Alberta Soils Research Articles

Changes in extractable phosphorus in Alberta soils during the fall‐winter‐spring interlude

Abstract Extractable P values have been assumed to be similar whether soil samples are taken in fall or spring. The objectives of the present study were to determine if extractable P values change over the fall‐winter‐spring interval and whether similar trends are observed using different extractants. Three sites in north‐central Alberta (one each of Black Chernozem, Dark Gray Chernozem and Gray Luvisol) were sampled several times in the period September to late April. Three extractants were: 0.03M. NH4F + 0.015M H2SO4 solution; 0.5M NaHCO3 solution (pH 8.5), and distilled water. The amount of extractable P varied with the sampling time and the extractant. Extractable P increased to a similar degree for all extradants from early to late fall sampling and through the frozen soil period, but the values decreased at the spring sampling after soil had thawed. These results have major implications for fertilizer P recommendations based on soil samples taken at different times.

Effect of tillage and N fertilization of a Solonetzic soil on barley production and some soil properties

Solonetzic soils have generally shallow Ap horizon and any loss of surface soil can result in serious reduction in total and sustained crop production. Zero or minimum tillage has been shown to reduce soil erosion, but information on the feasibility of reduced tillage systems on Solonetzic soils in Alberta is lacking. A field experiment was conducted from the fall of 1981 to the fall of 1989 on a Solonetzic soil complex at Vegreville in east-central Alberta, to determine the effect of tillage and N rate on spring barley yields and some soil properties. There were three tillage treatments (zero tillage - ZT, minimum tillage - MT and conventional tillage - CT) and four rates of fertilizer N (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N ha −1 first applied in 1983). The MT treatment received one cultivation prior to sowing, while the CT treatments received one cultivation in fall and another in spring prior to sowing. The N fertilizer (ammonium nitrate) was broadcast on soil surface following sowing on all plots except the control without N. Tillage had no effect on grain yield of barley, but had a significant effect on straw and grain plus straw (whole plant) yield. The yield differences between ZT and CT were slightly greater at 40 and 80 kg N ha −1 than at the 120 kg N ha −1 rate. Nitrogen fertilizer had a significant effect on grain, straw and whole plant yield. The N concentration in grain and straw increased, while P concentration decreased with increasing N rate. Conventional tillage yielded generally higher total N and slightly lower P concentration in barely than ZT. Soil had more moisture in spring under ZT than under CT in 2 of the 3 years studied. The greater strength (1.1–1.3 MPa) at the 0–10 cm soil depth under ZT and MT, compared with CT, did not adversely influence crop yield. Tillage and added N had no effect on extractable NH 4-N, P, K and SO 4-S in soil, but NO 3-N in soil increased with N rate. Apparently, there was little or no leaching of NO 3-N below the 60 cm depth. In conclusion, ZT and or MT produced crop yields comparable or superior to those under CT on a Solonetzic soil, and also improved soil water conservation.

Impact of a subsurface volcanic-ash layer on the properties of a southern Alberta soil with shallow water table

Two soils from a large depressional area, one with (AL) and one without (NL) a volcanic-ash layer, were investigated to determine the effect of the ash layer on soil properties. The soil parent materials, including the ash layer, were deposited in a lacustrine environment. Both soils had well-developed A and B horizons with secondary salinity. The AL soil contained less Na in the B horizon than the NL soil, resulting in a soil classification of salinized Gleyed Solonetzic Dark Brown Chernozem at the AL site and salinized Gleyed Dark Brown Solonetz at the NL location. Saturated hydraulic conductivity and moisture retention values indicated that the volcanic-ash layer enhanced the depth of effective drainage. This was supported by greater rooting depth, weaker B horizon structure, lower salinity, and dominance of different ions in the upper solum of the AL than in the NL soil. The distribution of soluble ions in the profiles indicated that the ash layer had negligible impact on the height of capillary rise. Lower soluble ion contents in the lower profile of the AL than the NL soil were attributed to the presence of an indurated or cemented layer between the water table and the ash layer in the AL soil. Key words: Soil properties, volcanic-ash, water movement, soluble salt movement, indurated horizon

