Nitrogen availability in agricultural soils from fertilizer, plant residue inputs, and soil organic matter has important implications beyond crop yield. Legume winter cover crops and one fourth the recommended N rate on sweet corn resulted in yields equivalent to those at the recommended rate in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon. Cereal rye winter crops absorbed an average of 40 kg N/ha that otherwise would have been leached, but did not effectively replace fertilizer N. Cereal rye as a cover crop therefore shows an ability to immobilize N from fertilizer. This was further confirmed in an experiment with "N labeled urea where results showed that N derived from fertilizer in sweet corn or cereal rye plant residue was less available for crop uptake and loss from the system than inorganic N or N directly immobilized from fertilizer. Losses of N from fertilizer ranged from 40 to 73% of that which was in the soil over winter. Mineralization of organic matter N is an important process in N availability, especially when cover crops are used to replace fertilizer. Finding a general indicator or predictor of N mineralization in soils would help in reducing fertilizer N costs and leaching of inorganic N that is applied in excess of crop needs. In a screening of 17 biological and chemical properties of 19 differently managed soils from around the state of Oregon, a model using total soil N and ��-glucosidase activity provided the best model of mineralized N uptake by ryegrass. Biological activity is primarily responsible for the transformations that result in N availability in soils. Management of soils directly impacts soil biology, and results from multivariate analyses of biological and chemical parameters in differently managed soils showed that disturbance creates an overriding common biochemical state in soils. Beyond disturbance, vegetation and the nature of organic inputs also impart recognizable multivariate patterns in soils managed differently. These results suggest that indicators independent of soil type may be used to discern effects of management on agricultural soils. / Graduation date: 1999

The use of no-tillage (NT) system has increased in the past few years in South Africa, but its effects on soil physical conditions have not been adequately documented. This study was undertaken to ascertain these effects, as compared to Conventional tillage (CT) system. Several sites were selected in the Bergville and Winterton areas of the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, and at the Cedara Agricultural Research Station. NT generally increased bulk density in the topsoil and this altered total porosity and poresize distribution. Water retention, organic C and aggregate stability were increased under NT, partly due to the maintenance of the mulch cover on the surface soil. Organic C and aggregate stability were positively correlated with each other. Differences in bulk density between tillage systems with soil depth did not clearly indicate where soil compaction had occurred. Significant differences in soil compaction between treatments were, however, illustrated by changes in soil penetration resistance (SPR), especially at the. 150 mm depth. In addition, depending on the soil type, SPR was greater in the topsoil under NT than CT. It was suggested that conversion from CT to NT was carried out when the topsoil of the CT-fields was structurally poor, due to a previous history of continuous CT. Tractor traffic under CT and repeated tillage when the soil was wet had, in some cases, resulted in the formation of a compacted layer at the depth of cultivation. In clay soils, this has resulted in subsoil compaction. The formation of compacted layers caused major changes to pore size distribution and continuity and this resulted in substantially reduced hydraulic conductivity, infiltration rate,air-filled porosity and air permeability. It was concluded that compacted subsoil layers need to be broken up prior to conversion from CT to NT, and that compaction in the surface soil under NT has occurred and, in some cases, this will be a limitation to crop production. The use of minimum tillage systems should be considered and researched in these cases. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzurg, 2003.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of land use and management practice on the soil organic matter content and the size, activity and diversity of the microbial biomass. These effects were investigated using samples taken from the top (0-10 cm) layer of the soils from long-term agricultural managements including natural grassland, maize under conventional (maize CT), maize under zero tillage (maize ZT), annual ryegrass, Eucalyptus, Pinus, and permanent kikuyu pasture. The natural grassland was used as a control since records indicated that no agricultural activity had ever been exerted on the soil. The measurements used to investigate these effects included soil organic C, total N, soil pH, microbial biomass C, basal respiration rate, microbial quotient, metabolic quotient, dehydrogenase activity, fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis, arginine ammonification rate, arylsulphatase activity and acid and alkaline phosphatase activities. The microbial functional diversity was measured using the Biolog Ecoplate and catabolic response profiles methods. Soil organic Cand total Nwere lowest under maize CT, followed by maize ZT and annual ryegrass and were higher under natural grassland, Eucalyptus and Pinus plantations while permanent kikuyu pasture had the highest values. The other analyses, namely microbial biomass C, basal respiration rate, FDA hydrolysis, arginine ammonification rate and arylsulphatase activity also followed the same pattern. Annual cultivation was responsible for a decrease in microbial biomass C, basal respiration rate and enzyme activity, principally because there was an appreciable decrease in soil organic matter content. Conversely, permanent pasture, Eucalyptus and Pinus plantations increased appreciably the amount of organic C and consequently, promoted the size and activity of the microbial biomass in the soils. The principle component scores showed that management practices affected the microbial functional diversity because different treatments were found in separate zones of the principle component spaces. The regression analysis showed that the variation in the PC1 and PC2 scores was correlated with the variation in soil organic C, exchangeable acidity, extractable P and exchangeable K and Mg. In addition, richness, evenness, Shannon, and Simpson diversity indices showed that any management practice affects the dynamics of soil microbial diversity. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

