A new approach on the structural stability of soils: Method proposal

Melo, Thadeu Rodrigues de; Rengasamy, Pichu; Figueiredo, Alex; Barbosa, Graziela Moraes de Césare; Filho, João Tavares

doi:10.1016/j.still.2019.04.013

Cited by 6 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…To overcome the difficulties of predicting dispersive behaviour based on soil chemical characteristics, direct measures of the amount of swelling and dispersion that occurs when soils are exposed to water can be used (de Melo et al, 2019;Field et al, 1997;Rengasamy et al, 1984;Zhu et al, 2016). This can be done qualitatively in the field based on a visual assessment of the degree of swelling and dispersion observed when soil is placed in deionised water (Field et al, 1997), or quantitatively in the laboratory by measuring the amount of soil dispersed following the emersion of samples in water using either gravimetric or spectrophotometric techniques (Rengasamy et al, 1984;Zhu et al, 2016).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact, identification and management of dispersive soils in rainfed cropping systems

Page

Dang

Dalal

et al. 2020

European J Soil Science

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Dispersive soils limit crop growth and significantly impact world food production. Although numerous reviews have examined soil dispersion, many focus on irrigated systems and fail to differentiate the approaches required for rainfed agriculture. This review seeks to fill this gap by focusing on the impact, identification and management of dispersive soils in rainfed areas. Dispersive soils can have large impacts on crop production because of their adverse physical, chemical and biological effects, with this impact particularly large in rainfed systems where irrigation water is unavailable to supplement crop water supply and assist with amelioration. However, the identification of these soils is challenging and tests that can reliably relate soil characteristics to crop performance are lacking. Recent work has found that first identifying consistently lower yielding locations (using yield mapping or proximal/remote sensing) and then using traditional soil testing to identify the potential cause/s of the yield loss may be a promising approach, although this requires refinement. Knowledge of the type of dispersive soil (e.g., saline/non‐saline, acidic/alkaline/neutral) and where constraints occur in the profile (surface or subsoil) must also be determined during identification as this will affect management approaches, particularly where multiple constraints need to be treated together to achieve yield increase. Improved understanding of how to economically use ameliorants and combine them to achieve maximum benefit in the presence of multiple constraints is needed. Greater appreciation of how to use agronomic management to improve crop growth in the presence of dispersive behaviour is also likely to increase profitability in rainfed systems where amelioration is often impractical or uneconomical. Dispersive soils are a major challenge for rainfed cropping, and so the refinement of our management approach can help improve profitability and productivity.Highlights Dispersive soils limit crop growth and significantly impact world food production We examine the impact, identification and management of dispersive soils in rainfed agriculture Improvements in the identification of dispersive soils are required to improve management Refinement of ameliorant use and agronomic management will improve profitability and productivity

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact, identification and management of dispersive soils in rainfed cropping systems

Page

Dang

Dalal

et al. 2020

European J Soil Science

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“…The quantification of clay dispersion is ultimately a measure of the stability of soil microaggregates (Melo et al, 2019b). According to the theory proposed by aggregation hierarchy and Tisdall and Oades (1982), the unitary particles aggregate into small microaggregates of up to 20 μ m, which subsequently aggregate in higher hierarchical levels.…”

Section: Clay Dispersionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are two major groups of methods for assessing clay dispersion: those that assess its spontaneous dispersion in water and those that measure its dispersion in water after applying a disruptive force (Melo et al, 2019b). For highly weathered soils, methods with disruptive forces are notoriously more widely used and will focus on this topic.…”

Section: Clay Dispersionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogenic and physicogenic aggregates: formation pathways, assessment techniques, and influence on soil properties

Pereira¹,

Loss²,

Batista³

et al. 2021

Revista Brasileira De Ciência Do Solo

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The soil particles can be gathered through physical and/or chemical processes in association with the biological activity, leading to the formation of aggregates. Soil aggregates has several functions in the soil, increasing macroporosity and water circulation -consequently reducing soil erosion and mechanical resistance to root growth, contributing to greater fixation of plants to the soil and absorption of water and nutrients, and protection of intra-aggregate organic matter. The aggregates were initially classified morphologically and in terms of their stability. In recent years, another way of evaluating aggregates, regarding their formation or origin pathway, has gained prominence in the studies conducted in Brazil. As for their origin, the aggregates can be classified morphologically as physicogenic, biogenic, or intermediate. This manuscript presents the techniques used to sample aggregates, the morphological patterns for their distinction observed in different soil classes and management types, and the chemical and physical properties. Additionally, we present analyses that are not commonly used to evaluate aggregates but which have the potential to be used as tools for a better understanding of their origin and to evaluate their modifications when subject to different types of management. In practical terms, identifying the aggregate origin and determining the related attributes allows recognizing the effect of vegetation/soil/management on soil aggregate forming agents, mainly roots and soil fauna, which reflects soil quality. For future studies, and especially to determine the importance of biogenic aggregation in improving edaphic properties, we suggest the use of micromorphology, near-infrared spectroscopy, X-ray computed tomography, clay dispersion analyses in addition with chemical, physical, and biological analysis. This approach can contribute to the identification of other patterns related to pedogenesis and the pathways of aggregate formation.

