Effects of carbon input on soil carbon stability and nitrogen dynamics

• Published in: Agriculture, ecosystems & environment Vol. 189; pp. 36 - 42
• Main Authors: Jha, Pramod, Lakaria, Brij Lal, Biswas, A.K., Saha, R., Mahapatra, P., Agrawal, B.K., Sahi, D.K., Wanjari, R.H., Lal, R., Singh, Muneshwar, Rao, A. Subba
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01.05.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon; Carbon pools; Carbon stability; Chemical fertilization; Crops; Dynamics; Fertilization; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agroecology; General agroecology. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development. Rural area planning. Landscaping; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development; Generalities. Analysis and diagnosis methods; Integrated nutrient management; Nitrogen dynamics; Pools; Soil (material); Soil stability; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Stability; India; Carbon stability; Chemical fertilization; Carbon pools; Integrated nutrient management; Nitrogen dynamics; Carbon cycle; Chemistry; Nitrogen cycle; Ecology; Balanced fertilization; Carbon; Soil stability
• ISSN: 0167-8809; 1873-2305
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2014.03.019

•Soil carbon stability and nitrogen dynamics in long-term experiment was analyzed.•Application of FYM in addition to NPK produced greater size of resistant C pool.•Additional carbon input in NPK plot had no effect on resistant carbon pool.•Carbon stability significantly affected the N dynamics in soil.•N availability in soil is linearly related with acid-hydrolyzable C pool. Improved understanding of the process of carbon (C) stabilization is critical to managing emissions from agricultural soils and optimizing crop yield. We assessed soil organic C (SOC) stability and nitrogen (N) dynamics in a long-term fertilization experiment (started in 1972) conducted at three different locations in India (Jabalpur-Vertisol, Palampur-Alfisol and Ranchi-Alfisol). We measured soil organic C (SOC), C pools and stocks in the treatments of no fertilization as control, inorganic fertilization as NPK and integrated fertilization as NPK+farm yard manure (FYM). Quantification of different SOC pools was done by a procedure of acid hydrolysis followed by a long-term (247 days) incubation study. Based on crop yield and C storage, NPK+FYM was the best treatment for improving crop productivity and SOC sequestration. Integrated fertilization for 38 years increased SOC across sites. In the NPK treatment, additional C input (3–9 times higher) in the form of root biomass did not significantly change C pools. Application of FYM in addition to NPK enhanced the acid non-hydrolysable fraction of SOC across sites. Stability of SOC significantly influenced N dynamics in soil and the availability of N in soil is correlated with the amount of C in the acid-hydrolysable pool (R2=0.64, p=0.01) but not with SOC (R2=0.12, p=0.01). Long-term use of chemical fertilizers did not significantly affect soil total N content.