Long-term Application Of Farmyard Manure Research Articles

‘Non-exchangeable’ ammonium in soils from Swedish long-term agricultural experiments: Mobilization and effects of fertilizer application

In intensive agricultural systems, efficient nutrient use is necessary for high crop yields as well as for sustainable environmental management. Recent studies in temperate regions indicate that non-exchangeable NH4 +-N (NEA), which is fixed in clay minerals, may affect crop productivity and soil N dynamics more than previously thought. To estimate the quantity and plant availability of NEA in Swedish soils, ryegrass (Lolium perenne) was grown in a pot experiment using 18 soils that were collected (0–20 cm depth) from two long-term agricultural experiment series at five locations. Initial NEA, total N and soil K contents were measured, as well as NEA content 56, 112 and 168 days after planting of ryegrass. The results show that the soils (0–20 cm) contained 21–217 mg NEA kg−1 sieved soil (5–300 kg NEA ha−1) estimated as corresponding to 0.1–5.1% of the total soil N. Long-term application of farmyard manure (FYM) did not increase contents of soil NEA. Long-term application of K fertilizer increased soil contents of AL-extractable K, but there was no significant correlation with NEA content. Concurrent with ryegrass growth, NEA content decreased on average by 16% between day 0 and day 112, indicating that NEA was released from the soil and taken up by the plants.

Long-term effect of fertilizer and manure application on soil-carbon sequestration and soil fertility under the wheat–wheat–maize cropping system in northwest China

Maintenance of soil organic carbon (SOC) is important for the long-term productivity of agroecosystems. An investigation was conducted to study the effects of long-term application of inorganic fertilizers and farmyard manure (FYM) on soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrient content, water-stable aggregate distribution, and aggregate-associated carbon in a field experiment started in 1982 in an arid region of northwest China. Application of inorganic fertilizer alone (N, NP, or NPK treatments) did not increase SOC concentrations compared with no application of fertilizers (CK) and SOC concentration was significantly reduced, by 18% on average, compared with the initial value at the beginning of the experiment. Application of imbalanced inorganic fertilizer (N and NP), especially, resulted in a significant decrease in available phosphorus and potassium nutrients at a depth of 20 cm. This indicates that long-term application of inorganic fertilizers were inadequate to maintain levels of SOC and nutrients under conventional management with no aboveground crop residues returning to the soil. Long-term application of FYM alone or combined with inorganic fertilizers (M (FYM), MN, MNPK, or MNPK treatments), however, improved SOC and total nitrogen concentrations from initial values of 12.1 and 0.76 g kg−1, respectively, to 15.46 and 1.28 g kg−1, on average, and also enhanced available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium concentrations by 47, 50, and 68%, respectively, during the 23-year period. Treatment with FYM resulted in a 0.48 mm greater average mean weight diameter (MWD) of aggregates and a higher percentage of macro-aggregates (>2 mm) and small macro-aggregates (2–0.25 mm) than treatment without FYM. The MWD increased with increasing SOC concentration (R 2=0.75). The SOC concentration was highest in small macro-aggregates, intermediate in macro-aggregates, and lowest in micro-aggregates (0.25–0.05 mm). Approximately 54–60% of total SOC was stored in micro-aggregates (0.25–0.05 mm) and sand+silt fractions ( 0.25 mm) after treatment with FYM. MNPK treatment had the greatest effect on improving the levels of SOC and NPK nutrients and in enhancing the formation and stability of macro-aggregates.

Effect of long-term application of farmyard manure on soil micronutrient status

In a long-term experiment conducted (1967 – 2001) at Hisar, India, pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) was grown during summer and winter in a rotation. The treatments consisted of farmyard manure (FYM) at the rate of 15, 30 and 45 Mg ha − 1 during one or both the seasons. A treatment without FYM was maintained as a control. This made the total number of treatments 10, along with 2 levels of nitrogen at 0 and 120 kg ha − 1. Samples from 0 – 15, 15 – 30 and 30 – 45 cm soil depths were collected and analysed for DTPA extractable and total content of zinc, iron, manganese and copper. Application of FYM significantly increased the DTPA extractable and total content of all the studied micronutrients in all soil depths. The increase was higher in the surface layer than in the lower depths. The time of application of FYM influenced the content of soil micronutrients. DTPA extractable and total content of micronutrients was higher when FYM was applied in winter as compared to summer. Application of N has no effect on DTPA extractable or total micronutrients content.