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“…Aggregates and their stability influence a wide range of soil properties, including carbon stabilization, porosity, water infiltration and aeration, compaction and densification, water retention, hydraulic conductivity, and the ability to resist erosion (Cheng et al, 2015). Many researchers (Six et al, 2000(Six et al, , 2004Bronick and Lal, 2005;Briedis et al, 2012;Tivet et al, 2013;Melo et al, 2019aMelo et al, , 2021Lavelle et al, 2020;Pereira et al, 2021) consider aggregate stability as a reflection of soil structure and, consequently, of edaphic quality in general because it depends on an integrated balance between chemical, physical, and biological factors. A better understanding of the balance and interactions between these factors can improve our understanding of soil restoration and/ or recovery, and thus the ability of soils to perform services ranging from food production to services of an ecosystemic nature (Lavelle et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Microaggregate stability is usually evaluated using traditional methods, such as the mechanical analysis of water-dispersible clay (Rengasamy, 2002). Recently, Melo et al (2019a) proposed a method that quantifies three clay classes in soil, which are classified according to their structural behavior. According to their analysis, they obtained the following classes: water-dispersible clay (WDC), which is released from the aggregates and remains dispersed after a certain period (period that can vary depending on the behavior of the released clay); water-re-flocculable clay (WRC), which is released from the soil aggregates, but due to the characteristics of the particles (e.g., high zero charge point) or the conditions of the medium (e.g., high electrolyte concentration), it tends to flocculate; and non-dispersible clay (NDC), which is not released from soil aggregates after the application of disruptive forces.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stability, labile organic carbon, and glomalin of biogenic aggregates in sandy soils under management systems in the subtropical region of Brazil

Pinto¹,

Silva²,

Melo³

et al. 2022

Revista Brasileira De Ciência Do Solo

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Soil aggregates and their stability affect a wide range of soil properties. This study aimed to (a) verify whether biogenic aggregation provides higher macroand microaggregate stabilization, and (b) evaluate whether biogenic aggregates are associated with higher labile organic carbon and glomalin contents. Three management systems were evaluated (permanent pasture, PP; no-tillage system, NT; and no-tillage + Brachiaria system, NT+B) as well as a reference area (Atlantic Forest biome vegetation, NF). According to their origin or formation pathway, the aggregates were separated, identified, and classified as biogenic (formed by biological processes) and physicogenic (resulting from chemical and physical actions). The PP system provided the greatest stabilization of the macroaggregates, regardless of the formation pathway, as reflected by a greater mean weight diameter (MWD). The PP system also influenced the degree of microaggregate stability by increasing the bond strength and reducing the dispersion of the clay fraction. Finally, the PP system elevated the contents of labile organic carbon (POXC), easily extractable glomalin (GRSP-EE), and total glomalin (GRSP-T) under both formation pathways. The NT+B system favored the stabilization of macroaggregates, especially in the subsurface soil layer, compared with the NT area. In the aggregates of the NT and NT+B areas, the highest values observed were for water-dispersible clay (WDC) and the lowest values observed were for non-dispersible clay (NDC), a pattern opposite to that observed in the aggregates of the PP and NF areas. In the biogenic aggregates of all areas, a high POXC content was quantified, and biogenic aggregation proportionally increased the values of MWD, GRSP-EE, and GRSP-T relative to physicogenic aggregation. The results showed that grain production systems, pasture systems, and non-anthropized environments differentially influenced aggregation and the concentrations of organic fractions associated with aggregate stability. This study highlights the need for future studies using these indicators to monitor the quality of soils, especially those with sandy texture, which are considered more fragile.

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A new approach on the structural stability of soils: Method proposal

Cited by 6 publications

References 16 publications

The impact, identification and management of dispersive soils in rainfed cropping systems

The impact, identification and management of dispersive soils in rainfed cropping systems

Biogenic and physicogenic aggregates: formation pathways, assessment techniques, and influence on soil properties

Stability, labile organic carbon, and glomalin of biogenic aggregates in sandy soils under management systems in the subtropical region of Brazil

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