Changes in extractable phosphorus between fall and spring in some alberta soils

Abstract In the Prairie Provinces of Canada, most soil samples for soil test P are taken in fall, although P fertilization and crop sowing normally occur in spring. Our objective was to compare soil test P values for samples taken in fall and spring. Extractable soil P (in 0.03 N NH4F‐0.03 N H2SO4) was measured in fall and spring samples at 49 sites in central Alberta and 4 sites in northern Alberta. Extractable P was less in fall‐ than ‐spring‐sampled soil at most sites. The average difference was 19.8 kg P/ha for the 49 sites in central Alberta and 34.9 kg P/ha for the 4 northern Alberta sites. In 27 of the 49 sites soil samples were taken in early fall, late fall and spring, with extractable P increasing by 21.9 kg P/ha from early fall to spring, but by only 1.1 kg P/ha from late fall to spring. The linear regression equation to predict the spring extractable P (Y) from early fall extractable P (X) was Y = 5.31 + 1.59X with an R2 value of 0.67 and from late fall extractable P (X) was Y = 6.67 + 0.89X w...

Azotobacter salinestris sp. nov., a Sodium-Dependent, Microaerophilic, and Aeroadaptive Nitrogen-Fixing Bacterium

Azotobacter salinestris sp. nov. was isolated from slightly saline soils of Western Canada, where strains of this species accounted for ≤5% of the aerobic nitrogen-fixing isolates. Also, one isolate was obtained from a saline Egyptian soil. These bacteria shared many physiological traits with Azotobacter chroococcum, but were absolutely dependent on Na+ ions for growth and frequently used melibiose as a carbon and energy source. Aerobically grown cells were melanized dark brown to black; the cells were large, gram negative, oval with pointed ends, and motile by means of peritrichous flagella and formed pairs and chains of six to eight cells during active growth. Capsule production was variable. Nitrogen fixation by A. salinestris occurred optimally at 35°C in the presence of molybdate or vanadate ions in a microaerophilic, aeroadaptive manner. The cells were very sensitive to H2O2 and catalase negative. However, a single weak catalase electromorph was observed in cell extracts. This contrasted with a very active catalase represented by multiple electromorphs in A. chroococcum. Iron was absolutely required for growth and aeroadaptation. Other growth-promoting substrates included fructose, galactose, glucose, mannitol, starch, and sucrose. Acid was formed from growth-promoting sugars and also from the non-growth-promoting substrates arabinose, cellobiose, lactose, mannose, rhamnose, and xylose. Incubation in the presence of increased NaCl concentrations promoted acidification of the culture to inhibitory levels, and sufficient acid was released from nitrogen-fixing cells in the presence of 1.0 to 1.5% NaCl to solubilize CaCO3 suspended in solid medium. The cells grew well in marine broth alone, producing an alkaline reaction. An acid reaction was produced both oxidatively and fermentatively in marine broth containing glucose. Nitrate was used in an assimilatory fashion, and there was no evidence of NO2- or N2 formation. The type strain is strain 184 (=ATCC 49674), which was isolated from soils of Alberta, Canada.

A flexible model for quantitative comparisons of nitrogen mineralization patterns

Patterns of N mineralization vary widely between ecosystems, making intra- and interexperimental comparisons difficult at best. A flexible model, the Richards model, is suggested as a way of making comparisons. By changing its shape parameter, a flexible model can fit multiple mechanistic models, including first-order and logistic models. The scale-independent shape parameter (m) is a continuous variable that can be statistically analyzed to determine changes or differences in patterns. The model was tested with (1) simulations based on other mechanistic models; and with N mineralization data on soils from (2) urban and rural sites in New York; (3) forest soils in Alberta, Canada; and (4) arid and semiarid soils in Morocco. In all examples, the model was capable of fitting the data nearly as well as other specific models. With data based on the m values, soils in Morocco and organic horizons of coniferous forests in Alberta showed the same range in N mineralization patterns, although the soils varied in the amount of mineralizable N by an order of magnitude and time to reach maximum mineral N production by two-fold.

