neutralization reaction, which helps reduce the alkalinity of the soil. Moreover, this alteration enhances the ion exchange process between calcium (Ca2+) and sodium ions (Na+), resulting in the substitution of Ca2+ ions for Na+ ions attached to the soil particle surfaces. As a result, there is a decrease in the percentage of sodium leading to an improvement in saline soil conditions. Moreover, CL supports the formation of more stable soil aggregates, by bridging and hydrogen bonding processes thereby enhancing soil structure. Furthermore, it promotes the creation of organic mineral composites. Increases storage of carbon in the soil ultimately improving its fertility. When we compare CL to inorganic calcium salts such as CaCl2 and gypsum it becomes apparent that CL is more environmentally friendly, safe and effective, as a soil amendment. Its main purpose is to mitigate soil salinity and improve soil quality.
{"title":"Calcium lactate as a soil amendment: Mechanistic insights into its effect on salinity, alkalinity, and aggregation in saline-alkaline soils","authors":"Jingbiao Fan, Qilin Lv, Tairan Zhou, Tianhao Wang, Haixiang Gao, Wenfeng Zhou, Xueqin Ren, Shuwen Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106459","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2025.106459","url":null,"abstract":"Soil salinization is a problem that threatens agricultural productivity and food security. It occurs when soluble salts, sodium (Na<ce:sup loc=\"post\">+</ce:sup>) and carbonate (CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf><ce:sup loc=\"post\">2-</ce:sup>) ions accumulate excessively in the soil. In this study we thoroughly investigate the potential of using calcium lactate (CL) as a soil amendment to mitigate the effects caused by soil salinization. We comprehensively analyze how CL affects soil parameters such, as salinity, colloid morphology and physicochemical properties. Our hypotheses are that CL can effectively counterbalance the adverse soil pH and high salinity conditions in the soil. This happens because CL reacts with free CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">3</ce:inf><ce:sup loc=\"post\">2-</ce:sup> ions through an acid base neutralization reaction, which helps reduce the alkalinity of the soil. Moreover, this alteration enhances the ion exchange process between calcium (Ca<ce:sup loc=\"post\">2+</ce:sup>) and sodium ions (Na<ce:sup loc=\"post\">+</ce:sup>), resulting in the substitution of Ca<ce:sup loc=\"post\">2+</ce:sup> ions for Na<ce:sup loc=\"post\">+</ce:sup> ions attached to the soil particle surfaces. As a result, there is a decrease in the percentage of sodium leading to an improvement in saline soil conditions. Moreover, CL supports the formation of more stable soil aggregates, by bridging and hydrogen bonding processes thereby enhancing soil structure. Furthermore, it promotes the creation of organic mineral composites. Increases storage of carbon in the soil ultimately improving its fertility. When we compare CL to inorganic calcium salts such as CaCl<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> and gypsum it becomes apparent that CL is more environmentally friendly, safe and effective, as a soil amendment. Its main purpose is to mitigate soil salinity and improve soil quality.","PeriodicalId":501007,"journal":{"name":"Soil and Tillage Research","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143031426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.still.2025.106448
Pedro Antônio Namorato Benevenute, Fernandes Antônio Costa Pereira, Samara Martins Barbosa, Rodrigo Fonseca da Silva, Mariany Isabela Soares Domingues, Aldir Carpes Marques Filho, Geraldo César de Oliveira, Bruno Montoani Silva
The deep furrows and additional liming can improve soil quality and reduce drought impact during coffee plant establishment, especially in dense soils. However, the effects of the initial preparer in the medium to long term are scarce. This study aims to assess the five-year impact of different deep tillage strategies and chemical fertility improvement of the planting furrow on soil physical quality and plant growth under Cambisol with coffee cultivation. The experiment was conducted in a Cambisol in Nazareno, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The experiment followed a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement in space, including three blocks, six soil depths (0–0.05, 0.15–0.20, 0.35–0.40, 0.55–0.60, 0.60–0.70, and 0.75–0.80 m), and five soil preparation methods: SP40, furrower at 0.40 m with conventional fertilization; SP60, rotary hoe at 0.60 m with additional liming (SP60AL); SP80, soil homogenizer at 0.60 m and subsoiler at 0.80 m with additional liming (SP80AL). These soil preparations were compared with a native savannah vegetation area from the Cerrado biome (Natural). Undisturbed samples were collected at different depths five years after the initial soil preparation. In these samples, physical quality indicators were investigated along with the correlation of plant measurements (stem diameter - SD, plant height - PH, and normalized difference vegetation index - NDVI). Analysis of variance and the Scott-Knott and Dunnett tests (p < 0.05) were applied to analyze the data. After five years of soil preparation, improvements up to 0.40 m depth were due to soil homogenization, subsoiling, and liming, reducing bulk density and enhancing water retention. Additional limestone between 0.20 and 0.60 m depth improved SD, PH, and NDVI, mitigating drought. However, initial soil preparation induced compaction at 0.60–0.70 m depth, with subsoiler effects disappearing at 0.80 m. Effective deep tillage improves soil quality but requires careful planning.
