Biomass crops as a soil amendment in cultivated histosols: Can we reach carbon equilibrium?

Dessureault‐Rompré, Jacynthe; Libbrecht, Christophe; Caron, Jean

doi:10.1002/saj2.20051

Cited by 19 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 47 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…1. The application of plant biomass with a high carbon (C)/nitrogen (N) ratio (woodchip and grass straw), which could potentially compensate for soil losses based on recent C modeling (Dessureault‐Rompré et al., 2020; Rodriguez et al., 2020) and restore physical properties Grégoire, 2020); and…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agricultural peatlands conservation: How does the addition of plant biomass and copper affect soil fertility?

Bourdon

Fortin

Dessureault‐Rompré

et al. 2021

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Subsidence, erosion, and degradation in agricultural peatlands are leading to the disappearance of highly fertile farmland. This study investigated two strategies aimed at extending the lifespan of cultivated peat soils: the application of straw and wood chips to compensate for soil losses and the application of copper (Cu) to slow peat decomposition, based on previous recommendations. Peat soil samples (270 g) were amended with 11 t ha -1 of biomass materials (14.8 g kg -1 ) and 235.6 mg Cu kg -1 and incubated in glass jars at constant temperature and water content. Thirty chemical parameters were then monitored over a 56-d period through repeated soil sampling. Discriminant analysis showed that the addition of biomass had the greatest affect on nitrogen (N) availability, immobilizing 7.8 to 12.1 kg of inorganic N per metric ton of incorporated biomass. Considering that peat soils may require from 4 to 40 t biomass ha -1 yr -1 to reach carbon equilibrium, the tested biomass materials could immobilize from 34 to 500 kg ha -1 of N if confirmed at the field scale. This may help capture excess N but may also limit crop growth. Alternatively, slowing decomposition could reduce both biomass requirements and N immobilization. However, the results show that Cu had little effect on parameters linked to organic matter decomposition. Indeed, dissolved organic carbon was decreased by 11% in Cu-treated soils. A longer-term study should be conducted to confirm these observations at the field scale, thus helping to develop conservation strategies suitable for agricultural production.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agricultural peatlands conservation: How does the addition of plant biomass and copper affect soil fertility?

Bourdon

Fortin

Dessureault‐Rompré

et al. 2021

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…gation during windy periods, shelterbelts, etc. ), but intensive and more costly measures such as the addition of biomass crop amendments (Dessureault-Rompre´et al 2020 should be targeting soils that are near 60 cm. Since the practical MPT threshold of 100 cm is not supported by statistical evidence, knowledge of conservation practices efficiency and costs should be integrated in the future to support or modify the proposed threshold.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using cultivated organic soil depth to form soil conservation management zones

et al. 2022

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cultivated Organic soils in Montreal's southwest plain are the most productive soils in the province of Quebec. After their initial drainage to enable farming, Organic soils are susceptible to many forms of degradation and soil loss. In this study, we characterized the physical, chemical, and pedological properties of 114 sites from five peatlands to form soil conservation management zones. We attempted to use the maximum peat thickness (MPT) as a soil degradation proxy. The MPT can be defined as the thickness of the layer of peat until coprogenous or mineral materials are reached. The latter are undesired growing media and are not considered in MPT calculation. A series of multivariate analysis of variance indicated that MPT was moderately related to soil degradation (optimal model's Pillai's trace = 0.495). Three soil degradation groups were defined, separated by two MPT thresholds: 60 and 100 cm. When looking at 17 different depth-property combinations, shallower sites (MPT < 60 cm) showed signs of soil degradation significantly higher than sites with an MPT above 60 cm. The second threshold was proposed for practical purposes. Then, these thresholds were used to separate the study area into spatially distinct management zones. Important spatial contrasts were found. This supports the theory that precision agriculture techniques are needed to target fields to optimize soil conservation interventions. The relationship between the MPT and soil degradation should be further explored to account for other degradation factors, and to better identify degraded soils and soils at risk.

show abstract

“…Despite the obvious importance of root and microbiome traits in determining the sustainable productivity of bioenergy cropping systems, little attention has been focused on belowground traits (173). Bioenergy crops have many outlets, such as mulch and bedding for farms (174), amendments (175), biochar (176), and bioplastics (177), which are used in the circular economy of sustainable production. Integrating bioenergy crops with cover crops on farms is considered to be a realistic strategy to restore and conserve cultivated organic soils (178) (Figure 5).…”

Section: Perennial Bioenergy Cropmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoring Soil Functions and Agroecosystem Services Through Phytotechnologies

Dessureault‐Rompré

2022

Front. Soil Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Phytotechnology has traditionally been considered as a tool to remediate contaminated soils. While phytotechnology has been generally defined as the application of science and engineering to study problems and provide solutions involving plants, the practical applications go far beyond restoring contaminated land. This review aims to broaden the way we think about phytotechnologies while highlighting how these living technologies can restore, conserve and regenerate the multiple functions and ecosystem services provided by the soil, particularly in the context of agroecosystems. At first, the main problems of soil degradation in agroecosystems are shortly underlined. Subsequently, the importance of plants and their living roots as engines of restoration are reviewed. This paper demonstrates the importance of root traits and functions for soil restoration. It also demonstrates that plant and root diversity together with perenniality are key component of an efficient soil restoration process. Then, a phytotechnology toolbox which includes three pillars for agroecosystems restoration is presented. The three pillars are agricultural practices and land management (1), rhizosphere engineering (2) and ecological intensification (3). This paper also highlights the importance of developing targeted phytotechnology-based restoration strategies developed from root functions and knowledge of rhizosphere processes. More work is needed to evaluate the potential benefits of incorporating phytotechnology-based restoration strategies in the context of grain or vegetable crop productions as most of the studies for agroecosystem restoration strategies were intended to mimic natural prairies.

show abstract

Biomass crops as a soil amendment in cultivated histosols: Can we reach carbon equilibrium?

Cited by 19 publications

References 47 publications

Agricultural peatlands conservation: How does the addition of plant biomass and copper affect soil fertility?

Agricultural peatlands conservation: How does the addition of plant biomass and copper affect soil fertility?

Using cultivated organic soil depth to form soil conservation management zones

Restoring Soil Functions and Agroecosystem Services Through Phytotechnologies

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About