Priming of carbon decomposition in 27 dairy grazed soils after bovine urine additions
S. M. Lambie
A * , N. W. H. Mason A and P. L. Mudge A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Private Bag 3127, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Soil Research 60(2) 124-136 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR20313
Submitted: 6 November 2020 Accepted: 13 August 2021 Published: 4 November 2021
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
Context: Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a vital role in carbon (C) storage and agricultural sustainability. Additions of bovine urine to soils can cause positive priming of soil C decomposition and represents a pathway for SOM loss. However, data is limited to a few soils.
Aims: We investigated the priming response to bovine urine of 27 dairy grazed pasture soils from the North Island of New Zealand.
Methods: Soils from Allophanic, Gley, Recent and Brown soil orders were collected. 14C-labelled dairy cow urine was applied (1000 kg N ha−1) to undisturbed soil cores and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes measured (25°C) for 21 days. Urine applications were repeated, and CO2 measured for a further 21 days (25°C). Water was the control treatment.
Key results: CO2 fluxes rapidly increased after both urine additions by 86 ± 1% 24 h after the first urine addition, and 68 ± 4% after the second. Positive, negative and no priming were observed, and the mean absolute deviation of priming ranged between 200 and 1000 μg C g−1, and variability was greater after the second urine addition. Urine induced changes in pH and electrical conductivity (EC) had no effect on priming, and soil C contents were correlated to cumulative CO2, but not priming, and varied over time.
Conclusions: Factors affecting soil priming remain elusive and priming was highly variable within and between soil types.
Implications: The impacts of bovine urine on C pools requires further investigation to determine if, or when, urine patches are potential pathways for soil C loss.
Keywords: buffering capacity, carbon, cumulative urine effect on soil electrical conductivity, cumulative urine effect on soil pH, negative priming, pasture, positive priming, soil organic matter.
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