Effects of soil management on aggregation and organic matter dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa
| Autor: | Zacharie Zida, D.K. Lelei, Fredrick O. Ayuke |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
chemistry.chemical_classification Land use Soil organic matter chemistry.chemical_element 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences 01 natural sciences Soil quality Soil management chemistry Agronomy Soil water 040103 agronomy & agriculture 0401 agriculture forestry and fisheries Environmental science Organic matter Soil aggregation soil organic matter carbon nitrogen management intensity Arable land Carbon 010606 plant biology & botany |
| Zdroj: | African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development; Vol 19, No 1 (2019); 13992-14009 |
| ISSN: | 1684-5358 1684-5374 |
| Popis: | Maintenance of soil organic matter (SOM) is important for soil quality and agricultural productivity. However, little is known about the effects of management practices of different intensities on soil aggregation and SOM dynamics in tropical arable cropping systems of sub-Saharan Africa. We investigated the influence of land use practices and management intensity on soil aggregation and SOM dynamics across 12 long-term field experiments in eastern and western Africa. Aggregate size distribution and SOM were measured in arable systems under contrasting management intensities of high carbon, low carbon and a fallow. Aggregate stability indices and SOM were generally higher in the fallow compared to the arable systems. Fallowing and high carbon inputs in arable soils, significantly improved aggregate stability and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stabilization in whole soil, and in aggregate fractions. In contrast, no significant improvements in soil aggregation and C and N stabilization were found when organic inputs were either applied in low quantities or not applied at all, thus resulting in low carbon in soils. Our study showed that fallowing and long-term application of organic amendments alone or in combination with mineral fertilizers were the best among the practices tested in this study, for enhanced C and N stabilization in soils with the subsequent benefits of improving soil physical and chemical properties. These results emphasize the importance of management for sustaining soil quality. It is recommended that fallowing be an integral part of sustainable soil management strategies in these regions. Keywords: Soil aggregation, soil organic matter, carbon, nitrogen, management intensity |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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