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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 45(1)

Long-term effects of different land use and soil management on various organic carbon fractions in an Inceptisol of subtropical India

T. J. Purakayastha A C , P. K. Chhonkar A , S. Bhadraray A , A. K. Patra A , V. Verma A and M. A. Khan B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi – 110 012, India.

B Central Potato Research Institute, Modipuram, Meerut – 250 110, Uttar Pradesh, India.

C Corresponding author. Emails: tapanjp@iari.res.in, tapanpurakayastha@rediffmail.com

Australian Journal of Soil Research 45(1) 33-40 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR06077
Submitted: 12 June 2006  Accepted: 11 December 2006   Published: 14 February 2007

Abstract

Land use changes, especially the conversion of native forest vegetation to cropland and plantations in tropical regions, can potentially alter soil C dynamics. A study was conducted to assess the effects of various land uses and soil managements (agro-forestry plantation, vegetable field, tube-well irrigated rice–wheat, sewage-irrigated rice–wheat, and uncultivated soils) on soil pH, bulk density, soil organic C (SOC), particulate organic C (POC), microbial biomass C (MBC), C mineralisation (Cmin), microbial quotient, and microbial metabolic quotient (qCO2) in 0−0.05, 0.05−0.10, and 0.10−0.20 m soil depths. At 0−0.05 m, the bulk density was lowest (1.29 Mg/m3) in agro-forestry soil, whereas the uncultivated soil (jointly with vegetable field soil) showed highest bulk density (1.48 Mg/m3). Sewage-irrigated rice–wheat soil showed lowest pH particularly in the 0−0.05 and 0.10−0.20 m soil layer. Irrespective of soil depths, agro-forestry plantation showed greater SOC followed by sewage-irrigated rice–wheat soil. Nevertheless, agro-forestry soil also showed highest stock of SOC (33.7 Mg/ha), POC (3.58 Mg/ha), and MBC (0.81 Mg/ha) in the 0−0.20 m soil layer. Sewage-irrigated rice–wheat jointly with agro-forestry soil showed greatest Cmin in the 0−0.20 m soil layer, although the former supported lower SOC stock. The decrease in SOC (SOC0−0.05 m/SOC0.10−0.20 m) and Cmin (Cmin 0−0.05 m/Cmin 0.10−0.20 m) along soil depth was significantly higher in the agro-forestry system than in most of the other land use and soil management systems. Microbial quotient was highest in sewage-irrigated rice–wheat soil, particularly in the 0−0.05 m soil depth, whereas qCO2 was greater in uncultivated soil. In general, microbial quotients decreased, whereas qCO2 increased down the soil profile.

Additional keywords: C accumulation, C mineralisation, microbial biomass C, soil organic C, particulate organic C.


Acknowledgments

Funding provided by the Director, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, to carry out this research work is gratefully acknowledged.


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