No adverse effect of moderate stubble grazing on soil quality and organic carbon pool in dryland wheat agro-ecosystems
Tóm tắt
Stubble grazing by livestock in post-harvest wheat fields is a common practice. Current knowledge usually shows that grazing has negative effects on soil quality. Therefore, here, we studied the stubble grazing impact on soil quality and crop yields of continuous wheat croplands in the semi-arid northern Negev of Israel. These croplands have experienced the same stubble residue management, meaning, moderate grazing or entire retention, for 18 consecutive years. Cropland soils were also compared with soils of natural lands. Vegetation and 0–10 cm depth soils were sampled in 2013. Results reveal that overall soil quality was generally similar between the two wheat treatments. Moreover, results show that soil under stubble grazing treatment has greater carbon pool index and carbon management index than soil under stubble retention treatment. These findings suggest that the disturbance of soil organic carbon pool is smaller for stubble grazing, contrary to current knowledge. We propose a conceptual model to explain such findings.
Tài liệu tham khảo
Barsotti JL, Sainju UM, Lenssen AW, Montagne C, Hatfield PG (2013) Crop yields and soil organic matter responses to sheep grazing in US northern Great Plains. Soil Till Res 134:133–141. doi:10.1016/j.still.2013.07.015
Bell LW, Kirkegaard JA, Swan A, Hunt JR, Huth NI, Fettell NA (2011) Impacts of soil damage by grazing livestock on crop productivity. Soil Till Res 113:19–29. doi:10.1016/j.still.2011.02.003
Blair CJ, Lefroy RDB, Lisle L (1995) Soil carbon fractions based on their degree of oxidation, and the development of a carbon management index for agricultural systems. Aust J Agric Res 46:1459–1466. doi:10.1071/AR9951459
Branca G, Lipper L, McCarthy N, Jolejole MC (2013) Food security, climate change, and sustainable land management. A review. Agron Sustain Dev 33:635–650. doi:10.1007/s13593-013-0133-1
Chamizo S, Canton Y, Lázaro R, Solé-Benet A, Domingo F (2012) Crust composition and disturbance drive infiltration through biological soil crusts in semiarid ecosystems. Ecosystems 15:148–161. doi:10.1007/s10021-011-9499-6
Corsi S, Friedrich T, Kassam A, Pisante M, de Moraes Sà J (2012) Soil organic carbon accumulation and greenhouse gas emission reductions from conservation agriculture: a literature review. Integrated Crop Management Vol. 16. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome
de los A Agostini M, Studdert GA, San Martino S, Costa JL, Balbuena RH, Ressia JM, Mendivil GO, Lázaro L (2012) Crop residue grazing and tillage systems effects on soil physical properties and corn (Zea mays L.) performance. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 12:271–282
Du CW, Goyne KW, Miles RJ, Jianmin MZ (2014) A 1915–2011 microscale record of soil organic matter under wheat cultivation using FTIR-PAS depth-profiling. Agron Sustain Dev 34:803–811. doi:10.1007/s13593-013-0201-6
Eldridge DJ, Zaady E, Shachak M (2000) Infiltration through three contrasting biological soil crusts in patterned landscapes in the Negev, Israel. Catena 40:323–336. doi:10.1016/S0341-8162(00)00082-5
Govaerts B, Fuentes M, Mezzalama M, Nicol JM, Deckers J, Etchevers JD, Figueroa-Sandoval B, Sayre KD (2007) Infiltration, soil moisture, root rot and nematode populations after 12 years of different tillage, residue and crop rotation managements. Soil Till Res 94:209–219. doi:10.1016/j.still.2006.07.013
Grossman RB, Reinsch TG (2002) Bulk density and linear extensibility. In: Dane JH, Topp GC (eds), Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 4., Madison, WI, pp 201–225
Harris D, Horwáth WR, van Kessel C (2000) Acid fumigation of soils to remove carbonates prior to total organic carbon or CARBON-13 isotopic analysis. Soil Sci Soc Am J 65:1853–1856. doi:10.2136/sssaj2001.1853
