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Influence of crop rotation, tillage and fertilization on chemical and spectroscopic characteristics of humic acids.

ABSTRACT: The changes in soil organic matter composition induced by anthropogenic factors is a topic of great interest for the soil scientists. The objective of this work was to identify possible structural changes in humic molecules caused by a 2-year rotation of durum wheat with faba bean, lasted for a decade, and conducted with different agricultural practices in a Mediterranean soil. Humic acids (HA) were extracted at three depths (0-30, 30-60 and 60-90 cm) from a Mediterranean soil subjected to different tillage (no tillage, minimum tillage and conventional tillage), crops (faba bean and wheat), and fertilization. The changes in HA quality were assessed by several chemical (ash, yield and elemental analysis) and spectroscopic techniques (solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared and fluorescence). The results suggest that the different agronomic practices strongly affected the quality of HA. Smaller but more aromatic molecules were observed with depth, while the fertilization induced the formation of simpler and less aromatic molecules due to the enhanced decomposition processes. Under no tillage, more stable humic molecules were observed due to the less soil aeration, while under conventional tillage larger and more aromatic molecules were obtained. Compared to wheat, more aromatic and more oxidized but less complex molecules were observed after faba bean crop. The inorganic fertilization accelerates the decomposition of organic substances rather than their stabilization. At the end of each crop cycle, humic matter of different quality was isolated and this confirms the importance of the rotation practice to guarantee a diversification of the soil organic matter with time. Finally, no tillage induces the formation of more stable humic matter.

SUBMITTER: De Mastro F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6597113 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Influence of crop rotation, tillage and fertilization on chemical and spectroscopic characteristics of humic acids.

De Mastro Francesco F Cocozza Claudio C Traversa Andreina A Savy Davide D Abdelrahman Hamada M HM Brunetti Gennaro G

PloS one 20190627 6

The changes in soil organic matter composition induced by anthropogenic factors is a topic of great interest for the soil scientists. The objective of this work was to identify possible structural changes in humic molecules caused by a 2-year rotation of durum wheat with faba bean, lasted for a decade, and conducted with different agricultural practices in a Mediterranean soil. Humic acids (HA) were extracted at three depths (0-30, 30-60 and 60-90 cm) from a Mediterranean soil subjected to diffe ...[more]

PMID: 31247049

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Project description:Soil rotational tillage is an effective measure to overcome the problems caused by long-term of a single tillage, but the effect of the interval time of rotational tillage practices is not very well understood. Therefore, we conducted a 3-year field study in a wheat-maize cropping system to evaluate the effects of rotary tillage (RT) in rotation with plowing tillage (PT) on soil properties in northern China. Four practices were designed as follows: 3 years of RT to a depth of 10-15 cm (3RT), 3 years of PT to a depth of 30-35 cm (3PT), 1 year of PT followed by 2 years of RT (PT+2RT), and 2 years of PT followed by 1 year of RT (2PT+RT). Within 20 cm of the surface soil, the 3RT treatment significantly increased the soil quality index (SQI) by 6.0%, 8.8% and 13.1%, respectively, relative to the PT+2RT, 2PT+RT and 3PT treatments. The improvement was closely related to the significant increase in the soil organic carbon (SOC) and available nutrients concentrations in the 0-20 cm depths and the improvement of soil invertase, urease, alkaline phosphatase and catalase activities in the topsoil (0-10 cm). However, the opposite effects were observed in the subsoil (20-40 cm). Compared with the 3RT treatment, the 3PT, 2PT+RT and PT+2RT treatments decreased soil bulk density, and significantly enhanced enzyme activities, resulting in an increase in SQI of 32.6%, 24.4% and 0.7%, respectively, especially in the 3PT and 2PT+RT treatments, the difference was significant. When averaged across to all soil depths, the SQI under the 3RT and 2PT+RT treatments was much higher than that under the other treatments. The yields of wheat and maize under the 2PT+RT treatment were 15.0% and 14.3% higher than those under the 3RT treatment, respectively. The 2PT+RT treatment was the most effective tillage practice. These results suggest that RT in rotation with PT could improve soil quality in the soil profile whilst enhancing crop yield after continuous RT, and the benefits were enhanced with an interval time of one year. Therefore, the 2PT+RT treatment could act as an effective method for both soil quality and crop yield improvement in a wheat-maize cropping system under straw incorporation conditions.