Dynamics of copper fractions and solubility in a savanna soil under continuous cultivation

An understanding of the influence of soil management practices on the distribution, form and solubility of trace metals in soils is required to formulate appropriate guidelines for the applications of organic manures and inorganic fertilizers for sustainable soil fertility and environmental protection. The distribution, forms and solubility of Cu were investigated in a savanna soil under long-term cultivation and varying management practices which included fertilization with NPK, farmyard manure (FYM), NPK+FYM and a control which received neither NPK nor FYM for 50 years. Total Cu varied between 5 and 13 mg kg−1. Long-term application of FYM and FYM+NPK significantly increased DTPA extractable Cu in the surface horizon, and in the subsurface horizon in FYM fertilized fields. Averaged across the sampling depths, cultivation and management history did not affect the concentration of DTPA extractable Cu, water-soluble Cu, organically complexed Cu and residual Cu. But fertilization with FYM and FYM+NPK significantly increased organically complexed Cu in the surface layer as compared to NPK fertilization. Solubility equilibria studies indicated that Cu2+ activities in soil solution approached an apparent equilibrium with cupric ferrite (CuFe2O4), suggesting that the control on Cu2+ solubility was either a CuFe2O4 or a Cu solid with solubility similar to cupric ferrite. The soil management practices involving combined application of inorganic fertilizers and farmyard manure did not seem to pose any risk of inducing Cu deficiency, but sole application of inorganic NPK poses such a risk.

Changes in the microbial community structure in soils treated with a mixture of glucose and peptone with reference to the respiratory quinone profile

Based on the respiratory quinone profile, changes in the structure of microbial communities in the soil samples from Nagoya University Farm were monitored after the treatment with 1% of a mixture of glucose and peptone. Samples of two soils differing in the fertilization history were examined: CF-soil with the application of only chemical fertilizers and FYM-soil with the application of only farmyard manure at a high rate. In the CF-soil, the amount of water-soluble organic carbon (WOC), indicator of the mixture of glucose and peptone, decreased to the original level after 14 d. After 7 d, the soil pH reached the maximum level, then decreased gradually. Changes in the inorganic nitrogen levels in the water extract also reflected the 14-d period of mineralization. The amount of respiratory quinones reached maximum levels after 7 d and gradually decreased, reflecting the changes in the microbial biomass. The quinone composition significantly changed during the 14-d period and returned to a profile similar to the original one after 28 d. Diversity of quinones significantly decreased during the 14-d period due to the predominance of ubiquinone with 9 isoprenoid units. In the FYM-soil, the amount of WOC decreased to the original level after 1 d, and the pH and inorganic nitrogen levels in the water extract reflected the one-day mineralization period, and nitrification started after 3 d. Although the amount of quinones indicated an increase in the microbial biomass for 14 d, the quinone composition did not change. These findings suggested that long-term application of farmyard manure resulted in stable microbial communities in response to the incorporation of organic matter in soil.

The status and dynamics of some trace elements in a savanna soil under long-term cultivation

A recent study in the savanna suggested that the surface soils might be contaminated with Ti, V, U and Th because of increasing phosphate fertilizer applications. In this study, we determined the dynamics of Ga, V, U, Nb, Y, La, Ce and Nd in a savanna soil that has received NPK fertilizers, farmyard manure (FYM) and FYM+NPK for 50 years using an adjacent uncultivated or native site as a reference. The concentrations of the elements in the soils were determined by X-ray fluorescence. Mass balance calculations indicated that Nb, U Y, La, Ce and Nd increased by between 8 and 61% in the cultivated soil compared with the uncultivated natural site. Long-term application of FYM increased the masses of Nb (16%), Th (40%), La (26%), Ce (44%) and Nd (54%). There were no discernible changes in the masses of the trace elements that could be unambiguously associated with phosphate fertilizer applications. It was, thus, concluded that physical accumulation as leaching losses and crop removal depleted soluble ions, stabilization by organo-mineral complexes and aeolian deposition are the probable soil enrichment mechanisms of these trace elements during cultivation.

Methane oxidation in soils of two long-term fertilization experiments in Germany

Oxidation of CH 4 was measured in intact soil cores collected from two arable sites located in the low rainfall area of central Germany. The soils were a loamy sand (Halle) and a loess black-earth (Bad Lauchstädt), treated with different mineral and organic fertilizers for 116 and 92 y, respectively. Soil cores were kept in sealed jars at 25°C for 48 h. The decrease in the initial CH 4 concentration (10 μl l −1) followed first-order-kinetics and by log-transformation, individual oxidation rates could be calculated for each treatment and tested for significant differences. At the sandy site mineral N application caused a significant inhibition of CH 4 oxidation with rates of 2.44 and 0.70 mg C m −2 d −1 in the PK (phosphate + potassium) and NPK (nitrogen + PK) treatments, respectively, under continuous rye, and 1.09 and 0.11 mg C m −2 d −1 in the same treatments under continuous maize. CH 4 oxidation in the plot with long-term farmyard manure (FYM) applications was intermediate. A plot where long-term FYM application ceased 40 y ago showed no residual effect on CH 4 oxidation. The CH 4 oxidation rate was generally lower under maize than under rye with a mean of 0.31 compared to 0.85 mg C m −2 d −1. For the loess black-earth the effect of fertilization on CH 4 oxidation differed depending on pH. With pH 8 mineral and organic N applications did not affect CH 4 oxidation. However, at pH 6 mineral N was significantly inhibitory to methanotrophs with a mean rate of 0.04 vs 0.38 mg C m −2 d −1 without N fertilization. Extremely large FYM applications (100 and 200 t ha −1 y −1) to this loess soil inhibited CH 4 oxidation significantly. It is assumed that in the sandy soil as well as in the acid subplot of the loess soil the suitable sites for methanotrophic bacteria were restricted and application of mineral N resulted in competition between methane- and ammonia-oxidizers. Thus, earlier results on the inhibitory effect of mineral N on CH 4 oxidation were confirmed. However, there were exceptions where N fertilizer had no adverse effect upon CH 4 uptake and interacting factors (e.g. pH) played a major role.