{"title":"Deep soil tillage in the coffee planting furrow has long-lasting benefits for improving soil physical quality and enhancing plant vigor in dense soils","authors":"Pedro Antônio Namorato Benevenute, Fernandes Antônio Costa Pereira, Samara Martins Barbosa, Rodrigo Fonseca da Silva, Mariany Isabela Soares Domingues, Aldir Carpes Marques Filho, Geraldo César de Oliveira, Bruno Montoani Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106448","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2025.106448","url":null,"abstract":"The deep furrows and additional liming can improve soil quality and reduce drought impact during coffee plant establishment, especially in dense soils. However, the effects of the initial preparer in the medium to long term are scarce. This study aims to assess the five-year impact of different deep tillage strategies and chemical fertility improvement of the planting furrow on soil physical quality and plant growth under Cambisol with coffee cultivation. The experiment was conducted in a Cambisol in Nazareno, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The experiment followed a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement in space, including three blocks, six soil depths (0–0.05, 0.15–0.20, 0.35–0.40, 0.55–0.60, 0.60–0.70, and 0.75–0.80 m), and five soil preparation methods: SP40, furrower at 0.40 m with conventional fertilization; SP60, rotary hoe at 0.60 m with additional liming (SP60AL); SP80, soil homogenizer at 0.60 m and subsoiler at 0.80 m with additional liming (SP80AL). These soil preparations were compared with a native savannah vegetation area from the Cerrado biome (Natural). Undisturbed samples were collected at different depths five years after the initial soil preparation. In these samples, physical quality indicators were investigated along with the correlation of plant measurements (stem diameter - SD, plant height - PH, and normalized difference vegetation index - NDVI). Analysis of variance and the Scott-Knott and Dunnett tests (<ce:italic>p</ce:italic> < 0.05) were applied to analyze the data. After five years of soil preparation, improvements up to 0.40 m depth were due to soil homogenization, subsoiling, and liming, reducing bulk density and enhancing water retention. Additional limestone between 0.20 and 0.60 m depth improved SD, PH, and NDVI, mitigating drought. However, initial soil preparation induced compaction at 0.60–0.70 m depth, with subsoiler effects disappearing at 0.80 m. Effective deep tillage improves soil quality but requires careful planning.","PeriodicalId":501007,"journal":{"name":"Soil and Tillage Research","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143031427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The escalating soil degradation and consequent decline in crop yield are critical factors jeopardizing the sustainable development of agriculture in the black soil region of Northeast China. Conservation tillage offers a potential solution for protecting this vital soil resource, but its effect on soil physical properties and crop yields in different climatic regions is still debated. Therefore, it is essential to determine the effects of different tillage treatments on soil quality and maize yield across black soil region under different climatic conditions. This study conducted a two-year field experiment at two sites (Hailun, HL; Gong Zhuling, GZL) under two climatic conditions (cool and warm) in Northeast China to evaluate the impact of no tillage (NT), rotary tillage (RT), deep ploughing (DP), and strip tillage (ST) on soil physical properties and maize growth. The results indicate that at the cooler HL site, DP effectively decreased soil bulk density (BD) and improved soil air capacity (AC), air permeability (AP), available water capacity (AWC), and soil temperature during the early stage of maize growth, which facilitated maize emergence and root growth, resulting in a 10.5 % yield increase compared to RT. However, NT reduced maize emergence due to lower soil temperatures, leading to a yield reduction (-2.6 %) compare to RT. Conversely, at the warmer and windy GZL site, DP showed limited improvement in soil physical properties, resulting in the lowest yield among the four treatments. NT significantly enhanced soil aeration and water retention capacity compared to DP, achieving higher yield comparable to RT. Notably, ST demonstrated good adaptability at both sites, achieving the highest yield increase (+11.1 % compared to RT) especially at the HL site, indicating its potential as a strategy to balance crop yield and soil conservation. Our findings suggest that DP or ST is preferable for the HL region, while conservation tillage (NT and ST) is more suitable for the GZL region. This study provides valuable insights into selecting appropriate tillage treatments based on local soil and climate conditions in the Northeast China.
