TY - JOUR
T1 - Soil aggregate and particulate C and N under corn rotations
T2 - responses to management and correlations with yield
AU - Cates, Anna M.
AU - Ruark, Matthew D.
PY - 2017/6/1
Y1 - 2017/6/1
N2 - Background: Soil aggregate and particulate organic matter (POM) C and N provide valuable insight into C cycling and storage, and are sensitive to management, but effect of these pools on corn yield is unknown. Methods: Corn yield, N uptake, and aggregate and POM C and N at 0–5, 5–25 and 25–50 cm were measured and correlated in continuous corn (Zea mays L.) (CC), strip-till corn/soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] (CS), and organically managed corn/soybean/wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with green manure (CSW). Results: The POM differed only at 0–5 cm, where greater POM mass was found in CS than CC and CSW. Lower POM-C and POM-N was found in CSW than CC and CS. Overall, CSW had fewer macroaggregates (>250 μm) and associated C and N than CC and CS, but free silt and clay (<53 μm) and microaggregates (53–250 μm) were enriched in C and N in CSW. Yield and macroaggregate-occluded C and N were negatively correlated. Yield and 5–25 cm free silt and clay C were positively correlated. Conclusions: While organic matter in aggregate-occluded fractions is beneficial for soil C storage, it was correlated with lower grain yields, highlighting a potential tradeoff between yield and long-term C sequestration.
AB - Background: Soil aggregate and particulate organic matter (POM) C and N provide valuable insight into C cycling and storage, and are sensitive to management, but effect of these pools on corn yield is unknown. Methods: Corn yield, N uptake, and aggregate and POM C and N at 0–5, 5–25 and 25–50 cm were measured and correlated in continuous corn (Zea mays L.) (CC), strip-till corn/soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] (CS), and organically managed corn/soybean/wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with green manure (CSW). Results: The POM differed only at 0–5 cm, where greater POM mass was found in CS than CC and CSW. Lower POM-C and POM-N was found in CSW than CC and CS. Overall, CSW had fewer macroaggregates (>250 μm) and associated C and N than CC and CS, but free silt and clay (<53 μm) and microaggregates (53–250 μm) were enriched in C and N in CSW. Yield and macroaggregate-occluded C and N were negatively correlated. Yield and 5–25 cm free silt and clay C were positively correlated. Conclusions: While organic matter in aggregate-occluded fractions is beneficial for soil C storage, it was correlated with lower grain yields, highlighting a potential tradeoff between yield and long-term C sequestration.
KW - Carbon storage
KW - Cropping systems
KW - Soil organic matter dynamics
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U2 - 10.1007/s11104-016-3121-9
DO - 10.1007/s11104-016-3121-9
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85010991470
VL - 415
SP - 521
EP - 533
JO - Plant and Soil
JF - Plant and Soil
SN - 0032-079X
IS - 1-2
ER -