Hot Water-extractable C Research Articles

Characterization of labile organic carbon in coastal wetland soils of the Mississippi River deltaic plain: Relationships to carbon functionalities

Adequate characterization of labile organic carbon (LOC) is essential to the understanding of C cycling in soil. There has been very little evaluation about the nature of LOC characterizations in coastal wetlands, where soils are constantly influenced by different redox fluctuations and salt water intrusions. In this study, we characterized and compared LOC fractions in coastal wetland soils of the Mississippi River deltaic plain using four different methods including 1) aerobically mineralizable C (AMC), 2) cold water extractable C (CWEC), 3) hot water extractable C (HWEC), and 4) salt extractable C (SEC), as well as acid hydrolysable C (AHC) which includes both labile and slowly degradable organic C. Molecular organic C functional groups of these wetland soils were characterized by 13C solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The LOC and AHC increased with soil organic C (SOC) regardless of wetland soil type. The LOC estimates by four different methods were positively and significantly linearly related to each other (R2=0.62–0.84) and with AHC (R2=0.47–0.71). The various LOC fractions accounted for ≤4.3% of SOC whereas AHC fraction represented 16–49% of SOC. AMC was influenced positively by O/N-alkyl and carboxyl C but negatively by alkyl C, whereas CWEC and SEC fractions were influenced only positively by carboxyl C but negatively by alkyl C in SOC. On the other hand, HWEC fraction was found to be only influenced positively by carbonyl C, and AHC positively by O/N-alkyl and alkyl C but negatively by aromatic C groups in SOC. Overall these relations suggested different contributions of various molecular organic C moieties to LOC in these wetlands from those often found for upland soils. The presence of more than 50% non-acid hydrolysable C suggested the dominance of relatively stable SOC pool that would be sequestered in these Mississippi River deltaic plain coastal wetland soils. The results have important implications to the understanding of the liability and refractory character of SOC in these wetlands as recent studies suggest marsh SOC to be an important C source in fueling hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Effects of 15 years of manure and inorganic fertilizers on soil organic carbon fractions in a wheat-maize system in the North China Plain

Soil organic carbon (SOC) and its labile fractions are strong determinants of chemical, physical, and biological properties, and soil quality. Thus, a 15-year experiment was established to assess how diverse soil fertility management treatments for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and summer maize (Zea mays L.) cropping system affect SOC and total N (TN) concentrations in the North China Plain. The field experiment included three treatments: (1) unfertilized control (CK); (2) inorganic fertilizers (INF); and (3) farmyard manure (FYM). Concentrations of SOC, TN, and different labile SOC fractions were evaluated to 1-m depth. In comparison with INF and CK, FYM significantly increased SOC and TN concentrations in the 0–30 cm depth, and also those of dissolved organic C (DOC), microbial biomass C (MBC), hot-water extractable C (HWC), permanganate oxidizable C (KMnO4–C), and particulate organic C (POC) in the 0–20 cm depth. Despite the higher crop yields over CK, application of INF neither increased the SOC nor the labile C fractions, suggesting that by itself INF is not a significant factor affecting SOC sequestration. Yet, POC (18.0–45.8% of SOC) and HWC (2.0–2.8%) were the most sensitive fractions affected by applications of FYM. Significantly positive correlations were observed between SOC and labile organic C fractions in the 0–20 cm depth. The data support the conclusion that, wherever feasible and practical, application of FYM is important to soil C sequestration and improving soil quality under a wheat/maize system in the North China Plain.

