Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Fractions in Temperate Alley Cropping Systems

Abstract

Alley cropping may promote greater sequestration of soil organic carbon. The objective of this study was to examine spatial variability of soil organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fractions relative to tree rows in established alley cropping systems in north central Missouri. Soils were collected to a depth of 30 cm from two alley cropped sites, a 19‐yr‐old pecan (Carya illinoinensis)/bluegrass (Poa trivialis) intercrop (pecan site) and an 11‐yr‐old silver maple (Acer saccharinum)/soybean (Glycine max)–maize (Zea mays) rotation (maple site). Particulate organic matter (POM) C constituted 15–65% and 14–41% of total organic C (TOC) at the pecan and maple sites respectively, whereas POM N comprised 3 to 24% of total N (TKN). TOC and TKN were on average 13% and 18% higher at the tree row than at the middle of the alley for surface soils (0–10 cm) at the pecan site, respectively. Similarly, POM C was two to three times higher at the tree row than the alley for subsurface soils at the maple site. No differences in microbial biomass C and N between positions were observed. Observed results suggest the existence of spatially dependent patterns for POM C, TOC, and TKN, relative to tree rows in alley cropping.