Project description:Weeds are one of the key threats in sustaining the productivity of the rice-wheat cropping system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains. The development of sound integrated weed management technologies requires knowledge of mechanisms that influence weed flora composition and weed seedbank dynamics. A long-term study was initiated in 2015 at Patna, Bihar, India to evaluate the effect of seven tillage and crop establishment methods on weed density, weed seedbank composition, and crop productivity in rice-wheat-mungbean rotation. All the treatments included zero-till mungbean after wheat. Tillage and crop establishment methods had differential effects on weed and weed seedbank composition. In rice, zero-till direct-seeded rice recorded 62% lower emergence of Cyperus iria, 82-90% of Echinochloa colona, and 81-83% of total weeds compared to tilled systems, but the system of rice and wheat intensification favoured E. colona. In wheat, the system of wheat intensification favoured the Phalaris minor and Solanum nigrum. Zero-till rice and wheat reduced the seedbank of Trianthema portulacastrum by 95%, and total weed seedbank by 62% compared to the system of rice and wheat intensification. Nearly, 72% of C. iria seeds, 62% of grasses, and 64% of broad-leaved weeds were in 0-15 cm soil layer. Zero-till direct-seeded rice produced a 13% lower rice grain yield than conventional puddled transplanted rice. Compared to the system of wheat intensification, zero-till wheat under triple zero-till systems produced an 11.5% higher grain yield. Managing weed seedbank is a long-term endeavour. The present study revealed that tillage and crop establishment methods influence weed density and diversity. Under zero-till rice-wheat system, rice yield decreases marginally, but the system productivity maintains due to improvement in succeeding wheat yield. This system is also helpful in reducing the weed flora density and soil weed seedbank. Regular monitoring and management of emerging pests such as armyworm (Mythimna separata) are, however, required. The study suggests that the adoption of triple zero-tillage can be a viable option for reducing the weed density and weed seedbank concurrently increasing the system productivity of the rice-wheat-mungbean cropping system in eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains.

Project description:Fungal communities in agricultural soils are assumed to be affected by soil and crop management. Our intention was to investigate the impact of different tillage and fertilization practices on fungal communities in a long-term crop rotation field trial established in 1992 in Central Germany. Two winter wheat fields in replicated strip-tillage design, comprising conventional vs. conservation tillage, intensive vs. extensive fertilization and different pre-crops (maize vs. rapeseed) were analyzed by a metabarcoding approach applying Illumina paired-end sequencing of amplicons generated by two recently developed primer pairs targeting the two fungal Internal Transcribed Spacer regions (ITS1, ITS2). Analysis of 5.1 million high-quality sequence reads uncovered a diverse fungal community in the two fields, composed of 296 fungal genera including 3,398 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) at the 97% sequence similarity threshold. Both primer pairs detected the same fungal phyla (Basidio-, Asco-, Zygo-, Glomero- and Chytridiomycota), but in different relative abundances. OTU richness was higher in the ITS1 dataset, while ITS2 data were more diverse and of higher evenness. Effects of farming practice on fungal community structures were revealed. Almost two-thirds of the fungal genera were represented in all different soil treatments, whereas the remaining genera clearly responded to farming practice. Principal Component Analysis revealed four distinct clusters according to tillage practice and pre-crop. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) substantiated the results and proved significant influences of tillage and pre-crop, while fertilization had the smallest and non-significant effect. In-depth analysis of putative phytopathogenic and plant beneficial fungal groups indicated distinct responses; for example Fusarium was significantly enriched in the intensively fertilized conservation tillage variants with the pre-crop maize, while Phoma displayed significant association with conventional tillage and pre-crop rapeseed. Many putative plant beneficial fungi also reacted differentially to farming practice with the most distinct responders identified among the Glomeromycota (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, AMF).

