Abstract
Pig slurry fertilization in dryland agriculture of semiarid areas is a matter of concern because of the increasing intensity of livestock farming. Slurry is a nutrient source but if it triggers soil water repellency (SWR), this could constrain its application over the surface in the crop cycle. In SWR tests, choice of a suitable drying soil temperature is a key point, as temperature affects its expression. Its determination must also be easily integrated with the different standard analytical procedures in laboratories. In this study we evaluated the persistence and the severity of the SWR in undisturbed soil samples dried at 40 °C. Soil samples came from a long-term fertilization experiment where five slurry treatments plus a control were implemented. Soil samples were taken seven times during a 51 days (d) period, starting 4 d before slurry application and up to 47 d after. The maximum recorded SWR persistence and severity was classified as <em>moderate</em> and <em>severe</em>, respectively. As soil dried at 40 °C was able to express hydrophobicity after pig slurry fertilization, the SWR tests can be easily included in the framework of routine procedures for soil sample analysis where this effluent has been applied. Further research is needed in slurry rainfed fertilized areas to evaluate SWR variability (annual and between cropping seasons) and its additional impacts in these agricultural systems.
Highlights
Slurries are a source of water and nutrients in rainfed agricultural systems (Yagüe et al 2012) where water availability is the main limiting factor for crop growth
In the context of a slurry fertilization experiment in which soil water repellency (SWR) has previously been assessed (Jiménez-de-Santiago et al 2019), this work has two aims: a) to evaluate the feasibility to detect SWR in 40 oC oven-dried undisturbed soil samples, and b) to assess the potential interactions of previous slurry applications at cereal sowing on SWR expression at cereal tillering when a second slurry application can be performed
Variability prevents the detection of more precise differences between treatments, it is inherent to this soil property and to the composition of the organic matter (Hernández et al 2013; Olorunfemi et al 2014)
Summary
Slurries are a source of water and nutrients in rainfed agricultural systems (Yagüe et al 2012) where water availability is the main limiting factor for crop growth. KEY WORDS Cereal tillering fertilization, Mediterranean rainfed agriculture, molarity of ethanol droplet test, soil water repellency, water drop penetration time test. The 30-40 oC interval of temperature is in the range of those experienced at the soil surface in the field (Sheppard and Addison 2006), mainly in dryland areas where gypsum may be present in soil samples (Porta and Herrero 1990) This temperature allows the standardizing of soil water content (i.e. mitigating the effect of soil moisture in SWR tests) and it has been previously used in repellency analysis (De Jonge et al 1999). In the context of a slurry fertilization experiment in which SWR has previously been assessed (Jiménez-de-Santiago et al 2019), this work has two aims: a) to evaluate the feasibility to detect SWR (persistence and severity) in 40 oC oven-dried undisturbed soil samples, and b) to assess the potential interactions of previous slurry applications at cereal sowing on SWR expression at cereal tillering when a second slurry application can be performed
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