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- Title
Relationship between soil carbon and nitrogen, soil properties, and dryland crop yields.
- Authors
Sainju, Upendra M.; Liptzin, Daniel; Ghimire, Rajan; Dangi, Sadikshya
- Abstract
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important indicator of soil health, but its analysis requires a two‐step process of measuring soil total carbon (STC) and inorganic carbon (SIC) in arid and semiarid regions. Determination of STC or soil total nitrogen (STN) for SOC can shorten the analytical process, which may be used for measuring soil health. We related STC, STN, SOC, and SIC to 62 soil properties and mean crop yields across years in two long‐term (14‐ and 36‐yr‐old) experiments in the northern Great Plains. Treatments were rotations of till‐ and no‐till spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)/barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.), and fallow with and without N fertilization. No‐till continuous cropping (every year cropping) increased STC, STN, and SOC compared to till and no‐till crop–fallow, with limited effect of N fertilization. Treatments had little effect on SIC. The STC correlated to 6, 7, and 28 more soil physical, chemical, biological, and biochemical properties than SOC, STN, and SIC, respectively. A combination of data from both experiments enhanced the relationships among STC, STN, SOC, and selected soil properties. The STC also more strongly related to mean crop yield across years than SOC, STN, and SIC. Because of rapid determination and sensitivity to management practices, STC can be used as a potential soil health indicator to relate to more soil properties and crop yields in dryland cropping systems in the semiarid northern Great Plains. Core Ideas: Analysis of soil organic C as a potential soil health indicator in arid and semiarid regions requires a two‐step process. Soil total C or total N as an alternate to soil organic C was examined as a potential soil health indicator in dryland farming. Soil total C related to six to seven more soil properties than soil organic C and total N. Soil total C also strongly related to mean annualized crop yield than soil organic C and total N. Soil total C may be used as a potential soil health indicator that relates to most soil properties and dryland crop yields.
- Subjects
GREAT Plains; CROP yields; CARBON in soils; DRY farming; NITROGEN in soils; SOILS; NO-tillage
- Publication
Agronomy Journal, 2022, Vol 114, Issue 1, p395
- ISSN
0002-1962
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/agj2.20938