Determination of total soil organic C and hot water-extractable C from VIS-NIR soil reflectance with partial least squares regression and spectral feature selection techniques

The calibration of soil organic C (SOC) and hot water-extractable C (HWE-C) from visible and near-infrared soil reflectance spectra is hindered by the complex spectral interaction of soil chromophores that usually varies from one soil or soil type to another. The exploitation of spectral variables from spectroradiometer data is further affected by multicollinearity and noise. In this study, a set of soil samples (Fluvisols, Podzols, Cambisols and Chernozems; n = 48) representing a wide range of properties was analysed. Spectral readings with a fibre-optics visible to near-infrared instrument were used to estimate SOC and HWE-C contents by partial least squares regression (PLS). In addition to full-spectrum PLS, spectral feature selection techniques were applied with PLS (uninformative variable elimination, UVE-PLS, and a genetic algorithm, GA-PLS). On the basis of normalized spectra (mean centring + vector normalization), the order of prediction accuracy was GA-PLS ≫ UVE-PLS > PLS for SOC; for HWE-C, it was GA-PLS > UVE-PLS, PLS. With GA-PLS, acceptable cross-validated (cv) prediction accuracies were obtained for the complete dataset (SOC, , RPDcv = 2.42; HWE-Ccv, , RPDcv = 2.13). Splitting the soil data into two groups with different basic properties (Podzols compared with Fluvisols/Cambisols; n = 21 and n = 23, respectively) improved SOC predictions with GA-PLS distinctly (Podzols, , RPDcv = 3.14; Fluvisols/Cambisols, , RPDcv = 3.64). This demonstrates the importance of using stratified models for successful quantitative approaches after an initial rough screening. GA selection frequencies suggest that the spectral region over 1900 nm, and in particular the hydroxyl band at 2200 nm are of great importance for the spectral prediction of both SOC and HWE-C.

Carbon Fractions Associated with Silt‐Size Particles in Surface and Subsurface Soil Horizons

Information on the distribution and behavior of C fractions in soil particle sizes is crucial for understanding C dynamics in soil. At present little is known about the behavior of the C associated with silt‐size particles. We quantified the concentrations, distribution, and enrichment of total C (TC), readily oxidizable C (ROC), hot‐water‐extractable C (HWC), and cold‐water‐extractable C (CWC) fractions in coarse (63–20‐μm), medium (20–6.3‐μm), and fine (6.3–2‐μm) silt‐size subfractions and in coarse (2000–250 μm) and fine (250–63 μm) sand and clay (<2‐μm) soil fractions isolated from bulk soil (<2 mm), and 2‐ to 4‐mm aggregate‐size fraction of surface (0–25 cm) and subsurface (25–55 cm) soils under different land uses. All measured C fractions varied significantly across all soil particle‐size fractions. The highest C concentrations were associated with the <20‐μm soil fractions and peaked in the medium (20–6.3‐μm) and fine (6.3–2‐μm) silt subfractions in most treatments. Carbon enrichment ratios (ERC) revealed the dual behavior of the C fractions associated with the medium silt‐size fraction, demonstrating the simultaneous enrichment of TC and ROC, and the depletion of HWC and CWC fractions. The medium silt (20–6.3‐μm) subfraction was identified in this study as a zone where the associated C fractions exhibit transitory qualities. Our results show that investigating subfractions within the silt‐size particle fraction provides better understanding of the behavior of C fractions in this soil fraction.

The impact of soil carbon management and environmental conditions on N mineralization

Soil carbon (C) management is identified as a key element of sustainable agriculture, and an increase in nitrogen (N) mineralization rates is expected with an increase in soil C. However, any practical recommendation for using soil C management to substitute the application of synthetic N fertilizer needs to account simultaneously for other important agronomic variables and environmental conditions. For this purpose we investigated the simultaneous impact of soil C management, environmental conditions, and soil structure on N mineralization in two apple orchard systems in Havelock North, New Zealand. One system is an organic orchard using regular compost applications and the other is a neighboring integrated orchard with no external inputs of organic matter. The soil type, texture, and climate are identical in both orchards. We selected different temperatures (10°C, 15°C, and 20°C) and soil moistures (−30, −100, and −300 kPa) as the environmental conditions for N mineralization. Simultaneously, the hot-water extractable C (HWC) contents were measured and served as the indicator for the soil C management of the orchards. To analyze the impact of soil structure, the N mineralization of undisturbed cores was compared with that of disturbed samples. The net N mineralization of the soil in the organic orchard was on average six times higher than that in the integrated orchard. At the same time, in the organic orchard the HWC contents at the beginning of the N mineralization experiment were about two times higher than in the integrated orchard. In a multiple regression as a practical recommendation for the orchards of our case study, we could explain 84% of the variability of N mineralization rates using HWC and environmental conditions as the independent variables. The HWC content was the most significant variable in the multiple regression model and showed that soil C management has a more prominent role than the environmental conditions. Soil C management such as regular compost applications which increase the soil’s HWC contents can also be used to manage N mineralization. The significant difference between the undisturbed and disturbed samples showed the soil structure can have an effect on N mineralization.