{"title":"Impacts of tillage treatments on soil physical properties and maize growth at two sites under different climatic conditions in black soil region of Northeast China","authors":"Yongqi Qian, Zhongbin Zhang, Fahui Jiang, Jianhao Wang, Fangjin Dong, Jie Liu, Xinhua Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106471","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2025.106471","url":null,"abstract":"The escalating soil degradation and consequent decline in crop yield are critical factors jeopardizing the sustainable development of agriculture in the black soil region of Northeast China. Conservation tillage offers a potential solution for protecting this vital soil resource, but its effect on soil physical properties and crop yields in different climatic regions is still debated. Therefore, it is essential to determine the effects of different tillage treatments on soil quality and maize yield across black soil region under different climatic conditions. This study conducted a two-year field experiment at two sites (Hailun, HL; Gong Zhuling, GZL) under two climatic conditions (cool and warm) in Northeast China to evaluate the impact of no tillage (NT), rotary tillage (RT), deep ploughing (DP), and strip tillage (ST) on soil physical properties and maize growth. The results indicate that at the cooler HL site, DP effectively decreased soil bulk density (BD) and improved soil air capacity (AC), air permeability (AP), available water capacity (AWC), and soil temperature during the early stage of maize growth, which facilitated maize emergence and root growth, resulting in a 10.5 % yield increase compared to RT. However, NT reduced maize emergence due to lower soil temperatures, leading to a yield reduction (-2.6 %) compare to RT. Conversely, at the warmer and windy GZL site, DP showed limited improvement in soil physical properties, resulting in the lowest yield among the four treatments. NT significantly enhanced soil aeration and water retention capacity compared to DP, achieving higher yield comparable to RT. Notably, ST demonstrated good adaptability at both sites, achieving the highest yield increase (+11.1 % compared to RT) especially at the HL site, indicating its potential as a strategy to balance crop yield and soil conservation. Our findings suggest that DP or ST is preferable for the HL region, while conservation tillage (NT and ST) is more suitable for the GZL region. This study provides valuable insights into selecting appropriate tillage treatments based on local soil and climate conditions in the Northeast China.","PeriodicalId":501007,"journal":{"name":"Soil and Tillage Research","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143031430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Tibetan Plateau (TP), known as the “Earth's Third Pole”, has a fragile ecological environment, and is sensitive to global changes, which can easily lead to fluctuations of soil organic carbon (SOC). The spatial variations of soil organic carbon stocks (SOCS), and their driving factors in TP remain unclear. Here. we used quantile regression forest (QRF) model to map soil organic carbon density (SOCD) in TP at 90 m spatial resolution, and estimated the spatial uncertainty of the mapping. Generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the nonlinear responses of SOCD to the driving factors. The results showed that the QRF model can explain about 32 %–51 % of SOCD variation, and the explanatory power decreased with increasing depth. The SOCD decreased gradually from southeast to northwest, and showed a decreasing trend with increasing depth. The SOCS of 0–100 cm soil was 37.26 Pg C of the entire TP, where the grassland occupied 54.59 % of the total stock. Vegetation and land surface temperature were important environmental covariates at all depths. SOCD has obvious nonlinear responses and threshold effects on temperature (MAAT), precipitation (MAP) and aridity (1–AI). The results are of great significance for understanding the status of SOC sequestration, and the response of SOCS in TP to climate conditions.
