Long-term Fertilization with Liquid Cattle Manure Leaves Legacy Nutrients, but not Organic Carbon and Has No Effect on Soil Microbial and Physical Properties a Year after Last Application

Abstract

ABSTRACT Long-term liquid cattle manure (LCM) application can enhance soil fertility, increase soil organic carbon, and improve soil properties. We investigated the residual effects of long-term fertilization with LCM on physical, chemical and microbial properties of a calcareous soil. The effects of LCM, common inorganic fertilization, recommended fertilization or non-fertilized control were investigated in field plots with corn (Zea mays L.), 1 year after the cessation of 16-years of experimentation. The residual concentrations of soil available P, K, Cu, Zn, B and total N but not NO3-N remained significantly higher with LCM, while there were no differences in soil pH, electrical conductivity and sodium adsorption ratio, compared to the other treatments. The previously observed increase of soil organic C with LCM was no longer evidenced. For aggregate size distribution and stability, microbial biomass N, easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein, number and morphotypes of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spores and percentage of root length colonization, there was no difference among treatments. Microbial growth and activity were limited by C, while the calcareous nature of the soil was more important than glomalin for soil aggregation. In conclusion, the residual effects of LCM were limited to soil nutrient increase.