Evaluation of soil organic matter dynamics under crop residue management using carbon-13 isotope

Mirzaei, M.; Gorji Anari, M.; Moghiseh, E.; Asadi, H.

doi:10.24200/nst.2022.1477

Evaluation of soil organic matter dynamics under crop residue management using carbon-13 isotope

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

M. Mirzaei ¹

M. Gorji Anari ¹

E. Moghiseh ²

H. Asadi ¹

¹ Department of Soil Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, University of Tehran, P.O.BOX: 31587-77871, Karaj - Iran

² Nuclear Agriculture Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O.Box: 31485-1498, Karaj - Iran

https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2022.1477

Abstract

The use of nuclear techniques can be helpful in the selection and implementation of optimal agronomic practices as well as the provision of appropriate management strategies in soil and water conservation, achieving sustainable development goals. In this study, we investigated the effects of applying wheat and maize crop residue at five rates, including 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 %, on the dynamics of soil particulate organic matter (POM) and its origin at depths of 0-10 and 10-20 cm under conventional tillage and no-tillage systems were aimed. For this purpose, the natural abundance of carbon-13 (δ¹³C) technique was used. The results showed that increasing residue rates in the conventional tillage system increased the amount of δ¹³C at two soil depths of 0-10 and 10-20 cm. In the no-tillage system, increasing residue rates led to an increase of δ¹³C only for the depth of 0-10 cm, and no significant differences were observed among residue treatments at a depth of 10-20 cm. In addition, the comparison of δ¹³C values of soil and plant residues of wheat and corn confirmed that the main source of soil particulate organic matter originated from the wheat residue, indicating the more substantial effect of wheat residues on improving soil organic matter than maize.

Highlights

K. Paustian, et al, Climate-smart soils, Nature, 532(7597), 49-57 (2016).

P. Ciais, et al, Carbon and other biogeochemical cycles. In Climate change 2013: the physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, 465-570 (2014).

N.H. Batjes, Total carbon and nitrogen in the soils of the world, Eur. J. Soil Sci., 47, 151–163 (1996).

R. Lal, R. Horn, T. Kosaki, Soil and sustainable development goals, Catena-Schweizerbart, Stuttgart, (2018).

R. Lal, Managing soils and ecosystems for mitigating anthropogenic carbon emissions and advancing global food security, BioScience., 60(9), 708-721 (2010).

R. Lal, B.A. Stewart, Soil and Climate, CRC Press, (2018).

F.A.O. Joint, Use of Carbon Isotopic Tracers in Investigating Soil Carbon Sequestration and Stabilization in Agroecosystems (No. IAEA-TECDOC--1823), Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, (2017).

A.R. Wilts, et al, Long-term corn residue effects: harvest alternatives, soil carbon turnover, and root-derived carbon, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 68, 1342–1351 (2004).

A. de Rouw, B. Soulileuth, S. Huon, Stable carbon isotope ratios in soil and vegetation shift with cultivation practices (Northern Laos), Agric. Ecosyst. Environ., 200, 161–168 (2015).

A.O. Awiti, M.G. Walsh, J. Kinyamario, Dynamics of topsoil carbon and nitrogen along a tropical forest–cropland chronosequence: evidence fromstable isotope analysis and spectroscopy, Agric. Ecosyst. Environ., 127, 265–272 (2008).

M.A. Busari, F.K. Salako, C. Tuniz, Stable isotope technique in the evaluation of tillage and fertilizer effects on soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration and water use efficiency, Eur. J. Agron., 73, 98-106 (2016).

X. Hao, et al, Dynamics and composition of soil organic carbon in response to 15 years of straw return in a Mollisol, Soil. Till. Res., 215, 105221 (2022).

J.M.F. Johnson, Stover harvest impacts soil and hydrologic properties on three Minnesota farms, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 81(4), 932-944 (2017).

