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Does animal manure application improve soil aggregation? Insights from nine long-term fertilization experiments
Zichun Guo1, Jiabao Zhang2, Jun Fan3
1State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100081, PR China.
The Science of the Total Environment
|February 13, 2019
Summary
Long-term animal manure application boosts soil binding agents but can harm soil structure by increasing sodium. This effect is more pronounced in drier regions, potentially degrading soil quality over time.
Area of Science:
- Soil Science
- Agronomy
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Manure application is a common practice to enhance soil fertility and structure through organic matter and nutrient addition.
- However, the inherent salinity in animal manure can negatively impact soil aggregation, posing a risk to soil health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term effects of animal manure application on soil aggregation, binding agents (soil organic carbon [SOC], glomalin-related soil protein [GRSP]), and dispersing agents (sodium [Na+]).
- To analyze the relationships between these soil properties and their impact on soil structure across diverse climatic regions in China.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of nine long-term fertilization experiments (12-39 years) across China, comparing control, inorganic fertilizer, and combined inorganic fertilizer with animal manure treatments.
- Evaluation of soil aggregate stability, SOC, GRSP, and exchangeable Na+ levels.
- Statistical analysis to determine the relationships between soil properties and environmental factors like precipitation.
Main Results:
- Long-term manure application significantly increased SOC and GRSP but also elevated exchangeable Na+ in most experimental sites.
- Soil aggregate stability improved in southern China (high precipitation) but not in semi-humid/arid northern China.
- Positive correlations were found between aggregate stability and SOC/GRSP in southern China, while negative correlations with Na+ were observed in northern China.
Conclusions:
- Long-term animal manure application can degrade soil structure due to Na+ accumulation, particularly in regions with lower precipitation.
- The positive effects of organic matter and GRSP on soil aggregation may be counteracted by high Na+ levels in drier environments.
- Management strategies should consider manure salinity and regional precipitation to mitigate potential soil degradation.
Keywords:
Animal manureBinding agentsDispersing agentsGlomalinSoil aggregate stabilitySoil aggregationMore Related Videos
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