{"title":"Spatial distributions, driving factors, and threshold effects of soil organic carbon stocks in the Tibetan Plateau","authors":"Zheng Sun, Feng Liu, Fei Yang, Decai Wang, Gan-Lin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106457","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2025.106457","url":null,"abstract":"The Tibetan Plateau (TP), known as the “Earth's Third Pole”, has a fragile ecological environment, and is sensitive to global changes, which can easily lead to fluctuations of soil organic carbon (SOC). The spatial variations of soil organic carbon stocks (SOCS), and their driving factors in TP remain unclear. Here. we used quantile regression forest (QRF) model to map soil organic carbon density (SOCD) in TP at 90 m spatial resolution, and estimated the spatial uncertainty of the mapping. Generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the nonlinear responses of SOCD to the driving factors. The results showed that the QRF model can explain about 32 %–51 % of SOCD variation, and the explanatory power decreased with increasing depth. The SOCD decreased gradually from southeast to northwest, and showed a decreasing trend with increasing depth. The SOCS of 0–100 cm soil was 37.26 Pg C of the entire TP, where the grassland occupied 54.59 % of the total stock. Vegetation and land surface temperature were important environmental covariates at all depths. SOCD has obvious nonlinear responses and threshold effects on temperature (MAAT), precipitation (MAP) and aridity (1–AI). The results are of great significance for understanding the status of SOC sequestration, and the response of SOCS in TP to climate conditions.","PeriodicalId":501007,"journal":{"name":"Soil and Tillage Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143031428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-21DOI: 10.1016/j.still.2025.106455
Kai Zhang, Ning Li, Suhua Fu, Hongli Mu
Sediment transport capacity (Tc) is a critical parameter in predicting soil erosion, and surface cover has been found to be an effective means for reducing Tc. However, limited research exists regarding the influence of surface cover types on Tc, and the sediment retardation benefits (SRB) of surface cover types are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of different surface cover types on Tc and SRB. Therefore, a sets of flume experiment were conducted under controlled conditions, featuring a fixed slope gradient (S = 25.88 %), a constant unit flow discharge (q = 2.70 ×10–3 m2 s–1), and three common types of surface cover commonly found on slope farmland: corn residue, rock fragment, and sweet potato). These experiments also included seven coverage levels (C = 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50 and 70 %) with water and sediment samples collected at regular intervals. The results showed that the relative sediment transport capacity (RT) had a negative exponential function with a C under different surface cover types (R2>0.8). Sweet potato exhibited the most effective SRB under the same C. SRB stabilized when the C of different surface cover types reached 30 %. The equations for predicting sediment transport capacity were improved. The results may contribute to the theoretical understanding of sediment transport processes under surface cover conditions and provide a foundation for the informed selection of soil and water conservation measures.
{"title":"Influence of surface cover type on sediment transport capacity and sediment retardation benefits based on flume experiments","authors":"Kai Zhang, Ning Li, Suhua Fu, Hongli Mu","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106455","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2025.106455","url":null,"abstract":"Sediment transport capacity (<ce:italic>Tc</ce:italic>) is a critical parameter in predicting soil erosion, and surface cover has been found to be an effective means for reducing <ce:italic>Tc</ce:italic>. However, limited research exists regarding the influence of surface cover types on <ce:italic>Tc</ce:italic>, and the sediment retardation benefits (<ce:italic>SRB</ce:italic>) of surface cover types are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of different surface cover types on <ce:italic>Tc</ce:italic> and <ce:italic>SRB</ce:italic>. Therefore, a sets of flume experiment were conducted under controlled conditions, featuring a fixed slope gradient (<ce:italic>S</ce:italic> = 25.88 %), a constant unit flow discharge (<ce:italic>q</ce:italic> = 2.70 ×10<ce:sup loc=\"post\">–3</ce:sup> m<ce:sup loc=\"post\">2</ce:sup> s<ce:sup loc=\"post\">–1</ce:sup>), and three common types of surface cover commonly found on slope farmland: corn residue, rock fragment, and sweet potato). These experiments also included seven coverage levels (<ce:italic>C</ce:italic> = 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50 and 70 %) with water and sediment samples collected at regular intervals. The results showed that the relative sediment transport capacity (<ce:italic>R</ce:italic><ce:inf