Y. Kuzyakov, G. Domanski, Carbon input by plants into the soil, Review, J. Plant Nut. Soil. Sci. 163(4), 421-431 (2000).

R.F. Follett, C.P. Jantalia, A.D. Halvorson, Soil carbon dynamics for irrigated corn under two tillage systems, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 77(3), 951-963 (2013).

J. Six, et al, Stabilization mechanisms of soil organic matter: implications for C-saturation of soils, Plant and Soil, 241(2), 155-176 (2002).

A.Y. Kong, J. Six, Tracing root vs. residue carbon into soils from conventional and alternative cropping systems, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 74(4), 1201-1210 (2010).

S.R. Mazzilli, et al, Greater humification of belowground than aboveground biomass carbon into particulate soil organic matter in no-till corn and soybean crops, Soil Bio. Biochem., 85, 22-30 (2015).

G.W. Gee, J.W. Bauder, Partical-size analysis, In: Klute A (ed.). Methods of Soil Analysis: Physical and Mineralogical Methods. Part 1,2nd (ed.) Soil Sience Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, 383-411 (1986).

J.B. Jones, Laboratory guide for conducting soil tests and plant analysis (No. BOOK), CRC Press, (2001).

A. Walkley, I.A. Black, An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter, and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method, Soil Science, 37(1), 29-38 (1934).

D. Harris, W.R. Horwáth, C. Van Kessel, Acid fumigation of soils to remove carbonates prior to total organic carbon or carbon‐13 isotopic analysis, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 65(6), 1853-1856 (2001).

C.A. Cambardella, E.T. Elliott, Particulate soil organic‐matter changes across a grassland cultivation sequence, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 56(3), 777-783 (1992).

M. Zimmermann, et al, (Measured soil organic matter fractions can be related to pools in the RothC model, Eur. J. Soil Sci., 58(3), 658-667 (2007).

N. Blanco-Moure, et al, Soil organic matter fractions as affected by tillage and soil texture under semiarid Mediterranean conditions, Soil. Till. Res., 155, 381-389 (2016).

M.M. Wander, M.G. Bidart, S. Aref, Tillage impacts on depth distribution of total and particulate organic matter in three Illinois soils, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 62(6), 1704-1711 (1998).

K.P. Fabrizzi, A. Moron, F.O. García, Soil carbon and nitrogen organic fractions in degraded vs. non‐degraded Mollisols in Argentina, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 67(6), 1831-1841 (2003).

F. Cattaneo, et al, 13C abundance shows effective soil carbon sequestration in Miscanthus and giant reed compared to arable crops under Mediterranean climate, Bio. Fert. Soils., 50(7), 1121-1128 (2014).

G. Song, M.H. Hayes, E.H. Novotny, A two-year incubation study of transformations of crop residues into soil organic matter (SOM) and a procedure for the sequential isolation and the fractionation of components of SOM, Sci. Total Environ, 763, 143034 (2021).

Keywords

Carbon sequestration

Sustainable production

Conservation tillage

Nuclear technique

Soil management

K. Paustian, et al, Climate-smart soils, Nature, 532(7597), 49-57 (2016).

P. Ciais, et al, Carbon and other biogeochemical cycles. In Climate change 2013: the physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, 465-570 (2014).

N.H. Batjes, Total carbon and nitrogen in the soils of the world, Eur. J. Soil Sci., 47, 151–163 (1996).

R. Lal, R. Horn, T. Kosaki, Soil and sustainable development goals, Catena-Schweizerbart, Stuttgart, (2018).

R. Lal, Managing soils and ecosystems for mitigating anthropogenic carbon emissions and advancing global food security, BioScience., 60(9), 708-721 (2010).

R. Lal, B.A. Stewart, Soil and Climate, CRC Press, (2018).

F.A.O. Joint, Use of Carbon Isotopic Tracers in Investigating Soil Carbon Sequestration and Stabilization in Agroecosystems (No. IAEA-TECDOC--1823), Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, (2017).

A.R. Wilts, et al, Long-term corn residue effects: harvest alternatives, soil carbon turnover, and root-derived carbon, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 68, 1342–1351 (2004).