Heavy metal retention by organo‐mineral particle‐size fractions from soils in long‐term agricultural experiments

The retention of heavy metals by organo‐mineral particle‐size fractions from untreated and manured plots of fertilization experiments on sandy loess soils has been observed by analyses of the total Cd‐, Cu‐, Ni‐, Pb‐ and Zn‐concentrations, and by determinations of the adsorption isotherms for Cd, Ni and Pb. The heavy metal concentrations always decreased with increasing particle‐size from clay to sand. Longterm application of farmyard manure for 37 (Field F) and 108 years (Eternal Rye Cultivation) resulted in larger Pb‐ and Zn‐ concentrations with the largest differences in clay, fine silt and medium silt. This was also true for the elements Cu and Ni in the samples silt (23–45%) > sand (15–32%). Within this order, relative metal enrichments in clay of the unfertilized an...

Concurrent observation of several processes of nitrogen metabolism in soil amended with organic materials

Abstract In upland field experiments, concurrent ammonification of organic N and resultant nitrification processes were observed in farmyard manure (FYM)-treated plots. The applied N-fertilizer (urea) was hydrolyzed to NH4-N and subsequently nitrified resulting in pulsed inputs of NH4-N and NO3-N in soil, which affected the denitrification and N2 fixation processes. The actual denitrification process was not substantial except for the short period following the simultaneous application of FYM and urea. At this time, the level of NO3-N in soils was high together with the large number of denitrifiers. The denitrification rates increased ranging from 1.00 to 3.56 kg N2O-N/ha/d by the application of FYM. The positive effect of the long-term application of FYM on N2 fixation was observed within the application rate of 20 t FYM/ha, although a larger number of N2 fixers was observed with higher application rates. The maximum rates of N2 fixation ranged from 13.0 to 21.0 g N2-N/ha/d. In the control plot the fixation was less than 9.0 g N2-N/ha/d. N2 fixation was inhibited by the pulsed input of NH4-N in soil originating from urea, as anticipated, but the inhibitory effect lasted for an unexpectedly long period of time, even when the NH4-N level in soil decreased to the original low level. The number of N2 fixers also decreased by the application of urea.

Accumulated Organic Matter and Its Nitrogen Mineralization in Soil Particle Size Fractions with Long-Term Application of Farmyard Manure or Compost

Accumulated Organic Matter and Its Nitrogen Mineralization in Soil Particle Size Fractions with Long-Term Application of Farmyard Manure or Compost

Auswirkungen differenzierter Bodenbearbeitung auf das Bodengefüge und die Stickstoffdynamik von Lößböden bei viehloser und viehstarker Bewirtschaftung

Abstract Effect of different tillage practices on soil structure and nitrogen dynamic in loess soils with and without longterm application of farmyard manure Field trials were conducted in 1979 and 1980 on two farms with and without longterm application of farmyard manure respectively, to study the effect of different tillage practices (ploughing at low soil moisture in summer and autumn and ploughing at highsoil moisture in autumn) on soil structure and nitrogen dynamic. Soil structure measurements showed great differences between ploughing at low and high soil moisture contents. Ploughing soil at high moisture contents caused a rise in penetrometer resistance as in bulk density and a decrease of macropors as well as in oxygen concentration in top soil and in tillage pan. But little differences were observed between ploughing in summer and autumn at low soil moisture contents.Ploughing soil at high moisture contents caused a higher soil compaction on the farm without longterm application of farmyard manure compared to the farm with longterm application of farmyard manure.The differences in soil nitrate content were strongly correlated with soil compaction. Very large differences in soil nitrate content between ploughing at low and high soil moisture contents were always observed in May, when the soil temperature was higher than 15°C These differences in soil nitrate content are due to reduced nitrogen mineralization and an increase of denitrification activity after ploughing at high soil moisture contents.