The Effects of Tillage and N Application Rate on Soil Quality in Corn-Canola-Corn Rotation

Document Type : Scientific - Research

Authors

1 Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran.

2 Department of Agrotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran.

3 Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran

4 Agricultural Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Karaj, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
 Sustainable production in agriculture is closely related to the proper soil chemical, physical, and biological conditions which are considered as the main functions of soil organic matter. The amount of soil organic matter, especially soil organic carbon (SOC), in agricultural ecosystems depends on the tillage practices. Conventional tillage (CT) which generally uses moldboard plow, results in soil losses by intense erosion, a net loss of nutrients and organic carbon. Toward sustainable agriculture, decreasing plow intensity of CT through application of conservation tillage strategy in which tillage practices are omitted or limited to a considerable extent, has been reported as an essential alternative. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of tillage management practices and N application on soil chemical and physical properties as well as SOC in a corn-based rotation on a clay loam textured soil in semi-arid climate of Hashtgerd, Iran.
Materials and Methods
 A field experiment as the split plot design with three replications carried out in the research farm of agricultural research department of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran in two successive growing seasons during 2011-13. The tillage systems were (CT) conventional tillage (moldboard, rotary, and leveler) and; (MT) minimum tillage (disk) assigned as the main plot; and N rates of application, as the subplots, were 0, 50, 150, 250 kg ha-1. In CT treatment, moldboard plow to a depth of 25-30 cm was used as the primary tillage once in autumn and once in spring each year. As the secondary tillage, CT plots were rotavated to 10 cm depth in spring. MT treatment included two trips over the plots with disk harrow cutting to a soil depth of approximately 10 cm prior to sowing. Soil pH, bulk density (BD), total nitrogen (TN), soil organic carbon (SOC), exchangeable K and available P were then evaluated. Soil samples were collected in September 2013 after the end of three growing seasons from 0-30 cm depth at 5 locations per plot using a 3.5 cm diameter coring tube.
Results and Discussion
 The results showed that short-term (2 years) effect of tillage systems on soil pH, BD, TN, SOC and exchangeable K as well as available P, was not significant (p ≤ 0.05). However, N application rate significantly (p ≤ 0.05) changed soil TN, BD, exchangeable k and available P. Soil TN increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) by increase in N application rate as the highest amount of TN was 1036 and 968 mg kg-1 in 250 and 150 kg ha-1, respectively. As the soil samples were taken after crops harvest, soil TN is illustrative of the residual soil N and high amount of TN implies the excessive N application. Soil BD decreased significantly in 250 kg N ha-1. Increasing the N application rate would decrease soil BD by increasing root growth. Exchangeable K and available P decreased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) by increasing N application rate. The lowest amount of soil exchangeable K, and available P was detected for N rate of 250 and 150 kg ha-1, 127 and 130 mg kg-1 for K, and 13.43 and 14.24 mg kg-1 for P, respectively. Increased N application promotes plant growth and improves nutrient uptakes such as K and P, consequently, the amount of soil exchangeable K and available P would decrease.
Conclusion
 Toward sustainable agriculture, conservation tillage seems to be an effective strategy to maintain crop yields as well as soil chemical, physical, and biological properties in the long-term. However, based on the results, tillage systems (CT and MT) had no significant effects on SOC as well as other investigated soil properties in the studied site in the short-term. However, N application rate increased soil TN and decreased BD, exchangeable K and available P. It seems that longer-term investigations are needed to evaluate the probable effects of different tillage systems on soil properties particularly SOC

