Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the total organic carbon (TOC) and nitrogen content, and quantify the TOC and nitrogen stocks in land use systems in the Cerrado region of Goiás State, Brazil. A crop-livestock integration system (CLIS) was evaluated - (corn+brachiaria/beans/cotton/soya beans) and a no-tillage system (NTS) - (sunflower/millet/soya beans/corn). The vegetal coverage of the natural Cerrado, adjacent to the NTS and CLIS, was considered as the original soil condition. Soil samples were collected at layer depths of 0.0-10.0 cm, 10.0-20.0 cm, 20.0-30.0 cm, 30.0-40.0 cm, 40.0-50.0 cm, 50.0-60.0 cm, 60.0-80.0 cm, and 80.0-100.0 cm, in a full random experimental design. The CLIS had higher contents of TOC and N than the NTS up to a level of 30.0 cm. Higher nitrogen stocks were observed in the Cerrado. In the CLIS, higher TOC contents were found up to 30.0 cm and nitrogen contents up to 20.0 cm. The sum of stocks up to a depth of 100 cm for TOC and 40 cm for nitrogen was greater in the CLIS when compared to the NTS. Under the CLIS, the stocks of TOC (0.0-30.0 cm) and nitrogen (0.0-20.0 cm) increased in relation to those of the NTS. The CLIS was more efficient in stock accumulation than the Cerrado for the sum of layers 0.0-40.0 cm and 0.0-60.0 cm.
Highlights
The conversion of crops from a no-tillage system (NTS) into a crop-livestock integration system (CLIS) may result in significant increases in the soil nutrient content, mainly because the integrated system may lead to higher soil organic matter content (SOM)
With a greater deposition of vegetable material, the total organic carbon (TOC) and nitrogen contents were higher in the surface layers in comparison to the deeper layers
The highest TOC and nitrogen contents were found in the Cerrado, followed by the CLIS and the NTS, in the 0.0-10.0 cm layer
Summary
The conversion of crops from a no-tillage system (NTS) into a crop-livestock integration system (CLIS) may result in significant increases in the soil nutrient content, mainly because the integrated system may lead to higher soil organic matter content (SOM). More intense cultivation of the soil may result in a higher extraction of nutrients from CLIS areas. Conclusive studies on the changes in the distribution of carbon and nitrogen contents and stocks after the implementation of a CLIS system are scarce (Marchão et al, 2009; Carvalho et al, 2010a; Loss et al, 2011; Anghinoni et al, 2011). The CLIS has great potential for agricultural use due to the introduction of forage species. Forage species accumulate more carbon than crops for human consumption, as the phytomass of the latter is often insufficient for the maintenance of the soil cover (Macedo, 2009; Carvalho et al, 2010b). The CLIS has been used as a means of recovering pastures degraded by overgrazing and low fertility, resulting in improved productivity due to intensified soil use and minimization of native vegetation removal (Landers, 2007; Salton et al, 2008; Gimenez et al, 2009; Ferreira et al, 2011), in the Cerrado morphoclimatic domain
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