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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Stratification ratio of organic matter pools influenced by management systems in a weathered Oxisol from a tropical agro-ecoregion in Brazil

C. C. Figueiredo A E , D. V. S. Resck B , M. A. C. Carneiro C , M. L. G. Ramos A and J. C. M. Sá D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine, University of Brasília, 70910970 Brasília, DF, Brazil.

B Embrapa Cerrados, 73310970 Planaltina, DF, Brazil.

C Laboratory of Soil Science, Federal University of Goiás, 75800000 Jataí, GO, Brazil.

D Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, University of Ponta Grossa, 84030900 Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil.

E Corresponding author. Email: cicerocf@unb.br

Soil Research 51(2) 133-141 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR12186
Submitted: 20 July 2012  Accepted: 1 May 2013   Published: 15 May 2013

Abstract

Enhancement of organic matter plays an essential role in improving soil quality for supporting sustainable food production. Changes in carbon stocks with impacts on emissions of greenhouse gases may result from the stratification of organic matter as a result of soil use. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of soil management systems on soil carbon stocks and stratification ratios (SR) of soil organic matter pools. Total organic carbon (TOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), mineral-associated organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen, basal respiration, and particulate organic matter nitrogen (PON) were determined. The field experiment comprised several tillage treatments: conventional tillage, no-till with biannual rotation, no-till with biannual rotation combined with a second crop, no-till with annual rotation, and pasture. The labile fractions indicated a high level of variation among management systems. Pasture proved to be an excellent option for the improvement of soil carbon. While the conventional tillage system reduced total carbon stocks of the soil (0–40 cm), no-tillage presented TOC stocks similar to that of native vegetation. Sensitivity of the TOC SR varied from 0.93 to 1.28, a range of 0.35; the range for POC was 1.76 and for MBC 1.64. The results support the hypothesis that the labile fractions (POC, MBC, and PON) are highly sensitive to the dynamics of organic matter in highly weathered soils of tropical regions influenced by different management systems. Reductions to SRs of labile organic matter pools are related to the impacts of agricultural use of Cerrado soils.

Additional keywords: fractionation, organic carbon, soil microbial biomass, tillage.


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