Project description:Presently, rice-fallows are targeted for cropping intensification in South Asia. Rice-fallows a rainfed mono-cropping system remain fallow after rice due to lack of irrigation facilities and poor socio-economic condition of the farmers. Nevertheless, there is the scope of including ecologically adaptable winter crops in water-limited rice-fallow conditions with effective moisture conservation practices. The study aimed to identify the winter-crops that are adaptable and productive in rice-fallow conditions and to evaluate the different tillage-based crop establishment practices for soil moisture conservation, grain yield, economics, and sustainability parameters. Six different crop establishment and residue management (CERM) practices viz., zero-tillage direct seeded rice (ZTDSR), zero-tillage transplanted rice (ZTTPR), puddled transplanted rice (PTR), ZTDSR with rice residue retention (ZTDSRR+), ZTTPR with rice residue retention (ZTTPRR+), PTR with rice residue retention (PTRR+) as main-plot treatment and five winter crops (chickpea, lentil, safflower, linseed, and mustard) as sub-plot treatment were evaluated in a split-plot design. The productivity of grain legumes (chickpea and lentil) was higher over oilseed crops in rice-fallow conditions with an order of chickpea > lentil > safflower > mustard > linseed. Among the CERM practices, ZTDSRR+ and ZTDSR treatments increased the grain yield of all the winter crops over PTR treatment, which was primarily attributed to higher soil moisture retention for an extended period. Grain yield increment with conservation tillage practices was highly prominent in safflower (190%) followed by lentil (93%) and chickpea (70%). Rice grain yield was higher (7-35%) under PTR treatment followed by ZTDSR treatment. Conservation tillage practices (ZTDSR, ZTTPR) reduced energy use (11-20%) and increased the energy ratio over conventional tillage practice (PTR), higher in rice-safflower, rice-lentil and rice-chickpea rotations. Higher net return was attained in rice-safflower and rice-chickpea rotations with ZTDSRR+ treatment. Predicted emission of greenhouse gases was markedly reduced in ZTDSR treatment (30%) compared to ZTTPR and PTR treatments. Hence, the study suggests that cropping intensification of rice-fallows with the inclusion of winter crops like chickpea, lentil, and safflower following conservation tillage practices (ZTDSRR+ in particular) could be the strategic options for achieving the higher system productivity, economic returns, and energy use efficiency with the reduced emission of greenhouse gases.

Project description:BackgroundAlthough fertilization and crop rotation practices are commonly used worldwide in agriculture to maximize crop yields, their long-term effect on the structures of soil microorganisms is still poorly understood. This study investigated the long-term impact of fertilization and crop rotation on soil microbial diversity and the microbial community structure in four different locations with three soil types. Since 1996, manure (MF; 330 kg N/ha), sewage sludge (SF; 330 and SF3x; 990 kg N/ha), and NPK (NPK; 330 kg N/ha) fertilizers were periodically applied to the soils classified as chernozem, luvisol and cambisol, which are among the most abundant or fertile soils used for agricultural purposes in the world. In these soils, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) were rotated every three years.ResultsSoil chemistry, which was significantly associated with location, fertilization, crop rotation, and the interaction of fertilization and location, was the dominant driver of soil microbial communities, both prokaryotic and fungal. A direct effect of long-term crop rotation and fertilization on the structure of their communities was confirmed, although there was no evidence of their influence on microbial diversity. Fungal and bacterial communities responded differently to fertilization treatments; prokaryotic communities were only significantly different from the control soil (CF) in soils treated with MF and SF3x, while fungal communities differed across all treatments. Indicator genera were identified for different treatments. These taxa were either specific for their decomposition activities or fungal plant pathogens. Sequential rotation of the three crops restricted the growth of several of the indicator plant pathogens.ConclusionsLong-term fertilization and crop rotation significantly altered microbial community structure in the soil. While fertilization affected soil microorganisms mainly through changes in nutrient profile, crop rotations lead to the attraction and repulsion of specific plant pathogens. Such changes in soil microbial communities need to be considered when planning soil management.

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Influence of crop rotation, tillage and fertilization on chemical and spectroscopic characteristics of humic acids.

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Influence of crop rotation, tillage and fertilization on chemical and spectroscopic characteristics of humic acids.

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