Afic Environmental Engineering and Hydrology (2011) Master plan for conservation of the Besor and Shikma basins—survey of present state and policy principles. Shikma-Besor Drainage Authority. (In Hebrew)
SAS Institute (1990) SAS/STAT User’s Guide. Version 6 4th ed SAS Inst Cary, NC
Kirkegaard JA, Conyers MK, Hunt JR, Kirkby CA, Watt M, Rebetzke GJ (2014) Sense and nonsense in conservation agriculture: principles, pragmatism and productivity in Australian mixed farming systems. Agric Ecosyst Environ 187:133–145. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2013.08.011
Landau S, Schoenbaum I, Barkai D, Ungar ED, Genizi A, Kigel J (2007) Grazing, mulching, and removal of wheat straw in a no-till system in a semi-arid environment. Aust J Agric Res 58:907–912. doi:10.1071/AR06422
Lenssen AW, Sainju UM, Hatfield PG (2013) Integrating sheep grazing into wheat–fallow systems: crop yield and soil properties. Field Crop Res 146:75–85. doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2013.03.010
Loeppert RH, Suarez DL (1996) Carbonate and gypsum. In: Sparks DL, Page AL, Helmke PA, Loeppert RH, Soltanpour PN, Tabatabai MA, Johnson CT, Sumner ME (eds), Methods of Soil Analysis Part 3 Chemical Methods, Ch. 15. SSSA Special Pub., vol. 5, Madison, WI, pp 437–474
Nelson DW, Sommers LE (1996) Total carbon, organic carbon, and organic matter. In: Page AL et al (eds) Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2. 9, Am Soc Agron, Madison, WI, pp 961–1010
Paul BK, Vanlauwe B, Ayuke F, Gassner A, Hoogmoed M, Hurisso TT, Koala S, Lelei D, Ndabamenye T, Six J, Pulleman MM (2013) Medium-term impact of tillage and residue management on soil aggregate stability, soil carbon and crop productivity. Agric Ecosyst Environ 164:14–22. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2012.10.003
Radford BJ, Yule DF, Braunack M, Playford C (2008) Effects of grazing sorghum stubble on soil physical properties and subsequent crop performance. Am J Agric Biol Sci 3:734–742
Ryan J, Masri S, Ibrikci H, Singh M, Pala M, Harris HC (2008a) Implications of cereal-based crop rotations, nitrogen fertilization, and stubble grazing on soil organic matter in a Mediterranean-type environment. Turk J Agric For 32:289–297
Ryan J, Pala M, Masri S, Singh M, Harris H (2008b) Rainfed wheat-based rotations under Mediterranean conditions: crop sequences, nitrogen fertilization, and stubble grazing in relation to grain and straw quality. Eur J Agron 28:112–118. doi:10.1016/j.eja.2007.05.008
Schwartz RC, Evett SR, Unger PW (2003) Soil hydraulic properties of cropland compared with reestablished and native grassland. Geoderma 116:47–60. doi:10.1016/S0016-7061(03)00093-4
Stavi I, Argaman E (2014) No-till systems: gains and drawbacks for carbon sequestration, ecosystem services and environmental health. Carbon Manag 5:123–125. doi:10.1080/17583004.2014.912828
Stavi I, Lal R (2013) Agriculture and greenhouse gases, a common tragedy. A review. Agron Sustain Dev 33:275–289. doi:10.1007/s13593-012-0110-0
Stavi I, Ungar ED, Lavee H, Sarah P (2008) Grazing-induced spatial variability of soil bulk density and content of moisture, organic carbon and calcium carbonate in a semi-arid rangeland. Catena 75:288–296. doi:10.1016/j.catena.2008.07.007
Wang XB, Cai DX, Hoogmoed WB, Onema O, Perdok UD (2005) Scenario analysis of tillage, residue and fertilization management effects on soil organic carbon dynamics. Pedosphere 15:473–483
Wang ZP, Han XG, Li LH (2008) Effects of grassland conversion to croplands on soil organic carbon in the temperate Inner Mongolia. J Environ Manag 86:529–534. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2006.12.004
Weil RR, Islam KR, Stine MA, Gruver JB, Samson-Liebig SE (2003) Estimating active carbon for soil quality assessment: a simplifed method for laboratory and field use. Am J Altern Agric 18:3–17