Dissolved organic matter leaching in some contrasting New Zealand pasture soils

Leaching of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from pastoral soils is increasingly seen as an important but poorly understood process. This paper examined the relationship between soil chemical properties, microbial activity and the losses of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON) through leaching from six pasture soils. These soils differed in carbon (C) (4.6–14.9%) and nitrogen (N) (0.4–1.4%) contents and in the amount of organic C and N that had accumulated or been lost in the preceding 20+ years (i.e. −5131 to +1624 kg C ha−1 year−1 and −263 to +220 kg N ha−1 year−1, respectively). The paper also examined whether between‐soil‐type differences in DOC and DON leaching was a major explanatory factor in the observed range of soil organic matter (SOM) changes in these soils. Between 280 and 1690 kg C ha−1 year−1 and 28–117 kg N ha−1 year−1 leached as DOC and DON, respectively, from the six soils in a lysimeter study, with losses being greater from two poorly drained gley soils. Losses of C and N of this magnitude, while at the upper end relative to published data, could not fully explain the losses at Rawerawe, Bruntwood and Lepperton sites reported by Schipper et al. (2007). The study highlights the leaching of DOM as a significant pathway of loss of C and N in pasture soils that is often ignored or given little attention in predictive models and nutrient budgeting. Leaching losses of DOC and DON alone, or in combination with slightly increased respiration losses of SOM given a 0.2°C increase in the mean annual soil temperature, do not fully explain long‐term changes in the SOM observed at these sites. When soils examined in the present study were separated on the basis of drainage class, the losses of DOC by leaching were correlated with both total and hot‐water extractable C (HWC), the latter being a measure of the labile SOM fraction. Basal microbial CO2 respiration rates, which varied between 1 and 3.5 µg CO2‐C g−1 soil hour−1 in surface soils (0–75‐mm depth), was also linked to HWC and the quantities of C lost as DOC. Adoption of the HWC method as an approach that could be used as a proxy for the direct measurement of the soil organic C lost by leaching as DOC or respired needs to be examined further with a greater number of soils. In comparison, a poor relationship was found between the hot‐water extractable N (HWN) and loss of DON by leaching, despite HWN previously being shown to be a measure of the mineralizable pool of N in soils, possibly reflecting the greater competition for N than C in these soils.

Effects of 11 years of conservation tillage on soil organic matter fractions in wheat monoculture in Loess Plateau of China