No description available.

Thesis (M. Ag. Sc.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Agronomy, Waite Agricultural Research Institute, 1966. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 1997. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University, 2008. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 126-136).

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Australian National University, 2007.

Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a primary role in aggregation and stabilization of soils, hence reducing their susceptibility to erosion. In South Africa (SA), most soils have low (< 4 percent) soil organic matte (SOM) contents, making them susceptible to soil erosion. Little is known about SOM quality effects in soil stabilization in the SA context, it is therefore difficult to advocate specific organic matter sources in order to stabilize a particular soil. This study evaluated effects of different litter quality sources (Vachellia karoo (sweet thorn) leaf litter and Zea mays (maize) stover) on soil aggregate stabilization at a soil micro-level (soil aggregate), guided by the following specific objectives; (i) to characterize soil properties that influence the erodibility of soils in the Ntabelanga area, Eastern Cape (EC) Province, SA (ii) to assess fractionation of organic carbon during decomposition of different litter sources (iii) to determine rate of soil macroaggregate re-formation under different litter amendments (iv) to determine the influence of different litter quality on splash soil erosion and (v) to delineate the Ntabelanga area into different soil erosion sensitivity zones. Soil samples collected from a proposed Ntabelanga dam site, EC Province, SA, were characterized for factors influencing erodibility. Soil physical and chemical properties were analyzed, soil erodibility (K-factor) estimated using SOC content and surface properties and soil loss rates by splashing determined under rainfall simulations at 360 mm h-1 rainfall intensity. Soil loss was then correlated with the chemical and physical soil properties. SOC showed significant (P< 0.05) inverse relationship with soil loss. Soils samples were bulked to seven composite samples according to major soil horizons (orthic A, melanic A, pedocutanic B, red apedal B, saprolite, G horizon and prismacutanic B) in the areas of soil associations, macroaggregate (> 0.250 mm) were removed by passing through a 0.250 mm sieve. The remaining soil microaggregates (< 0.250 mm) were then mixed with high quality Vachellia karoo leaf litter (C/N = 23.8) and low quality Zea mays stover (C/N = 37.4) and incubated at 23oC for 30 weeks. Jars were arranged as a 7 × 3 factorial laid in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates. Data was repeatedly measured at 1, 3, 8, 14, 23 and 30 weeks after incubation: to determine the stabilization of SOM by fractionating the soil particulate organic matter (POM), rate of soil macroaggregate re-formation and influence of litter quality on splash soil erosion along a decomposition continuum. Free light fractions (Free LF), coarse particulate organic matter (CoPOM) and fine particulate organic matter (FiPOM) within macroaggregates (> 250 μm) decreased exponentially from week 1 to 30 and were significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by litter quality × soil horizon × time interactions. A similar trend for FiPOM fractions in macroaggregates was observed in the 53-250 μm microaggregates (p < 0.05). The greatest influence on changes in POM fractions occurred within the first 3 weeks of incorporation. Both V. karroo leaf litter and Z. mays stover significantly stabilized the macroaggregates within the first 3 weeks after incubation. Cumulative macroaggregates yields, mean weight diameter (MWD), percentage water stable aggregates (%WSA) and whole soil stability index (WSSI) in litter amended soils increased up to week 8 of incubation and thereafter gradually declined in all soils. An increase in macroaggregation resulted in increased MWD, WSSI values and large and small aggregates distribution. Aggregation was significantly higher in soils with higher clay content than sand content, suggesting that soil texture was highly influential in litter decomposition. Rate of litter decomposition was influenced by soil type × time interactions which determined extent and macroaggregation dynamics along a decomposition continuum. The amount of splashed sediments was determined from each soil horizon at 360 mm h-1 simulated rainfall intensity applied as either single 8minute rainstorm (SR) or 4 × 2minute intermittent rainstorms (IR) separated by a 72 h drying period. Results showed a reduction in splashed sediments under IR and SR storms in litter-amended soils during the first 8 weeks of incubation with gradual increase thereafter. More sediments were splashed under IR than SR and litter quality had no influence on splashed sediments per soil horizon. Soil horizons profile with more clay than sand particles enhanced the litter effects on the soil resistance against detachment. The amount of SOC loss was influenced by primary particle size distribution and initial SOC content of the soil. Rainfall pattern and the initial SOC content were the main factors by which different soils influenced SOC loss. More rainstorm patterns should be investigated on these soils.