loc=\"post\"><ce:italic>T</ce:italic></ce:inf>) had a negative exponential function with a <ce:italic>C</ce:italic> under different surface cover types (<ce:italic>R</ce:italic><ce:sup loc=\"post\">2</ce:sup>>0.8). Sweet potato exhibited the most effective <ce:italic>SRB</ce:italic> under the same <ce:italic>C</ce:italic>. <ce:italic>SRB</ce:italic> stabilized when the <ce:italic>C</ce:italic> of different surface cover types reached 30 %. The equations for predicting sediment transport capacity were improved. The results may contribute to the theoretical understanding of sediment transport processes under surface cover conditions and provide a foundation for the informed selection of soil and water conservation measures.","PeriodicalId":501007,"journal":{"name":"Soil and Tillage Research","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143031429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Measurement of soil phosphorus sorption parameters (PSPs) provides crucial information on P fertilization and P leaching. Traditional approaches for determining these indices are expensive and time-consuming. To develop rapid indirect methods, this study aims to assess the effectiveness of Vis-NIR spectroscopy ranging from 350 to 2500 nm for estimating various PSPs, including maximum buffering capacity (MBC), the standard buffering capacity (SBC), P sorption maximum (Qmax), soil P buffering capacity (PBC), and standard P requirement (SPR). We collected 100 soil samples in western Iran and related Vis-NIR data to the PSP parameters via Partial least squares regression (PLSR) and artificial neural network (ANN). The observed PSP values showed large variabilities across sites (CV> 48 %), attributed primarily to the wide variation in soil properties controlling PSPs. The PLSR model highlighted that efficient spectral peaks in the band-wise regression coefficients were strongly associated with signature wavelengths of clay minerals, soil organic carbon, and cation exchange capacity, all are key factors influencing the PSP indices. However, the PLSR models had limited predictive power for the PSPs, due to the complex relationships between spectral data and various soil properties indirectly influencing PSPs. Compared to PLSR, the nonlinear ANN model enhanced the prediction accuracy of MBC, PBC, Qmax, SBC, and SPR by 39.25 %, 50 %, 19.28 %, 39.41 %, and 59.32 %, respectively. The best coefficient of determination achieved in validation dataset by the ANN model ranged from 0.65 to 0.85, which is deemed acceptable for practical use on large scale by local farmers and decision-makers for P fertilization strategies.
{"title":"Use of Vis-NIR reflectance spectroscopy for estimating soil phosphorus sorption parameters at the watershed scale","authors":"Sanaz Saidi, Shamsollah Ayoubi, Mehran Shirvani, Seyed Ahmad Mireei, Yufeng Ge, Kaiguang Zhao, Artemi Cerdà","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106460","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2025.106460","url":null,"abstract":"Measurement of soil phosphorus sorption parameters (PSPs) provides crucial information on P fertilization and P leaching. Traditional approaches for determining these indices are expensive and time-consuming. To develop rapid indirect methods, this study aims to assess the effectiveness of Vis-NIR spectroscopy ranging from 350 to 2500 nm for estimating various PSPs, including maximum buffering capacity (MBC), the standard buffering capacity (SBC), P sorption maximum (Q<ce:inf loc=\"post\">max</ce:inf>), soil P buffering capacity (PBC), and standard P requirement (SPR). We collected 100 soil samples in western Iran and related Vis-NIR data to the PSP parameters via Partial least squares regression (PLSR) and artificial neural network (ANN). The observed PSP values showed large variabilities across sites (CV> 48 %), attributed primarily to the wide variation in soil properties controlling PSPs. The PLSR model highlighted that efficient spectral peaks in the band-wise regression coefficients were strongly associated with signature wavelengths of clay minerals, soil organic carbon, and cation exchange capacity, all are key factors influencing the PSP indices. However, the PLSR models had limited predictive power for the PSPs, due to the complex relationships between spectral data and various soil properties indirectly influencing PSPs. Compared to PLSR, the nonlinear ANN model enhanced the prediction accuracy of MBC, PBC, Q<ce:inf loc=\"post\">max</ce:inf>, SBC, and SPR by 39.25 %, 50 %, 19.28 %, 39.41 %, and 59.32 %, respectively. The best coefficient of determination achieved in validation dataset by the ANN model ranged from 0.65 to 0.85, which is deemed acceptable for practical use on large scale by local farmers and decision-makers for P fertilization strategies.","PeriodicalId":501007,"journal":{"name":"Soil and Tillage Research","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142988985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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