Nutrient dynamics from surface-applied organic matter amendments on no-till orchard soil |
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Authors: | Sat Darshan S Khalsa Stephen C Hart Patrick H Brown |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA;2. Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sierra Nevada Research Institute, University of California, Merced, California, USA |
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Abstract: | Advancing conservation agriculture depends on understanding nutrient dynamics of organic matter amendments (OMA) on no-till soil. This field incubation study compared surface-applied composted dairy manure (CM), green waste compost (GWC) and an unamended control from March to September in 2015 and 2016 using a RCBD in a California almond (Prunus dulcis) orchard. Measurements included OMA nutrient release rates, changes in soil organic carbon (SOC), total N (TN) and inorganic N, P and K availability using in-season soil sampling and collection of ion exchange resin (IER) membranes from 0 to 10 cm depth, and cumulative N and P availability using soil IER cores from 0 to 50 cm depth. We hypothesized OMA sources with a lower initial C:N increase soil N availability, greater soluble phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) concentrations increase P and K availability, and all OMA sources increase SOC with the greatest N recovery in the TN pool. No differences were observed in C, N and P release rates, while the K release rate was the greatest. In-season N availability showed no effect but P and K availability differed as evidenced by greater IER adsorption and soil extractable P and K. Both OMA sources significantly increased in SOC and TN. Net N mineralization from OMA sources ranged from 0.7% to 8.0% of applied N and total N recovery in TN and inorganic N pools increased based on the initial C:N. These results advance our understanding of nutrient dynamics while conserving the soil due to the no-till practice of surface-applied OMA. |
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Keywords: | decomposition ion exchange resin nitrogen mineralization phosphorus P potassium K soil organic matter |
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