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2004-05-28Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:20:57Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_arb_dr_botfca.pdf: 905972 bytes, checksum: 1c30073979107fc7e4560bcba15ab717 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito de diferentes sistemas de manejo do solo e espaçamentos entre linhas sobre cultivares de milho, no município de Botucatu, região central do Estado de São Paulo. O experimento foi conduzido, a campo, na safra de verão dos anos agrícolas de 2000/2001 e 2001/2002, na Fazenda Experimental Lageado da Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas - UNESP - Campus de Botucatu-SP, em solo classificado como Nitossolo Vermelho distroférrico, com clima subtropical chuvoso tipo Cfa e caracterizada por apresentar inverno com baixa precipitação pluviométrica. Utilizou-se, respectivamente, para o primeiro e segundo ano de condução do ensaio, as culturas de milheto (Pennisetum americanum) e triticale (Triticum turgidocereale) como plantas de cobertura. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados com parcelas subdivididas com quatro repetições, nos quais foram distribuídos os três sistemas de manejo do solo (PR - preparo reduzido, PD - plantio direto e PC - preparo convencional) que compuseram as parcelas. As subparcelas, em número de oito, foram compostas pelos fatores: cultivar de milho (variedades AL-30 e AL-25 e os híbridos Aventis A-2288 e Cargil C-333B) e espaçamento entre linhas (0,90 m e 0,45 m). A população de plantas foi de aproximadamente 55.000 plantas.ha-1 para os dois espaçamentos estudados. Após as operações de preparo do solo, os melhores resultados de porcentagem de cobertura do solo foram observados no sistema de plantio direto, seguido e nessa ordem pelos sistemas de manejo reduzido e convencional. O sistema de manejo reduzido apresentou maiores valores de diâmetro médio geométrico dos agregados, área de solo mobilizado, capacidade de campo efetiva e consumo horário de combustível e, menores valores de tempo demandado, uso específico de energia e consumo de combustível por área... / The present research had the objective to evaluate different soil tillage and row spacing on corn cultivars, in the municipal district of Botucatu, central area of São Paulo State, characterized by presenting winter with rainfall scarcity. The experiment was led on the field, in 2000/2001 and 2001/2002 summer, in the Experimental Lageado Farm of Agronomic Science College, UNESP-Botucatu-SP, in a soil classified as Red Nitosoil distroferrico, with a rainy subtropical climate called Cfa, using, respectively, for the first and second period, pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) and triticale (Triticum turgidocereale) as soil covering crops. The experimental design used was randomized blocks in split-plot design with four repetitions where the three soil tillage were distributed (PC - conventional tillage, PR - Reduced Tillage, PD - no tillage) which formed the parcels. The subdivision of the parcels, in number of eight, were composed by the factorial corn cultivar (varieties AL-30 and AL-25 and hybrids Aventis A-2288 and Cargil C-333B) and row spacing (0,90 m and 0,45 m ). The population of plants was approximately 55.000 plants.ha-1 for the two spacing. After the soil tillage operations, the best covering percentage results were observed in no tillage, being followed by reduced tillage and conventional tillage respectively. Reduced tillage presented greater aggregates geometric medium diameter, mobilized soil area, effective field capacity and consume per hour and, lower values of demanded time, energy specific use and fuel consumption per area. The parameters, tenor of water in the soil at seedling, percentage soil covering after seedling and depth of seeds deposition were also influenced by the soil tillage systems. For seedling operation, no tillage sowed at 0.90 m presented the best results of effective field capacity, demanded time, specific energy use and fuel consumption per area...(Complete abstract click electronic access below)