Register      Login
Soil Research Soil Research Society
Soil, land care and environmental research
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > SR > SR08104
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 47(3)

Accumulation of soil carbon under zero tillage cropping and perennial vegetation on the Liverpool Plains, eastern Australia

R. R. Young A D , B. Wilson B C , S. Harden A and A. Bernardi A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A NSW Department of Primary Industries, Tamworth Agricultural Institute, 4 Marsden Park Road, Calala, NSW 2340, Australia.

B NSW Department Environment and Climate Change, PO Box U245, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.

C School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: rick.young@dpi.nsw.gov.au

Australian Journal of Soil Research 47(3) 273-285 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR08104
Submitted: 30 April 2008  Accepted: 2 December 2008   Published: 25 May 2009

Abstract

Australian agriculture contributes an estimated 16% of all national greenhouse gas emissions, and considerable attention is now focused on management approaches that reduce net emissions. One area of potential is the modification of cropping practices to increase soil carbon storage.

Here, we report short–medium term changes in soil carbon under zero tillage cropping systems and perennial vegetation, both in a replicated field experiment and on nearby farmers’ paddocks, on carbon-depleted Black Vertosols in the upper Liverpool Plains catchment.

Soil organic carbon stocks (CS) remained unchanged under both zero tillage long fallow wheat–sorghum rotations and zero tillage continuous winter cereal in a replicated field experiment from 1994 to 2000. There was some evidence of accumulation of CS under intensive (>1 crop/year) zero tillage response cropping. There was significant accumulation of CS (~0.35 Mg/ha.year) under 3 types of perennial pasture, despite removal of aerial biomass with each harvest. Significant accumulation was detected in the 0–0.1, 0.1–0.2, and 0.2–0.4 m depth increments under lucerne and the top 2 increments under mixed pastures of lucerne and phalaris and of C3 and C4 perennial grasses. Average annual rainfall for the period of observations was 772 mm, greater than the 40-year average of 680 mm. A comparison of major attributes of cropping systems and perennial pastures showed no association between aerial biomass production and accumulation rates of CS but a positive correlation between the residence times of established plants and accumulation rates of CS. CS also remained unchanged (1998/2000–07) under zero tillage cropping on nearby farms, irrespective of paddock history before 1998/2000 (zero tillage cropping, traditional cropping, or ~10 years of sown perennial pasture).

These results are consistent with previous work in Queensland and central western New South Wales suggesting that the climate (warm, semi-arid temperate, semi-arid subtropical) of much of the inland cropping country in eastern Australia is not conducive to accumulation of soil carbon under continuous cropping, although they do suggest that CS may accumulate under several years of healthy perennial pastures in rotation with zero tillage cropping.


Acknowledgments

We thank Robert and Edwina Duddy for making the site on ‘Hudson’ available for our work, and Neil Barwick, Brien Cobcroft, and James Badgery for access to their country. We thank Alison Bowman, Brendan George, Yin Chan, and 2 anonymous referees for very helpful comments on earlier drafts, Anthony Ringrose-Voase for his insightful comments on the bulk density calculations, and Ross McLeod and Wayne McPherson for their excellent work in the paddock and in the soil processing shed. This work was funded by a NSW Government Climate Action Grant (T06/CAG/003) made avalilable to NSW Department of Primary Industries on the recommendation of the Namoi Catchment Management Authority. The field experiment and original sampling of farmers’ paddocks was funded by a series of grants from GRDC, Salt Action and Land and Water Australia from 1993 to 2002.


References


Armstrong RD, Millar G, Halpin NV, Reid DJ, Standley J (2003) Using zero tillage, fertilisers and legume rotations to maintain productivity and soil fertility in opportunity cropping systems on a shallow Vertosol. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43, 141–153.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Banks R (1998) ‘Soil landscapes of the Blackville 1 : 100 000 Sheet Report.’ (Department of Conservation and Land Management: Sydney)

Bayer C, Martin Neto L, Mielniczuk J, Pavinato A, Dieckow J (2006) Carbon sequestration in two Brazilian Cerrado soils under no-till. Soil & Tillage Research 86, 237–245.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Butler DG , Cullis BR , Gilmour AR , Gogel BJ (2007) ‘ASReml-R Reference Manual Release 2.’ (Queensland Department of Primary Industries)

