HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (19) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ortega, R. A. Articles by Westfall, D. G. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Ortega, R. A. Articles by Westfall, D. G. Agricola Articles by Ortega, R. A. Articles by Westfall, D. G. Related Collections Agroclimatology Crop Rotation Systems Dryland Cropping Systems Soil Organic Matter Soil Analysis Soil Fertility and Productivity Other Soil Management Tillage

DRYLAND CROPPING SYSTEMS

Residue Accumulation and Changes in Soil Organic Matter as Affected by Cropping Intensity in No-Till Dryland Agroecosystems

^a Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
^b Dep. of Soil and Crop Sci., Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO 80523

* Corresponding author (gary.peterson{at}colostate.edu)

Received for publication September 14, 2001. Crop residue is a valuable resource in Great Plains dryland agroecosystems because it aids in water conservation and soil erosion control. The objectives of our research were to (i) determine the effect of cropping intensity, climate gradient, and soil depth on levels and changes in soil C, soil N, and residue parameters after 8 yr of no-till management in dryland cropping systems and (ii) relate soil and residue parameters to soil C and N levels. Surface soil properties and residue parameters were compared in two cropping systems, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–fallow (WF) and wheat–corn (Zea mays L.) or sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]–proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.)–fallow (WCMF). The effects were examined on the summit position of a catenary sequence of soils across three environments representing an evapotranspiration (ET) gradient. Soils at the low- and medium-ET sites are classified as Argiustols, and the soil at the high-ET site is an Ustochrept. There was 3.0 Mg ha^-1 of residue in the surface 10 cm of soil compared with 2.7 Mg ha^-1 of residue on the soil surface averaged over ET gradient and cropping systems. About 90% of the residue in the soil was found within the 2.5-cm soil depth. The highest soil organic C (SOC) and soil organic N (SON) were observed in the surface 0- to 2.5-cm depth. There was a trend (P 0.16) for the more intense WCMF cropping system to have higher SOC and SON contents than the traditional WF system (C = 6.6 g kg^-1 for WF compared with 7.5 g kg^-1 for WCMF and N = 0.70 g kg^-1 for WF compared with 0.74 g kg^-1 for WCMF). From 1985 to 1993, gains in SOC (967 kg ha^-1) and SON (74 kg ha^-1) occurred in the surface 0- to 2.5- and 2.5- to 5-cm depths while losses were observed in the 5- to 10-cm depth (SOC = -694 kg ha^-1; SON = -44 kg ha^-1). Climate strongly modified these effects but did not reflect a clear ET gradient effect. The results suggest that higher levels of surface SOC and SON can be attained by increasing cropping intensity under no-till management.

Abbreviations: ET, evapotranspiration • SOC, soil organic carbon • SON, soil organic nitrogen • WCMF, wheat–corn (or sorghum)–millet–fallow • WF, wheat–fallow

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. E. Fronning, K. D. Thelen, and D.-H. Min Use of Manure, Compost, and Cover Crops to Supplant Crop Residue Carbon in Corn Stover Removed Cropping Systems Agron. J., November 7, 2008; 100(6): 1703 - 1710. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. M. Sainju, A. Lenssen, T. Caesar-Thonthat, and J. Waddell Carbon sequestration in dryland soils and plant residue as influenced by tillage and crop rotation. J. Environ. Qual., July 1, 2006; 35(4): 1341 - 1347. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. E. Clay, C. G. Carlson, S. A. Clay, C. Reese, Z. Liu, J. Chang, and M. M. Ellsbury Theoretical Derivation of Stable and Nonisotopic Approaches for Assessing Soil Organic Carbon Turnover Agron. J., April 11, 2006; 98(3): 443 - 450. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. M. Sainju, A. Lenssen, T. Caesar-Tonthat, and J. Waddell Tillage and Crop Rotation Effects on Dryland Soil and Residue Carbon and Nitrogen Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., February 27, 2006; 70(2): 668 - 678. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. A. Sherrod, G. A. Peterson, D. G. Westfall, and L. R. Ahuja Soil Organic Carbon Pools After 12 Years in No-Till Dryland Agroecosystems Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., August 25, 2005; 69(5): 1600 - 1608. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. A. Campbell, H. H. Janzen, K. Paustian, E. G. Gregorich, L. Sherrod, B. C. Liang, and R. P. Zentner Carbon Storage in Soils of the North American Great Plains: Effect of Cropping Frequency Agron. J., March 1, 2005; 97(2): 349 - 363. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. L. Wright and F. M. Hons Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Storage in Aggregates from Different Tillage and Crop Regimes Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., January 1, 2005; 69(1): 141 - 147. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. F. Bronson, T. M. Zobeck, T. T. Chua, V. Acosta-Martinez, R. S. van Pelt, and J. D. Booker Carbon and Nitrogen Pools of Southern High Plains Cropland and Grassland Soils Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., September 1, 2004; 68(5): 1695 - 1704. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. L. Wright and F. M. Hons Soil Aggregation and Carbon and Nitrogen Storage under Soybean Cropping Sequences Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., March 1, 2004; 68(2): 507 - 513. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. A. Sherrod, G. A. Peterson, D. G. Westfall, and L. R. Ahuja Cropping Intensity Enhances Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen in a No-Till Agroecosystem Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., September 1, 2003; 67(5): 1533 - 1543. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]