Manuring and Soil Type Influence on Spatial Variation of Soil Organic Matter Properties

Abstract

The spatial variability of microbial biomass C and three humification indexes (the degree of humification, DH; the index of humification, HI; and the humification rate, HR) were investigated in order to evaluate their usefulness as indicators of the response of soil organic matter to altered soil environments. The investigation was carried out by examining the topsoil layer of an experimental field characterized by the presence of four phases of one soil series and, except for the addition of cattle manure in part of the field, by fairly uniform agricultural practices. A rectangular area of 350 by 800 m was sampled on a square grid scheme coupled with nesting. The experimental objective was to determine if the investigated properties were influenced by changes in soil type and by the addition of cattle manure. All properties measured showed spatial dependence at the sampling distances adopted. Two groups of properties were identified based on their degree of spatial variability: microbial biomass C, DH, and HI exhibited short‐range variability, whereas HR varied across longer distances. Microbial biomass C and HR showed a spatial pattern related to soil amendment and soil types, respectively. Therefore, these variables provided complementary information about the condition of soil organic matter in the study area.

Fertilization effects on yield sustainability and soil properties under irrigated wheat–soybean rotation of an Indian Himalayan upper valley

“…We measured PFP, AE, SYI, and B:C ratio for wheat as well as the wheat-soybean cropping system. The sustainability of a production system can also be judged by change in SOC content under a set of management practices, because SOC enhances soil quality by improving soil structure, nutrient storage, and biological activity (Bragato and Primavera 1998) due to the fact that the readily decomposable fraction of SOC is sensitive to short-term modifications in management practices (Yadav et al 2000). Some selected soil quality parameters, such as total and available soil N, total and available P, non-exchangeable and available K, plant available water capacity (PAWC), and soil water infiltration properties also serve as indicators of long-term sustainability.…”

Effects of organic fertilisers and irrigation level on physical and chemical quality of industrial tomato fruit (cv. Nautilus)

“…The management of sustainable agriculture implies the application of organic fertiliser to the soil as an alternative to mineral fertiliser, which requires a better knowledge of the processes that take place after this application 7. Organic amendments improve soil quality 8.…”

Assessment of soil property spatial variation in an Amazon pasture: basis for selecting an agronomic experimental area

“…Spatial dependence has been observed for a wide range of soil physical (Mapa and Kumaragamage, 1996;Castrignano et al, 2000), chemical (Boyer et al, 1996;Bragato and Primavera, 1998;Stenger et al, 2002) and biological properties (Robertson et al, 1997;Goovaerts, 1998;Gaston et al, 2001), but typically the size of the studied area is relatively small, commonly ranging from 1 m 2 to 1 ha.…”