Chan KY, Heenan DP, So HB (2003) Sequestration of carbon and changes in soil quality under conservation tillage on light-textured soils in Australia: a review. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43, 325–334.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Dalal RC (1989) Long-term effects of no-tillage, crop residue, and nitrogen application on properties of a Vertisol. Soil Science Society of America Journal 53, 1511–1515.
|  CAS |
open url image1

Dalal RC, Chan KY (2001) Soil organic matter in rainfed cropping systems of the Australian cereal belt. Australian Journal of Soil Research 39, 435–464.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Dalal RC, Mayer RJ (1986) Long-term trends in fertility of soils under continuous cultivation and cereal cropping in southern Queensland. II. Total organic carbon and its rate of loss from the soil profile. Australian Journal of Soil Research 24, 281–292.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Dalal RC, Strong WM, Weston EJ, Cooper JE, Lehane KJ, King AJ, Chicken CJ (1995) Sustaining productivity of a Vertisol at Warra, Queensland, with fertilisers, no-tillage, or legumes. 1. Organic matter status. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 35, 903–913.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

De Deyn GB, Cornelissen JHC, Bardgett RD (2008) Plant functional traits and soil carbon sequestration in contrasting biomes. Ecology Letters 11, 516–531.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Deen W, Kataki PK (2003) Carbon sequestration in a long-term conventional versus conservation tillage experiment. Soil & Tillage Research 74, 143–150.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Department of Climate Change (2008) National Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2006. Department of Climate Change, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.

Diekow J, Mielniczuk J, Knicker H, Bayer C, Dick DP, Kogel-Knabner I (2005) Carbon and nitrogen stocks in physical fractions of a subtropical Acrisol as influenced by long-term no-till cropping systems and N fertilisation. Plant and Soil 268, 319–328.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Ellert BH, Bettany JR (1995) Calculation of organic matter and nutrients stored in soils under contrasting management regimes. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 75, 529–538.
|  CAS |
open url image1

Fettell NA, Gill HS (1995) Long-term effects of tillage, stubble, and nitrogen management on properties of a red-brown earth. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 35, 923–928.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Follett RF (2001) Soil management concepts and carbon sequestration in cropland soils. Soil & Tillage Research 61, 77–92.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Franzluebbers AJ (2005) Soil organic carbon sequestration and agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in the southeastern USA. (Special Issue: Greenhouse gas contributions and mitigation potential in agricultural regions of North America.) Soil & Tillage Research 83, 120–147.
| Crossref |
open url image1

Franzluebbers AJ, Arshad MA (1996) Soil organic matter pools with conventional and zero tillage in a cold, semiarid climate. Soil & Tillage Research 39, 1–11.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Gardner EA (1988) Soil water. In ‘Understanding soils and soil data’. (Ed. IF Fergus) (Australian Society of Soil Science (Queensland Branch): Brisbane, Qld)

Gilmour AR , Cullis B , Gogel BJ , Welham S , Thompson R (2006) ‘ASReml User Guide. Release 2.’ (VSN International: UK)

Heenan DP, Chan KY, Knight PG (2004) Long-term impact of rotation, tillage and stubble management on the loss of soil organic carbon and nitrogen from a Chromic Luvisol. Soil & Tillage Research 76, 59–68.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Heenan DP, McGhie WJ, Thomson FM, Chan KY (1995) Decline in soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in relation to tillage, stubble management, and rotation. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 35, 877–884.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Hermle S, Anken T, Leifeld J, Weisskopf P (2008) The effect of the tillage system on soil organic carbon content under moist, cold-temperate conditions. Soil & Tillage Research 98, 94–105.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Holford IC (1981) Changes in nitrogen and organic carbon of wheat-growing soils after various periods of grazed lucerne, extended fallowing and continuous wheat. Australian Journal of Soil Research 19, 239–249.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Huggins DR, Buyanovsky GA, Wagner GH, Brown JR, Darmody RG, Peck TR, Lesoing GW, Vanotti MB, Bundy LG (1998) Soil organic C in the tallgrass prairie-derived region of the corn belt: effects of long-term crop management. Soil & Tillage Research 47, 219–234.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

IPCC (2007) Climatic Change 2007. Synthesis Report. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report, IPCC, Geneva.

Isbell RF (1996) ‘The Australian Soil Classification.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood, Vic.)