Waldern oat

Waldern is a high-yielding spring oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar developed at the Agriculture Canada Research Station in Lacombe, Alberta. It was selected from a Gemini/Cascade cross. Waldern yields more grain than Calibre and Cascade, has heavier kernels and a larger percentage of plump kernels. It is recommended for the Dark Brown, Black and Grey-Wooded soils of Alberta and Western Saskatchewan. Key words: Avena sativa, oat, cultivar description

Soil Chemistry after Eleven Annual Applications of Cattle Feedlot Manure

AbstractIn a long‐term experiment at Lethbridge, AB, the effects of cattle (Bos sp.) manure on soil characteristics were determined after 11 annual applications. Manure, incorporated by cultivating, rototilling, or plowing, was applied annually from 1973 to 1983 at 30, 60, and 90 Mg ha−1 (wet wt.) and 60, 120, and 180 Mg ha−1, respectively, to nonirrigated and irrigated dark brown Chernozemic (Typic Haploborolls) clay loam soil. On both the nonirrigated and irrigated soil, the effects from manure, applied annually at greater than recommended rates for 11 yr, were minimal on Cu and NH4 content and substantial on other parameters determined. There were no significant effects due to tillage methods on these soil parameters. The effects on these soil parameters extended to greater depths under irrigation than under nonirrigation. Most of the applied NH4 was nitrified, volatilized, or fixed. The accumulation of organic matter, total N, NO3, total P, available P, soluble Na, Ca + Mg, Cl, SO4, HCO3, and Zn in the soil increased with increasing rates of manure applied. The electrical conductivity and sodium adsorption ratio of the soil increased and the soil pH in the surface 60 cm of nonirrigated and 90 cm of irrigated decreased with increased manure rates. The total NO3 accumulation in the 150‐cm soil depth was near 1 Mg ha−1, even at recommended rates, and was high enough to potentially cause soil and water pollution. The available P accumulated mostly in the surface soil and might be sufficient to interfere with the nutrient balance of some crops. Long‐term annual application of cattle manure to southern Alberta soils at maximum recommended rates [30 mg ha−1 and 60 Mg ha−1 (wet wt.) for nonirrigated and irrigated land, respectively] is not advisable.

LONG-TERM EFFECT OF DEEP PLOWING SOLONETZIC SOIL ON CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND CROP YIELD

Deep plowing (DP) has been investigated as a possible ameliorative procedure for Solonetzic soils, but the long-term effects of DP on soil properties are not known. Soil sampling to determine the long-lasting effects of DP on some soil chemical properties and crop yields was conducted at four sites with Solonetzic soils in east-central Alberta. The soils had been deep plowed 11–29 yr prior to sampling. Compared to adjacent unplowed (check) treatments, DP resulted in significant improvements in soil chemical properties at most of the sites. The sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) of the AB horizon (12- or 15- to 30-cm depth) was lower after DP at all four sites. Extractable and soluble Ca increased in the Ap horizon (0–12 cm) of DP soils, whereas extractable Na decreased in the Ap or AB horizons at three sites. The pH of the Ap horizon increased from acidic to neutral at three sites, while EC of the Ap horizon decreased at two sites. Crop yield increased due to DP at the three sites where yields were measured. The results indicate a long-term amelioration of Solonetzic soils by DP. Key words: Amelioration, deep plowing, deep tillage, sodic soil

Potential for nitrate?N loss in central Alberta soils

Incubation experiments were conducted to determine the influence of soil type, soil depth and tillage-straw treatment on the capacity for NO3-N loss under anaerobic incubation. In Experiment 1 with 14 cultivated surface soil samples, there were substantial NO3-N losses in all soils regardless of the total organic carbon content. The total organic carbon content of these soils ranged from 21 to 55 g C kg−1. Experiment 2 showed that the rate of NO3-N loss decreased with depth of soil, but when glucose was added the rate of NO3-N loss increased markedly and all of the added NO3-N disappeared within less than a week. In Experiment 3, the soil under zero tillage where straw was retained gave slightly higher rate of NO3-N loss than the soil from conventional tillage treatment.

