Quality and Quantity of Organic Fractions as Affected by Soil Depth in an Argiudoll under Till and No-till Systems
Journal Title: International Journal of Plant & Soil Science - Year 2016, Vol 10, Issue 5
Abstract
Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effect of tillage systems on the quantity and quality of organic carbon fractions at different soil layers. Study Design: The experimental design was a split plot with three blocks. The long-term effects (25 years) of conventional- (CT) and no-tillage (NT) systems on a Tipic Argiudoll was sampled at 0-5, 5-10, 10-15 and 15-20 cm soil depth. Place and Duration of Study: The field experiment was carried out at Tornquist (38° 07’ 06” S - 62°02’ 17” O) and soil sampling was performed during wheat seeding (June 2011). Methodology: Total soil organic carbon (SOC) content and the following fractions were determined: Coarse particulate (POCc, 105-2000 µm), fine particulate (POCf, 53-105 µm) and mineral-associated (MOC, 0-53 µm) carbon fractions; humic (HA) and fulvic (FA) acids; and total (CHt) and soluble (CHs) carbohydrates. The main physico-chemical properties of HA and FA were analyzed using both FT-IR and fluorescence spectroscopies. Results: After 25 years, total SOC at the 0-20 cm depth was 9% higher in no-tilled than in tilled soils. The POCf was the SOM fraction that turned out to be the most sensitive to tillage effects. The POCc:POCf:MOC ratio at 0-20 cm was similar for NT (3:14:82) and CT (5:10:84); however, differences were found across soil depths. Tilled soils showed higher aromaticity, starting by CH-degradation, in more superficial soil layers. Conclusion: The no-tillage system presented a different pattern which can be related to distribution of crop residues and conditions for humification along the soil depth.
Authors and Affiliations
Juan A. Galantini, Matias Duval, Juan M. Martinez, Verónica Mora, Roberto Baigorri, José M. García-Mina
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