The Loess Plateau in northwest China is one of the most eroded landscapes in the world, and it is urgent that alternative practices be evaluated to control soil erosion. Our objective was to determine how three different tillage practices for monoculture of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) affected soil organic carbon (SOC) and N content after 11 years. Conventional tillage with residue removal (CT), shallow tillage with residue cover (ST), and no-tillage with residue cover (NT) were investigated. Carbon and N in various aggregate-size classes and various labile organic C fractions in the 0–15- and 15–30-cm soil layers were evaluated. The ST and NT treatments had 14.2 and 13.7% higher SOC stocks and 14.1 and 3.7% higher total N (Nt) stocks than CT in the upper 15 cm, respectively. Labile C fractions: particulate organic C (POC), permanganate oxidizable C (KMnO4-C), hot-water extractable C (HWC), microbial biomass C (MBC) and dissolved organic C (DOC) were all significantly higher in NT and ST than in CT in the upper 15 cm. KMnO4-C, POC and HWC were the most sensitive fractions to tillage changes. The portion of 0.25–2 mm aggregates, mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD) of aggregates from ST and NT treatments were larger than from CT at both 0–15- and 15–30-cm soil depths. The ST and NT treatments had significantly higher SOC and Nt in the 0.25–2 mm fraction at both depths and significantly higher Nt content in the upper 15 cm. Positive significant correlations were observed between SOC, labile organic C fractions, MWD, GMD, and macroaggregate (0.25–2 mm) C within the upper 15 cm. We conclude that both variants of conservation tillage (NT and ST) increase SOC stock in the rainfed farming areas of northern China and are therefore more sustainable practices than those currently being used.

Carbon Mineralization of Soils from Native Evergreen Broadleaf Forest and Three Plantations in Mid‐subtropic China

Mineralization of soil organic carbon (C) plays a key role in supplying nutrient elements essential to plant growth. Changes of C mineralization of mixed stands of Chinese fir and Michelia macclurei (a broadleaf tree), pure M. macclurei stands, and pure Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) stands established in 1983 after clear‐felling of a first‐generation Chinese fir forest were analyzed in Huitong, Hunan Province, China, and compared with those of a stand of native secondary evergreen broadleaf forest (NBF). The results showed that NBF soil had the greatest C mineralization. Mixture of Chinese fir and M. macclurei had no effect on total soil organic C in comparison with pure Chinese fir plantation, but significantly increased C mineralization from soils was detected in this study. This positive influence on C mineralization could be explained by the increase of soil labile C pools and soil microbial biomass and activity. From the analysis of C mineralization, soil microbial properties, and labile organic C, mixtures of broadleaf and Chinese fir can be considered to be an effective sustainable management model for a Chinese fir plantation. Given strong correlations with microbiological and biochemical characteristics of soils and an easier process of determination, hot water extraction, hot water–extractable C (HWC) could be used as an integrated measure of forest soil quality in mid‐subtropics.

Content and seasonal change in soil labile organic carbon under different forest covers

Based on the concentrations of soil labile organic carbon (SLOC) pools under native evergreen broad-leaved forest (NBF), and three plantations of pure Cunninghamia lanceolata , pure Michelia macclurei and their mixed forest in different seasons, the effect of forest types on the content and seasonal changes of SLOC was analyzed for Huitong County of Hunan Province. The results show that SLOC content decreases after native evergreen broad-leaved forest are substituted by planted forest. Compared with C. lanceolata plantation, C. lanceolata and M. macclurei mixed forest (MCM) increases SLOC content. However, the difference is statistically insignificant except for water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC). Substantial seasonal fluctuations in SLOC under forests are observed. Throughout the year, WSOC decreases in the following order of NBF MCM pure M. macclurei plantation (PM) pure C. lanceolata plantation (PCF). For soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), hot-water extractable C (HWC) and hot-water ex-tractable carbohydrate-C (HWcC) is in the following order of NBF PM MCM PCF. Compared with PCF, MCM increases soil quality. However, seasonal trends of SLOC under different forest covers are not completely consistent, suggesting that seasonal fluctuations in SLOC are influenced not only by climatic factors like temperature and precipitation, but also by vegetation type.