Financial Returns from Fertilizing 70-year-old Lodgepole Pine near Hinton, Alberta

Fertilizing 70-year-old lodgepole pine stands 10 years before rotation on Coalspur Mercoal soils in Alberta increased wood yield and reduced logging costs. Real internal rates of return were over 10% for some treatments, making them an attractive investment on both soil types. Present net worth and profitability index were used to identify the most profitable treatment. Key words: Forest fertilization, lodgepole pine, returns from fertilization, profitability, investments in lodgepole pine, management of lodgepole pine, cost-effectiveness of fertilization, fertilization of preharvest lodgepole pine.

Nitrate losses in soils: Effect of temperature, moisture and substrate concentration

Our objectives were to determine the effect of temperature on relative rates of NO − 3-N losses in three north-central Alberta soils and to compare them with published results from warmer climates; to determine if the effect of NO − 3-N concentration on rates of NO − 3-N losses in un-perfused soil could be represented by a Michaelis-Menten (rectangular hyperbola) expression and if so, calculate constants; and to determine the effect of soil moisture potential on NO − 3-N loss in these soils. The rate of NO − 3-N loss increased rapidly upward from − 4°C, with the greatest response between 4 and 10°C. The rate of NO − 3-N loss continued to increase to 40°C but raising the temperature to 60°C brought a decrease in two out of the three soils studied. It appears that soil denitrifiers adapted to soil climate. The optimum temperature of <60°C for N 3-N loss in soils in the present study was lower than in soils from warmer areas. The rate of loss of NO − 3-N increased with increasing concentration of NO − 3-N from 50 to 500mgkg − 3. The NO − 3-N losses in these soils appeared to follow a Michaelis-Menten expression with calculated maximum velocities ( V m) of 36.6–42.2 mg NO − 3-N disappeared kg −1soil day −. Half saturation ( K n) values were calculated as 117.1–137.9mgNO − 3-N kg − soil. The V m appeared to increase slightly with increasing clay and organic C content. The NO − 3-N loss was most rapid under flooded conditions, but measurable NO − 3-N appeared to be lost even at −1500 kPa soil moisture potential. The NOv-N loss was greater in a fine-textured soil high in organic C (5.8%) than coase-textured soil low in organic C (1.1%). These results suggest that soil moisture and temperature in early spring after snow melt in north-central Alberta may be high enough to result in substantial NO − 3-N losses in early spring.

Effect of zero and conventional tillage on barley yield and nitrate nitrogen content, moisture and temperature of soil in north-central Alberta

Field experiments were conducted on two soils (a Black Chernozemic and a Dark Gray Chernozemic soil) in north-central Alberta to compare the effect of zero tillage versus conventional tillage on grain yield of barley, on soil nitrate N content, soil water content and soil temperature. There were two tillage treatments (zero and conventional tillage), two levels of straw (straw-on and straw-off), and two rates of applied N (0 and 112 kg N ha −1). The first crop after summer fallow did not respond to applied N and yields were similar among treatments. By the third crop, all tillage-straw treatments markedly responded to N. On plots without N, zero tillage produced significantly less yield than conventional tillage and straw-on treatment generally produced less yield than straw-off treatment. Yields on the zero tillage plots approached those of the conventional-tilled plots when N was added. Had a higher level of N fertilizer been applied, it is possible that the yields on zero tillage plots would have equalled or exceeded those of the conventional tilled plots. During the fallow year, conventional-tillage plots contained greater amounts of nitrate than the zero-tillage plots. That is, the net mineralization rate was greater with conventional tillage than with zero tillage. Soil temperature at the 5- and 10-cm depths was less on zero-tillage than on conventional tillage plots. Water content in soil was greater on zero-tillage compared to conventional-tillage plots and was compared to straw-off plots. The water holding capacity at −33 kPa of soil was higher on zero-tillage than the conventional-tillage plots.

