Changes in Soil Properties in the Cropland Conversion from Sandy Grassland, Inner Mongoila, China

Abstract

 Abstract—A field investigation to characterize some changes of soil properties in the cropland was conducted in 2002 in sandy Entisol under mung bean production. We found that once the grassland was converted to cropland, some soil properties degraded rapidly. There was a significant increase in the soil sand fraction and soil temperature, and a substantial decrease in soil silt and clay fraction, soil organic matter, total N, total P, available N and soil moisture in the cropland converted from grassland after several years cropping. At 5 years successive cropping site, the soil productivity declined to one-third that at 1 year cropping site. All results implied that these changes of soil properties caused soil environment deteriorating for crop growth and crop biomass formation in the cropland.