The influence of long-term organic and mineral fertilization on soil organic matter

Parameters evaluating soil organic matter quantity (organic C and N content) and quality (hot water extractable C content, aliphatic compounds, microbial biomass C content, basal respiration activity) were determined in soils differently fertilized (NPK – mineral fertilization 64.6 kg N/ha/year, FYM – farmyard manure 38.6 kg N/ha/year, FYM + NPK – 103.3 kg N/ha/year) in long-term field experiment established in 1955 in Prague. Variant without any fertilization was used as a control. Nine years crop rotation (45% cereals, 33% root crops, 22% fodder crops) is practiced in this long-term experiment. Soil samples were taken from the arable layer (0–20 cm) in spring over the period of 1994–2004. Continual application of FYM and FYM + NPK increased the organic carbon content, hot water extractable C (HWC) content, aliphatic compounds content and microbial biomass C content significantly compared to control variant. Mineral fertilization (NPK) increased only organic C content significantly compared to control variant; HWC content, aliphatic compounds content and microbial biomass C content were increased not significantly. Basal respiration activity did not differ significantly between the variants but the influence of plants cropped in individual years on the basal respiration was observed. The total N content was increased significantly only in FYM + NPK variant as compared to control variant. Presence of lucerne in crop rotation contributed positively to the total nitrogen content in soil of all variants due to the symbiotic N<sub>2</sub> fixation. C:N ratio varied from 9.96 to 10.46. Significant positive relationships (r = 0.30 to 0.68; P < 0.05) among the all parameters were determined with exception of basal respiration activity. The most of measured characteristics tended to be constant or slightly increase in the period of observation that shows evidence of stability of this soil management system.

Organic Amendments Affect Soil Parameters in Two Long‐Term Rice‐Wheat Experiments

The impacts of continuous applications of an organic manure (farmyard manure [FYM], green manure [GM], and wheat straw [WS]) combined with inorganic fertilizers (N, P, and K) on soil parameters and productivity of rice (Oryza sativa L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) systems were investigated in two long‐term experiments under conventional tillage in Ludhiana, India, and Bhairahawa, Nepal. Changes in total and labile soil C and N, and microbiological parameters relative to unfertilized and inorganically fertilized controls were measured. Organic amendments had positive but variable effects. In Ludhiana, FYM application increased total C and N, permanganate‐oxidizable C, and hot‐water‐extractable C (HWEC) by 40 to 70% relative to the control after 20 yr and maintained HWEC and total N with time. In the other treatments, HWEC and total N showed declining trends with time, whereas total C increased by 17% on average. In Bhairahawa, although total organic C and N increased with organic amendments after 15 yr, HWEC did not. Increases in C and N, respectively, as fractions of the applied organic fertilizers were 11 to 23 and 37 to 39% from FYM, 4 to 21 and 19 to 41% from GM, and 3 and 24% from WS. The FYM improved available P, cation exchange capacity, potential mineralizable N, and dehydrogenase activity, but microbial biomass C, basal respiration, flush of CO2 after rewetting dried soil, and metabolic quotient remained unchanged. The current practice of inorganic fertilization alone cannot maintain the soil quality needed to sustain crop productivity. Amounts of organic manures to supplement inorganic fertilizers must be optimized to increase C and N accumulations in the soil without negative effects on crop yield.

Changes in soil quality following humping/hollowing and flipping of pakihi soils on the West Coast, South Island New Zealand

Humping/hollowing and flipping are land development practices widely used on the West Coast to overcome waterlogging constraints to pasture production. However, there is very limited information about how the resulting "new" soils function and how their properties change over time following these extreme modifications. We hypothesised that soil quality will improve in response to organic matter inputs from plants and excreta, which will in turn increase nutrient availability. We tested this hypothesis by quantifying the soil organic matter and nutrient content of soils at different stages of development after modification. We observed improvements in soil quality with increasing time following soil modification under both land development practices. Total soil C and N values were very low following flipping, but over 8 years these values had increased nearly five-fold. Other indicators of organic matter quality such as hot water extractable C (HWC) and anaerobically mineralisable N (AMN) showed similar increases. With large capital applications of superphosphate fertiliser to flipped soils in the first year and regular applications of maintenance fertiliser, Olsen P levels also increased from values