A. de Rouw, B. Soulileuth, S. Huon, Stable carbon isotope ratios in soil and vegetation shift with cultivation practices (Northern Laos), Agric. Ecosyst. Environ., 200, 161–168 (2015).

A.O. Awiti, M.G. Walsh, J. Kinyamario, Dynamics of topsoil carbon and nitrogen along a tropical forest–cropland chronosequence: evidence fromstable isotope analysis and spectroscopy, Agric. Ecosyst. Environ., 127, 265–272 (2008).

M.A. Busari, F.K. Salako, C. Tuniz, Stable isotope technique in the evaluation of tillage and fertilizer effects on soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration and water use efficiency, Eur. J. Agron., 73, 98-106 (2016).

X. Hao, et al, Dynamics and composition of soil organic carbon in response to 15 years of straw return in a Mollisol, Soil. Till. Res., 215, 105221 (2022).

J.M.F. Johnson, Stover harvest impacts soil and hydrologic properties on three Minnesota farms, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 81(4), 932-944 (2017).

Y. Kuzyakov, G. Domanski, Carbon input by plants into the soil, Review, J. Plant Nut. Soil. Sci. 163(4), 421-431 (2000).

R.F. Follett, C.P. Jantalia, A.D. Halvorson, Soil carbon dynamics for irrigated corn under two tillage systems, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 77(3), 951-963 (2013).

J. Six, et al, Stabilization mechanisms of soil organic matter: implications for C-saturation of soils, Plant and Soil, 241(2), 155-176 (2002).

A.Y. Kong, J. Six, Tracing root vs. residue carbon into soils from conventional and alternative cropping systems, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 74(4), 1201-1210 (2010).

S.R. Mazzilli, et al, Greater humification of belowground than aboveground biomass carbon into particulate soil organic matter in no-till corn and soybean crops, Soil Bio. Biochem., 85, 22-30 (2015).

G.W. Gee, J.W. Bauder, Partical-size analysis, In: Klute A (ed.). Methods of Soil Analysis: Physical and Mineralogical Methods. Part 1,2nd (ed.) Soil Sience Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, 383-411 (1986).

J.B. Jones, Laboratory guide for conducting soil tests and plant analysis (No. BOOK), CRC Press, (2001).

A. Walkley, I.A. Black, An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter, and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method, Soil Science, 37(1), 29-38 (1934).

D. Harris, W.R. Horwáth, C. Van Kessel, Acid fumigation of soils to remove carbonates prior to total organic carbon or carbon‐13 isotopic analysis, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 65(6), 1853-1856 (2001).

C.A. Cambardella, E.T. Elliott, Particulate soil organic‐matter changes across a grassland cultivation sequence, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 56(3), 777-783 (1992).

M. Zimmermann, et al, (Measured soil organic matter fractions can be related to pools in the RothC model, Eur. J. Soil Sci., 58(3), 658-667 (2007).

N. Blanco-Moure, et al, Soil organic matter fractions as affected by tillage and soil texture under semiarid Mediterranean conditions, Soil. Till. Res., 155, 381-389 (2016).

M.M. Wander, M.G. Bidart, S. Aref, Tillage impacts on depth distribution of total and particulate organic matter in three Illinois soils, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 62(6), 1704-1711 (1998).

K.P. Fabrizzi, A. Moron, F.O. García, Soil carbon and nitrogen organic fractions in degraded vs. non‐degraded Mollisols in Argentina, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 67(6), 1831-1841 (2003).

F. Cattaneo, et al, 13C abundance shows effective soil carbon sequestration in Miscanthus and giant reed compared to arable crops under Mediterranean climate, Bio. Fert. Soils., 50(7), 1121-1128 (2014).

G. Song, M.H. Hayes, E.H. Novotny, A two-year incubation study of transformations of crop residues into soil organic matter (SOM) and a procedure for the sequential isolation and the fractionation of components of SOM, Sci. Total Environ, 763, 143034 (2021).