Keywords


Al-Darby, A.M., and Lowery, B., 1986. Evaluation of corn growth and productivity with three conservation tillage systems. Agronomy Journal 78: 901–907.
Allmaras, R.R., Linden, D.R., and Clapp, C.E., 2004. Corn-residue transformation into root and soil carbon as related to nitrogen tillage and Stover management. Soil Science Society of America Journal 68: 1366–1375.
Baker, J.M., Ochsner, T.E, Venterea, R.T., and Griffis, T.J., 2007. Tillage and soil carbon sequestration-What do we really know? Agriculture, Ecosystem and Environment 118: 1–5.
Balesdent, J., Chenu, C., and Balabane, M., 2000. Relationship of soil organic matter dynamics to physical protection and tillage. Soil and Till Research 53: 215–230.
Blanco-Canqui, H., Lal, R., Post, W.M., Izaurralde, R.C., and Owens, L.B., 2006. Corn stover impacts on near-surface soil properties of no-till corn in Ohio. Soil Science Society of American Journal 70: 266–278.
Blevins, R.L., Thomas, G.W., and Cornelius, P.L., 1977. Influence of No-tillage and nitrogen fertilization on certain soil properties after 5 years of continuous corn. Agronomy Journal 69: 383–386
 Bremner, J.M., 1970. Nitrogen total, regular kjeldahl method, in: Mehods of Soil Analysis Part 2: Chemical and Microbiological Properties. 2nd. Agronomy 9(1). A.S.A Inc., S.S.S.A Inc., Madison publisher, Wisconsin., USA, pp. 610–616
Calvino, P.A., Andrade, F.H., and Sadras, V.O. 2003. Maize yield as a Vected by water availability, soil depth, and crop management. Agronomy Journal 95: 275–281.
Cassel, D.K., Raczkowski, C.W., and Denton, H.P., 1995. Tillage effects on corn production and soil physical conditions. Soil Science Society of America Journal 59: 1436–1443.
Clapp, C.E., Allmaras, R.R., Layese, M.F., Linden, D.R., and Dowdy, R.H., 2000. Soil organic carbon and 13-C abundance as related to tillage, crop residue and nitrogen fertilizer under continuous corn management in Minnesota. Soil and Tillage Research 55: 127–142.
Culley, J.L.B., 1993. Density and compressibility. In: Carter, M.R. (Ed.), Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, USA.
D’Haene, K., Vermang, J., Cornelis, M.W., Leroy, B.L.M., Schiettecatte, W., De Neve, S., Gabriels, D., and Hofman, G., 2008. Reduced dillage effects on physical properties of silt loam soil growing root crops. Soil and Tillage Research 99: 279-290
De Sousa, A., 1961. 19 Micro-determination of potassium with EDTA. Chemistry and Materials Science 49: 644–646.
Dick, W.A., 1983. Organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations and pH in soil profiles as affected by tillage intensity. Soil Science Society of American Journal 47:102-107
Dick, W.A., Blevins, R.L., Frye, W.W., Peters, S.E., Christenson, D.R., Pierce, F.J., and Vitosh, M.L., 1998. Impacts of agricultural management practices on C sequestration in forest-derived soils of the eastern Corn Belt. Soil and Tillage Research 47: 235–244.
Doran, J.W., 1980. Soil microbial and biochemical changes associated with reduced tillage. Soil Science Society of America Journal 44: 765–771.
Fageria, N.K., and Baligar, V.C., 2005. Enhancing nitrogen use efficiency in crop plants. Advance in Agronomy 88: 97–185.
Fang, H., Cheng, S., Yu, G., Xu, M., Wang, Y., Li, L., Dang, X., Wang, L., and Li, Y., 2014. Experimental nitrogen deposition alters the quantity and quality of soil dissolved organic carbon in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Applied Soil Ecology 81: 1–11
Fang, H., Cheng, S., Yu, G., Zheng, J., Zhang, P., Xu, M., Li, Y., and Yang, X., 2012. Responses of CO2 efflux from an alpine meadow soil on the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau to multi-form and low-level N addition. Plant and Soil 351: 177–190.
Ferna´ ndez, U.O., Virto, I., Bescansa, P., Imaz, M.J., Enrique, A., and Karlen, D.L., 2009. Notillage improvement of soil physical quality in calcareous, degradation-prone, semiarid soils. Soil and Tillage Research 106: 29–35.
Gregorich, E.G., Ellert, B.H., Drury, C.F., and Liang, B.C., 1996. Fertilization effects on soil organic matter turnover and corn residue C storage. Soil Science Society of America Journal 60: 472–476.
Jagadamma, S., Lal, R., Hoeft, R.G., Nafziger, E.D., and Adee, E.A., 2008. Nitrogen fertilization and cropping system impacts on soil properties and their relationship to crop yield in the central Corn Belt, USA. Soil and Tillage. Research 98: 120–129.
Kamkar, B., Daneshmand, A.R., Ghooshchi, F., Shiranirad, A.H., and Safahani langeroudi, A.R., 2001. The effects of irrigation regimes and nitrogen rates on some agronomic traits of canola under a semiarid environment. Agricultural Water Management 98: 1005-1012.
