Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1111/ejss.13233
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Response of subsoil organic matter contents and physical properties to long‐term, high‐rate farmyard manure application
Author Leuther, F.; Wolff, M.; Kaiser, K.; Schumann, L.; Merbach, I.; Mikutta, R.; Schlüter, S.
Source Titel European Journal of Soil Science
Year 2022
Department BZF; BOSYS
Volume 73
Issue 2
Page From e13233
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
Supplements https://bsssjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1111%2Fejss.13233&file=ejss13233-sup-0001-Supinfo.docx
Keywords Particulate organic matter; carbon storage; X-ray computer tomography; hydraulic properties; carbon stock; plant available water content
Abstract Application of farmyard manure (FYM) is common practice to improve physical and chemical properties of arable soil and crop yields. However, studies on effects of FYM application mainly focussed on topsoils, whereas subsoils have rarely been addressed so far. We, therefore, investigated the effects of 36-year FYM application with different rates of annual organic carbon (OC) addition (0, 469, 938, and 1875 g C m−2 a−1) on OC contents of a Chernozem in 0−30 cm (topsoil) and 35−45 cm (subsoil) depth. We also investigated its effects on soil structure and hydraulic properties in subsoil. X-ray computed tomography was used to analyse the response of the subsoil macropore system (≥ 19 μm) and the distribution of particulate organic matter (POM) to different FYM applications, which were related to contents in total OC (TOC) and water-extractable OC (WEOC). We show that FYM-C application of 469 g C m−2 a−1 caused increases in TOC and WEOC contents only in the topsoil, whereas rates of ≥ 938 g C m−2 a−1 were necessary for TOC enrichment also in the subsoil. At this depth, the subdivision of TOC into different OC sources shows that most of the increase was due to fresh POM, likely by the stimulation of root growth and bioturbation. The increase in subsoil TOC went along with increases in macroporosity and macropore connectivity. We neither observed increases in plant-available water capacity nor in unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. In conclusion, only very high application of FYM over long periods can increase OC content of subsoil at our study site, but this increase is largely based on fresh, easily degradable POM and likely accompanied by high C losses when considering the discrepancy between OC addition rate by FYM and TOC response in soil.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=25924
Leuther, F., Wolff, M., Kaiser, K., Schumann, L., Merbach, I., Mikutta, R., Schlüter, S. (2022):
Response of subsoil organic matter contents and physical properties to long‐term, high‐rate farmyard manure application
Eur. J. Soil Sci. 73 (2), e13233 10.1111/ejss.13233