The impacts of long-term intensive agriculture on the Vertisol properties in a calcareous region.

Abstract

Morphological, physicochemical, and mineralogical properties of Vertisols (Chromic Calcixererts, Typic Haploxererts, and Typic Calcixererts) influenced under farming practices and adjoining uncultivated soils were investigated in order to contribute to the understanding of changes derived by intensive cultivation (over five decades). The study revealed that A-horizon thickness enhanced from 20 cm in the uncultivated soil to 30 cm in the cultivated soil for Typic Haploxererts and Typic Calcixererts. Under cropping, calcium carbonate contents decreased (a drop of 10 to 53%) reflecting accelerated leaching and/or erosion by cultivation. For most of the studied soils, a pronounced depletion was recorded at values of soil organic carbon (23-64%), soluble cations (4-96%), and exchangeable cations (9-42%) after cropping. A considerable positive change in soil quality was observed with cultivation as recorded by a declining trend in soil electrical conductivity (a drop of 12 to 17%) and exchangeable sodium percentage (a drop of 9 to 12%). On average, the concentration of free and crystalline Fe oxides progressively increased for Chromic Calcixererts and Typic Calcixererts following intensive cultivation. Cropping operations considerably promoted the alteration of illite and chlorite minerals into expandable minerals linked with changes in soil physicochemical properties mainly the increase in cation exchange capacity. Land productivity index (LPI), evaluated based on parametric approach, suggested that Chromic Calcixererts and Typic Haploxererts highlighted a decreasing trend in LPI values (a drop of 5 to 7%) while Typic Calcixererts manifested an increasing pattern in the index (a rise of 13%) with long-term intensive cropping.