Kladivko, E.J., 1994. Residue effects on soil physical properties. In: Unger, P.W., (Ed.), Managing Agricultural Residues. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 123–141.
Knorr, M., Frey, S., and Curtis, P., 2005. Nitrogen additions and litter decomposition: A meta-analysis. Ecology 86: 3252–3257.
Lafond, G.P., Boyetchko, S.M., Brandt, S.A., Clayton, G.W., and Entz, M.H., 1996. Influence of changing tillage practices on crop production. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 76: 641–649.
Liebig, M.A., Varvel, G.E., Doran, J.W., and Wienhold, B.J., 2002. Crop sequence and nitrogen fertilization effects on soil properties in the western Corn Belt. Soil Science Society of America Journal 66(2): 596–601.
Malhi, S.S., and Nyborg, M., 1990. Effect of tillage and straw on yield and N uptake of barley grown under different N fertility regimes. Soil and Tillage Research 17: 115–124.
Malhi, S.S., Lemke, R., Wang, Z.H., and Chhabra, B.S., 2006. Tillage, nitrogen and crop residue effects on crop yield, nutrient uptake, soil quality, and greenhouse gas emissions. Soil and Tillage Research 90: 171–183.
MC Lean, E.D., 1982. Soil pH and lime requirement, In: Methods of soil Analysis, part 2: Chemical and Microbiological Properties. 2nd ed. Agronomy 9(1): 631–636.
Mullins, G.L., Alley, S.E., and Reeves, D.W., 1998. Tropical maize response to nitrogen and starter fertilizer under strip and conventional tillage systems in southern Alabama. Soil and Tillage Research 45: 1–15.
Mulvaney, R.L., Khan, S.A., and Ellsworth, T.R., 2009. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers deplete soil nitrogen: A global dilemma for sustainable cereal production. Journal of Environment Quality 38: 2295–2314.
Olsen, S.T., Cole, C.V., Watenabe, F.S., and Dean, L.A., 1954. Estimation of available phosphorous in soil by extraction with sodium bicarbonate, U.S. Department of Agriculture Cri, 939. USA.
Penuelas, J., Gamon, J.A., Fredeen, A.L., Merino, J., and Field, C.B., 1994. Reflectance indexes associated with physiological-changes in nitrogen-limited and water limited sunflower leaves. Remote Sensing of Environment 48: 135–146.
Qualls, R.G., and Haines, B.L., 1992. Biodegradability of dissolved organic matter in forest through fall, soil solution, and stream water. Soil Science Society of American Journal 56: 578–586.
Rice, C.W., Smith, M.S., and Blevins, R.L., 1986. Soil nitrogen availability after long-term continuous no-tillage and conventional tillage corn production. Soil Science Society of American Journal 50: 1206–1210.
Rui, Y.K., Peng, Y.F., Wang, Z.R., and Shen, J.B., 2009. Stem perimeter, height and biomass of maize (Zea mays L.) grown under different N fertilization regimes in Beijing, China. International Journal of Plant Production 3: 85–90.
Schlesinger, W.H., 2009. On the fate of anthropogenic nitrogen. Proceeding of the National Academy of Science 106: 203–208.
Six, J., Elliott, E.T., and Paustain, K., 1999. Aggregate and soil organic matter dynamics under conventional and no-tillage systems. Soil Science Society of American Journal 63: 1350–1358.
Studdert, G.A., and Echeverria, H.E., 2000. Crop rotations and nitrogen fertilization to manage soil organic carbon dynamics. Soil Science Society of American Journal 64: 1496–1503.
Tenant, D., 1975. A test of a modified line intersects method of estimating root length. Journal of Ecology 63: 995–1001.
Triplett, G.B., and Dick, W.A., 2008. No-tillage crop production: a revolution in agriculture. Agronomy Journal 100: 153–165.
Ugalde, D., Brungs, A., Kaebernick, M., McGregor, A., and Stattery, B., 2007. Implication of climate change for tillage practice in Australia. Soil and Tillage Research 97: 318–330.
Varvel, G.E., 1994. Rotation and nitrogen fertilization effects on changes in soil carbon and nitrogen. Agronomy Journal 86: 319–325.
Villamil, M.B., and Nafziger, D.E., 2015. Corn residue, tillage, and nitrogen rate effects on soil carbon and nutrient stocks in Illinois. Geoderma 253-254: 61-66
Villamil, M.B., Little, J., and Nafziger, D.E., 2015. Corn residue, tillage, and nitrogen rate effects on soil properties. Soil and Tillage Research 151: 61-66
West, T.O., and Post, W.M., 2002. Soil organic carbon sequestration rates by tillage and crop rotation: A global data analysis. Soil Science Society of America Journal 66: 1930–1946.
Wood, C.W., and Edwards, J.H., 1992. Agro-ecosystem management effects on soil carbon and nitrogen. Agriculture, Ecosystem and Environment 39: 123–138.
CAPTCHA Image