Jantalia CP, Resck DV, Alves BJ, Zotarelli L, Urquiaga S, Boddey RM (2007) Tillage effect on C stocks of a clayey Oxisol under a soybean-based crop rotation in the Brazilian Cerrado region. Soil & Tillage Research 95, 97–109.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Johnson JM, Allmaras RR, Reicosky DC (2006) Estimating source carbon from crop residues, roots and rhizodeposits using the national grain-yield database. Agronomy Journal 98, 622–636.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Johnson JM, Reicosky DC, Allmaras RR, Sauer TJ, Venterea RT, Dell CJ (2005) Greenhouse gas contributions and mitigation potential of agriculture in the central USA. (Special Issue: Greenhouse gas contributions and mitigation potential in agricultural regions of North America.) Soil & Tillage Research 83, 73–94.
| Crossref |
open url image1

Kirby JM, Bernardi AL, Ringrose-Voase AJ, Young R, Rose H (2003) Field swelling, shrinking, and water content change in a heavy clay soil. Australian Journal of Soil Research 41, 963–978.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Lal R, Follett RF, Kimble JM (2003) Achieving soil carbon sequestration in the United States: a challenge to the policy makers. Soil Science 168, 827–845.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Langley JA, Hungate BA (2003) Mycorrhoizal controls on belowground litter quality. Ecology 84, 2302–2312.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Paydar Z, Huth N, Ringrose-Voase A, Young R, Bernardi T, Keating B, Cresswell H (2005) Deep drainage and land use systems. Model verification and systems comparison. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 56, 995–1007.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Rasse DP, Rumpel C, Dignac MF (2005) Is soil carbon mostly root carbon? Mechanisms for a specific stabilisation. Plant and Soil 269, 341–356.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Ringrose-Voase AJ , Young RR , Paydar Z , Huth NI , Bernardi AL , Cresswell HP , Keating BA , Scott JF , Stauffacher M , Banks RG , Holland JF , Johnston RM , Green TW , Gregory LJ , Daniells I , Farquharson R ,  Drinkwater RJ , Heidenreich S , Donaldson S (2003) Deep drainage under different land uses in the Liverpool Plains Catchment. Report 3, Agricultural Resource Management Report Series, NSW Agriculture, Tamworth, NSW.

Smith P, Powlson DS, Glendining MJ, Smith JU (1998) Preliminary estimates of the potential for carbon mitigation in European soils through no-till farming. Global Change Biology 4, 679–685.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Stewart CE, Paustian K, Conant RT, Plante AF, Six J (2007) Soil carbon saturation: concept, evidence and evaluation. Biogeochemistry 86, 19–31.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Teixeira EI, Moot DJ, Brown HE (2008) Defoliation frequency and season affected radiation use efficiency and dry matter partitioning to roots of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) crops. European Journal of Agronomy 28, 103–111.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Thompson JP (1987) Decline of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae in long fallow disorder of field crops and its expression in phosphorus deficiency of sunflower. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 38, 847–867.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Verbyla AP, Cullis BP, Kenward MG, Welham SJ (1999) The analysis of designed experiments and longitudinal data using smoothing splines (with discussion). Applied Statistics 48, 269–311.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Wang WJ, Dalal RC, Moody PW (2004) Soil carbon sequestration and density distribution in a Vertosol under different farming practices. Australian Journal of Soil Research 42, 875–882.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Wilhelm WW, Johnson JM, Hatfield JL, Voorhoees WB, Linden DR (2004) Crop and soil productivity response to corn residue removal: a literature review. Agronomy Journal 96, 1–17. open url image1

Wilson BR, Growns I, Lemon J (2008) Land-use effects on soil carbon and other soil properties on the NW slopes of NSW: Implications for soil condition assessment. Australian Journal of Soil Research 46, 359–367.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Young R, Wilson BR, McLeod M, Alston C (2005) Carbon storage in the soils and vegetation of contrasting land uses in northern New South Wales, Australia. Australian Journal of Soil Research 43, 21–31.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Young RR, Derham P-J, Dunin FX, Bernardi AL, Harden S (2008) High crop productivity with high water use in winter and summer on the Liverpool Plains, eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 59, 303–320.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Zanatta JA, Bayer C, Dieckow J, Vieira FC, Mielniczuk J (2007) Soil organic carbon accumulation and carbon costs related to tillage, cropping systems and nitrogen fertilization in a subtropical Acrisol. Soil & Tillage Research 94, 510–519.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1