Effect of copper on stem melanosis and yield of wheat: Sources, rates and methods of application

Park wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Park) is susceptible to stem melanosis when grown on Cu-deficient soils. Three field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of various Cu sources, using different methods and rates of application for reducing the incidence of stem melanosis and increasing the grain yield of Park wheat on a Cu-deficient Black Chernozemic soil in central Alberta. A fourth experiment determined the residual effect of Cu over 4 years. In the first experiment, Park wheat had less disease and higher grain yield when Cu-chelate solution at 2 and 4 kg Cu ha−1 or Cu-sulfate solution at 10 and 20 kg Cu ha−1 was applied to the soil surface and incorporated to a depth of 8 cm or was applied at these rates as a foliar spray. The foliar application, however, was phytotoxic and delayed maturity by approximately two weeks. Sidebanding Cu (4 cm to the side and 4 cm below the seed row) was least effective. In the second experiment, Cu-sulfate solution incorporated into the soil was more effective than the soil incorporated granular Cu-sulfate in reducing disease incidence and increasing grain yield in the year of application. In the following year the granular Cu was as effective as solution Cu. The third experiment showed that Cu seed dressings did not have any effect on disease incidence or grain yield of Park wheat. In the fourth experiment, the residual effect of Cu-chelate was evident four years after application. The grain yield in the fourth year was about four times that of the control.

CHEMICAL DIFFERENCES IN DARK BROWN CHERNOZEMIC Ap HORIZONS UNDER VARIOUS CONSERVATION TILLAGE SYSTEMS

The Ap horizons of two conservation tillage studies on Dark Brown Chernozemic soils in southern Alberta were sampled in 1986 following the fallow year. The first study, started in 1967, consisted of a wheat-fallow rotation under either no-till chemical fallow, blade-cultivate, or chemical fallow + blade-cultivate management. The second study, started in 1977, consisted of continuous winter wheat, winter wheat-barley-fallow, and winter wheat-fallow rotations under either no-till or conventional tillage management. Nine years of no-till continuous wheat and 19 yr of no-till in a wheat-fallow rotation both led to 40% of the dry aggregates being &gt; 0.84 mm in diameter. The parameters selected helped to characterize differences in organic matter between soil tillage systems. Dehydrogenase and phosphatase activities were twice as high under no-till as under the blade-cultivate treatment. No-till also led to the largest monosaccharide accumulation in the soil. Carbohydrates, solvent-extractable organic matter, and chitin N were significantly higher in the &gt; 0.84 mm diameter dry aggregates from the no-till treatment. The monosaccarides under the blade-cultivate regime were generally of microbial origin whereas those under the no-till regime were generally of plant origin. Key words: Water-stable aggregates, dry aggregates, enzyme activities, organic carbon, monosaccharides, fallow

Populations of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovars phaseoli and viceae in fields after bean or pea in rotation with nonlegumes

Populations of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaesoli and bv. viceae in southern Alberta soils were measured over a period of 4 years using a most probable number method. Five fields cropped to bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), five fields cropped to pea (Pisum sativum L.), and two fields cropped to wheat were used as test sites. Legume crops had received appropriate legume inoculants. Fields were sampled in the fall of the crop year and in the spring of the following 3 years during which fields were cropped to nonlegumes or left fallow. Numbers of R. leguminosarum bv. phaseoli were 100 to 1000 times higher in fields that had been planted to bean than in fields that had been planted to pea or wheat. Fields that had been planted to pea maintained populations of R. leguminosarum bv. viceae 10 to 100 times higher than fields that had been planted to bean or wheat. Wheat fields, which had never had legumes grown in them, contained between 1 and 100 rhizobia per gram of soil of both biovars of R. leguminosarum, indicating that both biovars are native to southern Alberta soils. The numbers of rhizobia did not decrease in proportion to the population of other bacteria in the soil over the duration of the experiment. Plasmid profiles of soil Rhizobium isolates obtained in the last year of the experiment showed that none of the isolates had plasmid profiles similar to those of strains added as inoculants in the 1st year of the experiment. These results show that fields cropped to legumes and receiving rhizobial inoculants in this study maintained high populations of rhizobia for several years after harvest of the legume crop.Key words: Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli, Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viceae, nodule, plasmid profiles, inoculum potential, rhizobium competition.

