Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Short-term tillage influences microbial properties of a Mollisol in Northeast China

Author(s):

Lu-Jun Li ¹, Meng-Yang You ¹, Hong-Ai Shi ^{1, 2}, Xiao-Zeng Han ¹

Recieved Date: 2012-06-10, Accepted Date: 2012-10-06

Abstract:

To investigate soil quality changes as related to the shift from conventional tillage (CT) to no-tillage (NT) practices, a field experiment study was conducted to monitor selected microbial properties of a Mollisol in Northeast China. The experiment was established in 2007 including two tillage systems: CT and NT. Results showed that 4-year NT practice significantly increased soil bulk density and decreased soil total porosity (both P = 0.001). However, NT practice did not profoundly affect soil chemical property parameters, such as soil pH values, the concentrations of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP), and the ratios of C/N, C/P and N/P (all P>0.05). No significant effects of NT practice on basal respiration and extractable dissolved organic C were detected (both P>0.05). However, NT significantly increased microbial biomass C (MBC, P = 0.043) and microbial quotient (qMIC, P = 0.017), but decreased microbial metabolic quotient (qCO₂, P = 0.030). Our results indicated that short-term NT improved soil quality of Mollisols by enhancing its microbial properties, whilst MBC, qMIC, and qCO₂ were effective indicators for monitoring the improvement.

Keywords:

Basal respiration, microbial metabolic quotient, net nitrification, nitrogen mineralization, no-tillage, soil microbial biomass

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2012
Volume: 10
Issue: 3&4
Category: Environment
Pages: 1433-1436

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