Soil properties and productivity in two long-term crop rotations differing with respect to organic matter management on an Albic Luvisol

Abstract

This study was based on a three-factor experiment carried out since 1980 on a loamy sand (Albic Luvisol) in which arable crops were grown in two 4-years rotations: RotA (grain maize, winter wheat, spring barley and silage maize) and RotB [grain maize, winter wheat plus mustard green manure (GM), spring barley and grass–clover ley (GCL)]. The soil in RotB with an increased input of OM (GM and 1-year GCL) accumulated significantly larger amounts of soil organic carbon and soil microbial biomass C, had higher activities of dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase enzymes and gave significantly higher winter wheat grain yields compared to the soil in RotA. However, in the absence of liming, the soil in RotB, contrary to that in RotA, became more acidic, had reduced activity of alkaline phosphatase and lower contents of Ca and Mg, and contained a diminished proportion of the >0.5 mm macroaggregates fraction. These soil deteriorative effects of crop rotations delivering larger amounts of OM have not been reported so far. In both rotations FYM applied once per 4-year rotation at 40 Mg ha−1 improved all the tested soil properties and had mitigating effects on the negative changes found in the soil of RotB.

Effects of Soil Nutrients, Enzyme Activities and Microbial Composition in Vegetable-Polygonatum Odoratum Rotation Regimes

“…Studies show that continuous cropping has a negative contribution to soil chemical traits and nutrient quality compared to rotational cropping system. The present results showed that FC significantly increased the content of TN, AN, TK, AK in soil, compared with CC system (Table 1), which suggests that FC system may improve soil physicochemical characteristics, and enhance nutrient content [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38]. Mean±standard error, FC-First year vegetable, second subsequent year P.odoratum; CC-First year P. odoratum, second subsequent year P.odoratum; CK-No crop planted in the first and second subsequent year; N-Nitrogen; P-Phosphorus; K-Potassium.…”

Soil mixing with organic matter amendment improves Albic soil physicochemical properties and crop yield in Heilongjiang province, China

“…Grain yield was higher following the mixing of the Aw and B layers in the two-year study period than in the CS treatment. Crop straw, which could increase organic matter content [ 38 ] and aggregate stability [ 39 , 40 ], should be incorporated into the subsoil during Aw and B layer mixing. The results of the present study indicate that the positive effects of mixing the Aw and B layer soils on improved crop yield in Albic soil using different subsoil mixing ploughs [ 21 , 24 , 25 ] (i.e., in the TSMP, FMSP, and TSIMP treatments) could be sustained for at least two years.…”

Yield of organically grown maize hybrids as affected by two green manure crops in Greece

“…These findings can be explained by the fact that crop yield increases due to the fact that green manure as adds N and has additional beneficial effects on soil properties (Skoufogianni et al, 2013). It is well established that the incorporation of quality organic inputs provides rapid and efficient accumulation of nutrient uptakes for the crop by releasing nutrients in synchrony with plant demands (Martyniuk et al, 2019). The results of Dhima et al (2009) indicated also that green manure of aromatic species can increase the final grain yield by reducing weed infestation in maize crops.…”

“…Green manure crops of N-fixing legumes supply N to the cropping system and should therefore be considered as an important component of each crop rotation system (Martyniuk et al, 2019). The beneficial effects of Trifolium pratense L. as green manure on the number of grains per corncob and the final maize grain yield have been observed by Tejada et al (2008).…”