Labile soil carbon and nitrogen fractions under short and long-term integrated crop–livestock agroecosystems
Jashanjeet Kaur Dhaliwal
A * , Kavya Laxmisagra Sagar A , Jemila Chellappa A , Udayakumar Sekaran B and Sandeep Kumar A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA.
B Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, Clemson State University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
Soil Research 60(6) 511-519 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR21038
Submitted: 11 February 2021 Accepted: 7 July 2021 Published: 4 November 2021
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing
Abstract
Context: Labile soil C and N fractions are strongly influenced by agricultural management practices.
Aims: This study was conducted on three long-term (≥30 years) on-farm sites (sites 1–3), and one short-term (3 years) experimental site (site 4) to evaluate the impacts of integrated crop–livestock system (ICLS) on labile C and N fractions and β-glucosidase enzyme activity for the 0–5 cm soil depth.
Methods: Long-term management systems (ICLS, corn (Zea mays L.)/grazing–soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)/grazing–cover crop/grazing), control (CNT, corn–soybean with no cover crop and no grazing), and a grazed pasture (GP) at sites 1–3 were compared. At site 4, the treatments included: ICLS (corn/grazing–soybean/grazing–oat (Avena sativa L.)–cover crop/grazing); CC (corn–soybean–oat–cover crop with no grazing); CNT (corn–soybean–oat–fallow with no grazing); and GP.
Key results: ICLS had higher hot water extractable organic carbon (HWC), cold water extractable organic carbon (CWC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), potential carbon mineralisation (PCM) and potassium permanganate oxidisable carbon (POXC) than CNT under long-term management system. Long-term ICLS also enhanced β-glucosidase activity compared to CNT. ICLS had 72%, 214% and 60% higher glucosidase activity than the CNT at sites 1, 2 and 3, respectively. However, the C and N fractions and β-glucosidase activity were not affected by short-term ICLS (site 4). GP always had higher C and N fractions than ICLS and the CNT. There was a significantly positive relationship between SOC and labile C and N fractions, except POXC.
Conclusions and implications: Long-term inclusion of cover crops and livestock grazing in corn–soybean system was effective in enhancing labile soil C and N fractions.
Keywords: carbon fractions, cover crop, corn–soybean system, grazed pasture, grazing, integrated crop–livestock system, nitrogen fractions, β-glucosidase activity.
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