Enhancing Soil Quality through Residue Management in a Rice-Wheat System in Fukuoka, Japan

A long-term experiment (LTE) on a rice-wheat system was initiated in 1963 at the Kyushu National Agricultural Experiment Station, in Fukuoka, Japan, to determine the effects of continuous application of rye grass/wheat straw, rice straw and rice straw compost, alone or in combination with inorganic N on crop yields. Increase in rice yields and enhancement of total soil C and N contents with the application of organic residues in this LTE have been reported earlier. However, evaluation of the changes in the soil microbiological properties and the decomposable C fraction of soil organic matter that is needed for soil quality assessment is still lacking. Soil samples were collected after rice harvest in 2003 from the organic residue treatments and unfertilized control, air-dried and incubated for 1 month under aerobic [50% water-filled pore space (WFPS)] and flooded conditions prior to the analysis of the amount of microbial biomass C (MBC), soil respiration and the amount of potential mineralizable N (PMN). The contents of total C (TC), total N (TN), organic C (OC), hot water-extractable C (HWEC) and permanganate-oxidizable C (POC) were determined from air-dried soils. Organic residue incorporation brought about significant increases in the contents of TC, TN, OC, POC, HWEC and PMN. The largest accumulation of total C (23%) and N (72%) in the soil was from rice straw compost, compared with that from rice straw (C, 7% and N, 33%) and rye grass/wheat straw (C, 9% and N, 29%). Incorporation of rice straw compost also increased the amount of MBC under both aerobic and flooded conditions and basal soil respiration under aerobic conditions only. An efficient utilization of C by microorganisms was indicated by a significantly lower metabolic quotient (qCO2) in the composted and uncomposted rice straw treatments compared with the control in the “-” N treatment under aerobic conditions. Similarly, the flush of CO2 after rewetting of dry soil per unit of HWEC was lower in the organic matter treatments, indicating a more efficient C utilization and lower C losses per unit of available C. The content of HWEC was significantly correlated with the basal soil respiration (at 50% WFPS), the amounts of MBC, PMN and with the increase in the content of soil organic C in the residuetreated soils. In the treatments without inorganic N fertilizer, grain yield was significantly correlated with the amounts of total organic C, HWEC, MBC (at 50% WFPS), basal soil respiration (at 50% WFPS) and the amount of PMN.

Hot-water extractable carbon in soils: a sensitive measurement for determining impacts of fertilisation, grazing and cultivation

Using pre-established trial sites on allophanic soils, we investigated the impacts of long to medium-term pastoral management practices, such as fertilisation and grazing intensity, on a range of soil biological and biochemical properties; hot water-extractable C (HWC), water-soluble C (WSC), hot-water extractable total carbohydrates, microbial biomass-C and N and mineralisable N. These properties were examined for their usefulness as soil quality indicators responding to changes in the rhizosphere caused by management practices. Adjacent cropping, market garden and native bush sites located on similar soil types were included to determine the changes in soil biological and biochemical properties resulting from changes in land use. The seasonal variability of HWC and its relationship with other labile fractions of soil organic matter was also examined. Microbial biomass-C, mineralisable N and extractable total carbohydrates showed promise in differentiating treatment and land use effects. However, HWC was one of the most sensitive and consistent indicators examined at 52 different sites. The impact of different land uses on the amounts of HWC in the same soil type was far greater than that was observed for the soil organic carbon. The average values of HWC for soil under different land use were: native (4000 μg C g −1 soil), sheep/beef pastures (3400), dairy pastures (3000), cropping (1000) and market gardening soils (850). HWC was also sensitive to differences within an ecosystem, e.g. effects of grazing intensities and effects of N or P fertilisers on pastures. The sheep and beef/cattle grazed pastures always had higher amounts of HWC than the intensively grazed dairy pastures. Nitrogen fertiliser application (200 and 400 kg N ha −1 yr −1) over the previous 5 yr had significant ( P<0.001) negative impacts on HWC and other soil microbial properties. In contrast, long-term application of P fertilisers had a significant ( P<0.001) positive effect on the HWC levels in pastoral soils. In the case of long-term P trials, HWC increased even though no increase in the total soil carbon pool was detected. HWC was positively correlated with soil microbial biomass-C ( R 2=0.84), microbial nitrogen ( R 2=0.72), mineralisable N ( R 2=0.86), and total carbohydrates ( R 2=0.88). All these correlations were significant at P<0.001 level of significance. The HWC was also positively correlated with WSC and total organic C. However, these correlations were poorer than those found for other soil parameters. Most of these measurements have been actively promoted as key indicators of soil quality. Given the strong correlations between HWC and other biochemical measurements, HWC could be used as an integrated measure of soil quality. When HWC is extracted, other pools of labile nutrients are also extracted along with C. Therefore it is suggested that decline in HWC would also indicate a decline in other labile organic pools of nutrients such as nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus. About 40–50% of the C in the HWC extract was present as carbohydrates.

