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Dryland cropping systems influence the microbial biomass and enzyme activities in a semiarid sandy soil |
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| Authors: | Veronica Acosta-Mart??nez Robert Lascano Francisco Calder??n Jill D Booker Ted M Zobeck Dan R Upchurch |
| Institution: | 1. Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, Wind Erosion and Water Conservation Unit, USDA-ARS, 3810 4th St., Lubbock, TX, 79415, USA 2. Central Great Plains Resources Management Research, USDA-ARS, 40335 County Road GG, Akron, CO, 80720, USA 3. Southern Plains Area, USDA-ARS, 1001 Holleman Drive East, College Station, TX, 77840-4117, USA |
| Abstract: | Indicators of soil quality, such as microbial biomass C and N (MBC, MBN) and enzyme activities (EAs), involved in C, P, N, and S cycling, as affected by dryland cropping systems under conventional (ct) and no tillage (nt) practices were evaluated for 5?years. The soil is sandy loam with an average of 16.4% clay, 67.6% sand, and 0.65?g kg?1 OM at 0?C10?cm. The crops evaluated were rotations of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) or forage sorghum (also called haygrazer), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), and winter rye (Secale cereale): grain sorghum?Ccotton (Srg?CCt), cotton?Cwinter rye?Csorghum (Ct?CRye?CSrg), and forage sorghum?Cwinter rye (Srf?CRye). The tillage treatments did not affect soil MB and EAs of C cycling (i.e., ??-glucosidase, ??-glucosaminidase, ??-galactosidase), P cycling (alkaline phosphatase, phosphodiesterase), and S cycling (arylsulfatase)??except for separation due to tillage for Srf?CRye and Ct?CRye?CSrg observed in PCA plots when all EAs were evaluated together. After 3?years, rotations with a winter cover crop history (Ct?CRye?CSrg and Srf?CRye) enhanced soil MBN (up to 63%) and EAs (21-37%) compared to Srg?CCt. After 5?years, Srg?CCt and Ct?CRye?CSrg showed similar soil MBC, MBN, EAs, total carbon (TC), and organic carbon (OC). A comparison of Srg?CCt plots with nearby continuous cotton (Ct?CCt) research plots in the same soil revealed that it took 5?years to detect higher TC (12%), MBC (38%), and EAs (32?C36%, depending on the enzyme) under Srg?CCt. The significant improvements in MB and EAs found, as affected by dryland cropping systems with a history of winter cover crops and/or higher biomass return crops than cotton, can represent changes in soil OM, nutrient cycling, and C sequestration for sandy soils in the semiarid Texas High Plains region. It is significant that these soil changes occurred despite summer crop failure (2003 and 2006) and lack of winter cover crops (2006) due to lack of precipitation in certain years. |
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