An assessment of the role of soil organic matter in pasture resilience

Shepherd, Mark; Nichols, S. N.; Selbie, Diana

doi:10.33584/rps.17.2021.3469

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…The first option has the added advantage that if N fertiliser is reduced to reduce DM production, N 2 O emissions will also be reduced. Similarly, the last option has the added benefit of providing extra C inputs to the soil, in particular young soil OM that can play an important role in pasture resilience (Shepherd et al 2021). As the amount of feed eaten is also directly related to animal production, pasture species or management that can maintain or increase the ME content of the sward is an important driver of farm-scale resilience (Cosgrove et al 2104(Cosgrove et al , 2018.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attributes of resilient pasture for achieving environmental outcomes at farm scale

et al. 2021

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Pasture resilience commonly refers to a pasture’s ability to withstand or rebound from pressures to maintain production and quality of sown species. We suggest that a broader definition of pasture resilience is needed that also includes environmental responses, thus ensuring that productivity and environmental outcomes are considered together. Key attributes of resilient pastures to minimise soil erosion and nutrient, greenhouse gas and soil carbon losses are summarised based on current understanding of environmental losses from pastoral systems. These attributes include maintaining consistent pasture cover, high energy and/or low nitrogen species and species diversity that provides complementary root morphology and/or growth seasonality; all are likely to have positive benefits for production and productivity. There is a potential tension, however, between productivity and methane emissions, as methane production increases with increased feed intake. Increasing pasture quality is therefore also an important consideration for pasture resilience as it can maintain animal productivity at lower levels of feed intake. From a farm systems perspective, the choice of pasture species should reflect the desired attributes for both productivity and environmental outcomes, and ensure that the sown species persist in the sward. Finally, we note that none of the environmental attributes/benefits are likely to deliver major farm-scale improvements on their own; progress will likely be incremental improvements upon implementing a range of attributes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attributes of resilient pasture for achieving environmental outcomes at farm scale

et al. 2021

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“…The soil N mineralization occurs when organic N from different sources, such as SOM, above and belowground litter and microbial biomass turnover, are converted into plant-available mineral forms [62]. Despite N being rapidly recycled through the soil microbial biomass, large reserves of N can be mineralized at this period [64].…”

Section: Moving To a New Approach On N Fertilization For Tropical Per...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Current Scenario and Perspectives for Nitrogen Fertilization Strategies on Tropical Perennial Grass Pastures: A Review

2022

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Traditional Nitrogen (N) fertilization practices for tropical perennial grass are still based on annual amounts, following flat N rates instalments. This strategy does not consider variations in climatic conditions along the growing season, their impacts on the plant’s demand and the soil N availability. At regrowth cycles where the amount of soil N released from mineralization or through animal excreta surpass the plant’s demand, most of the N may be lost (as ammonia, nitrate, and nitrous oxide), increasing production costs and environmental pollution. This paper examines current N fertilization and discusses possible gaps in knowledge for the definition of more precise fertilization guidelines in pasture-based livestock systems based on tropical perennial grasses. More precise fertilization practices, based upon site and seasonal-specific recommendations, will substantially contribute to the establishment of best fertilization guidelines. Sustainable approaches can be defined by combining the identification of regrowth cycles where high N rates are required, with enhanced efficiency fertilizers, and/or using grass species with the potential for biological nitrification inhibition. The lack of information on tropical grasses requirements, and soil and climatic factors driving the N fate into the mineralization and immobilization processes and how these factors affect plant’s N demand, still prevents opportunities for tactical applications and the establishment of best management guidelines.

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“…The pasture soil also exhibits a higher mean aggregate diameter and aggregate stability against mechanical agitation in water, as well as lower soil loss under simulated rainfall. This increased structural stability of pasture soil could be attributed to its higher stable fraction of soil organic matter content [ 105 ]. In addition to the great biodiversity and root exudates in pastures, the reduced soil disturbance allows the stable SOM to be less exposed to conditions that could accelerate its decomposition, allowing it to accumulate over time [ 106 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative analysis of soil organic matter fractions, lability, stability ratios, and carbon management index in various land use types within bharatpur catchment, Chitwan District, Nepal

Murindangabo,

Kopecký,

Hoang

et al. 2023

Carbon Balance Manage

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Background Land use and land cover changes have a significant impact on the dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) and its fractions, as well as on overall soil health. This study conducted in Bharatpur Catchment, Chitwan District, Nepal, aimed to assess and quantify variations in total soil organic matter (TSOMC), labile organic matter fraction (CL), stable organic matter fraction (CS), stability ratio (SR), and carbon management index (CMI) across seven land use types: pastureland, forestland, fruit orchards, small-scale conventional agricultural land, large-scale conventional agricultural land, large-scale alternative fallow and conventional agricultural land, and organic farming agricultural land. The study also explored the potential use of the Carbon Management Index (CMI) and stability ratio (SR) as indicators of soil degradation or improvement in response to land use changes. Results The findings revealed significant differences in mean values of TSOMC, CL, and CS among the different land use types. Forestland and organic farming exhibited significantly higher TSOMC (3.24%, 3.12%) compared to fruit orchard lands (2.62%), small scale conventional farming (2.22%), alternative fallow and conventional farming (2.06%), large scale conventional farming (1.84%) and pastureland (1.20%). Organic farming and Forestland also had significantly higher CL (1.85%, 1.84%) and CS (1.27%, 1.39%) compared to all other land use types. Forest and organic farming lands showed higher CMI values, while pastures and forests exhibited higher SR values compared to the rest of the land use types. Conclusions This study highlights the influence of various land use types on soil organic matter pools and demonstrates the potential of CMI and SR as indicators for assessing soil degradation or improvement in response to land use and land cover changes.

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An assessment of the role of soil organic matter in pasture resilience

Cited by 3 publications

References 58 publications

Attributes of resilient pasture for achieving environmental outcomes at farm scale

Attributes of resilient pasture for achieving environmental outcomes at farm scale

Current Scenario and Perspectives for Nitrogen Fertilization Strategies on Tropical Perennial Grass Pastures: A Review

Comparative analysis of soil organic matter fractions, lability, stability ratios, and carbon management index in various land use types within bharatpur catchment, Chitwan District, Nepal

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