Sensitive Indicators of Soil Organic Matter Sustainability in Orchard Floors of Organic, Conventional and Integrated Apple Orchards in New Zealand

ABSTRACT Major objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of organic, conventional and integrated orchard fruit production systems on the quality and quantity of soil organic matter in orchard floors and to identify sensitive soil organic matter indicators. Seventeen different soil organic matter parameters were studied. These were soil aggregate stability (AS), total nitrogen (TN), total carbon (TC), carbon/nitrogen ratio, microbial biomass N (BN), microbial biomass C (BC), BC:BN; BC:TC; BN:TN; hot-water extractable C (HC), hot-water extractable carbohydrate (HCA), HCA:HC; humin N (hum N), humin C (hum C), hum C:TC; hum N:TN and potentially mineralizable N (Pot N). They were based largely on soil organic matter characteristics and fractions extracted sequentially by different extractants from soils collected from the alleys and treelines of organic, conventional, and integrated grassed-down apple orchard types from both commercial and experimental sites in Canterbury, New Zealand. A total of 12 apple orchards were investigated. Soil samples collected from these orchards (0–75 mm depth) were analysed for TC, TN, BC, BN, Pot N, AS and also sequentially extracted for labile and stable soil organic matter fractions using cold and hot water, acid mixtures (hydrochloric:hydroflouric acids, HC1:HF) and alkalis (sodium pyrophosphate and sodium hydroxide, Na4P207 and NaOH). Only TN, BN, and BN:TN showed significant interaction effects and all these were associated with soil N. Overall, combining orchards according to similar management systems, results obtained showed no significant differences between experimental and commercial orchards. However, sensitive indicators capable of distinguishing significant differences between different orchard management systems were BC, BC:TC and HCA:HC while HCA:HC distinguished significantly between treelines and alleys within each group of the same orchard type.

Relationship between soil neutral sugar composition and the amount of labile soil organic matter in Andisol treated with bark compost or leaf litter

The effect of short-term bark compost (Ba) and leaf litter (Li) applications on the labile soil organic matter (SOM) status was investigated. The SOM status studied in this paper includes soil microbial biomass, soil available N, hot water extractable C (HwC) and N (HwN) and soil neutral sugar-C composition. The soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN), soil available N, HwC and HwN increased upon application of Ba and Li. No quantitative relationship was observed between application of organic material and MBC, MBN or soil available N. A positive linear correlation was observed between MBN and HwC but not between MBN and soil available N. Among the various soil neutral sugar C, xylose C (Xyl) content in Ba plots showed a remarkable increase but mannose C (Man) did not differ among Fer (fertilizer), Ba or Li plots. Soil neutral sugar C had a positive linear correlation with soil available N, MBN and HwC. The proportion of MBN : TN is positively correlated with the Xyl/Man ratio. The increase in the proportion of MBN in SOM seems to occur with the increase of SOM derived from plant debris.