SOIL CHEMICAL CRITERIA FOR IRRIGATION SUITABILITY CLASSIFICATION OF BROWN SOLONETZIC SOILS

A good statistical relationship was obtained between the exchangeable-sodium ratio and the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) in Brown Solonetzic and associated soils in southern Alberta. Reliable estimates of the exchangeable-sodium status of these sulfate-rich soils may be anticipated when SAR values are less than 20. Prediction of the exchangeable-sodium status of soils on the basis of SAR values is preferable for both Solonetzic soil and irrigation suitability classification. A saturation extract SAR value of five in the B horizon generally corresponds to an exchangeable calcium to sodium ratio of 10. Saturation extract SAR values of five and 12 are recommended as revised soil chemical criteria for Brown Solonetzic soil and irrigation suitability classification, respectively. Key words: Solonetzic soils, exchangeable cations, sodium adsorption ratio, selectivity coefficient, irrigation suitability

Effects of deep ripping on chemical and physical properties of a solonetzic soil in East-Central Alberta

The effects of deep ripping using 2 shank spacings (56 and 112 cm), single moldboard plowing and normal shallow tillage on soil chemical properties were compared at 2 sites near Halkirk, Alberta (Canada). Electrical conductivity (EC), Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and pH were compared. In addition the influence of deep ripping on moisture distribution and particle size distribution in the profile were determined. Single moldboard deep plowing resulted in substantial changes to soil chemical properties throughout the profile, whereas deep ripping with a 56-cm shank spacing caused little or no changes. Deep ripping with a 112-cm shank spacing induced significant changes in SAR and pH in the upper 2 horizons of the area immediately affected by the shank. The soil was moist when the field with a 56-cm spacing was ripped, and very dry a year later when the field with a 112-cm spacing was ripped, making it difficult to evaluate the effect of shank spacing. Maximum shattering occurred when the soil was dry. Deep ripping with a 112-cm shank spacing significantly increased moisture penetration in the area immediately affected by the shank and in areas adjacent to the shank (20-cm over). Also, deep ripping with a 112-cm shank spacing lifted clay upwards in the profile, and increased SAR in the upper part of the profile.

Modeling soil response to acid deposition in Alberta

Abstract A semi‐empirical model for predicting soil response to acid deposition which was developed at the University of Minnesota was applied to determine possible impacts on Alberta soils. The model predicts changes in pH, base saturation, and soluble Al content over time for given inputs of wet and dry deposition. It is based on relationships among pH, base saturation, and Al solubility of the soil and is applicable only to undisturbed soils. Simulations using the model provide an effective means of quickly predicting response over time and for comparing responses among different soil types. Simulations were carried out on selected Chernozemic, Luvisolic and Brunisolic soils. At an acid input level of 0.1 kmol(H+)ha‐1 yr‐1, pH, base saturation and Al had not changed significantly within 100 years, except in the most sandy soils. Most of the soils changed notably within 100 years in response to acid loadings of 1 kmol(H+)ha‐1 yr‐1. Various assumptions were made in this modeling exercise and the simulations must be considered as representing worst case scenarios.

Chemistry of arsenic in acid sulphate soils of Northern Alberta

Abstract Acid sulphate soils from central Alberta were analyzed for mineralogical composition, pore water chemistry, and content of arsenic in order to determine the stability and weathering of minerals and the form, distribution, and mechanisms involved in the accumulation of native arsenic within the soil solum and acid shale parent materials. Weathering of pyrite in the soil solum resulted in strong acidity (pH values near 3) and formation of natrojarosite, selenite, and iron oxyhydroxides. Analyses for total As in soil and segregated mineral samples indicated the element partitioned into iron rich phases. Content of As in some samples of iron enriched soil were as high as 500 mg/kg. Use of selective extradants for estimation of Ca‐, Al‐, and Fe‐arsenate forms provide limited information in this study. Results of thermodynamic modeling of pore water chemistry using the MINTEQ computer code were compared to the empirical data on mineral association of As and mineral alteration during the genesis of the ...