| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
USDA-ARS and Dep. of Agronomy, Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583.
* Corresponding author.
Long-term effects of cropping systems on soil properties, such as organic soil C and N levels, is necessary so more accurate projections can be made regarding the sequester and emission of CO2 by agricultural soils. This information can then be used to predict the effects of cropping systems on both soil degradation, maintenance, or improvement and global climate changes. My objective was to evaluate the effects of crop rotation and N fertilizer management on changes in total soil C and N concentrations that have occurred during an 8-yr period in a long-term study in the Western Corn Belt. Seven cropping systems (three monoculture, two 2-yr, and two 4-yr rotations) with three rates of N fertilizer were compared. Monocultures included continuous corn (Zeamays L.), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], and grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. The 2-yr rotations were corn-soybean and grain sorghum-soybean, and the two 4-yr rotations were corn-oat (Avena sativa L.) + clover (80% Melilotus officinalis Lam. and 20% Trifolium pratense). grain sorghum-soybean and corn-soybean-grain sorghum-oat+clover. Soil samples were taken in the spring both in 1984 and 1992 to a depth of 30 cm in 0- to 7.5-cm, 7.5- to 15-cm, and 15-to 30-cm increments. No differences were obtained in 1984, but both rotation and N rate significantly affected total soil C and N concentrations in 1992. The results indicate that C could be sequestered at 10 to 20 gm–2 yr–1 in some cropping systems with sufficient levels of N fertilizer. Greater storage of C in soils suggests CO2 emissions from agricultural soils could be decreased with improved management practices and may in the long term have a significant effect on CO2 in the atmosphere under current climate conditions.
Received for publication May 26, 1993.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  G. E. Varvel and W. W. Wilhelm Soil Carbon Levels in Irrigated Western Corn Belt Rotations Agron. J., June 23, 2008; 100(4): 1180 - 1184. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. A. Khan, R. L. Mulvaney, T. R. Ellsworth, and C. W. Boast The Myth of Nitrogen Fertilization for Soil Carbon Sequestration J. Environ. Qual., October 24, 2007; 36(6): 1821 - 1832. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. D. Halvorson and C. A. Reule Irrigated, No-Till Corn and Barley Response to Nitrogen in Northern Colorado Agron. J., October 15, 2007; 99(6): 1521 - 1529. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. D. Halvorson and C. A. Reule Irrigated Corn and Soybean Response to Nitrogen under No-Till in Northern Colorado Agron. J., September 5, 2006; 98(5): 1367 - 1374. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. Amos, T. J. Arkebauer, and J. W. Doran Soil Surface Fluxes of Greenhouse Gases in an Irrigated Maize-Based Agroecosystem Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., March 1, 2005; 69(2): 387 - 395. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. J. Wienhold Changes in Soil Attributes Following Low Phosphorus Swine Slurry Application to No-Tillage Sorghum Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., January 1, 2005; 69(1): 206 - 214. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. A. Liebig and G. E. Varvel Effects of Western Corn Belt Cropping Systems on Agroecosystem Functions Agron. J., March 1, 2003; 95(2): 316 - 322. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. O. West and W. M. Post Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration Rates by Tillage and Crop Rotation: A Global Data Analysis Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., November 1, 2002; 66(6): 1930 - 1946. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.L. Tanaka, J.M. Krupinsky, M.A. Liebig, S.D. Merrill, R.E. Ries, J.R. Hendrickson, H.A. Johnson, and J.D. Hanson Dynamic Cropping Systems: An Adaptable Approach to Crop Production in the Great Plains Agron. J., September 1, 2002; 94(5): 957 - 961. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. A. Liebig, G. E. Varvel, J. W. Doran, and B. J. Wienhold Crop Sequence and Nitrogen Fertilization Effects on Soil Properties in the Western Corn Belt Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., March 1, 2002; 66(2): 596 - 601. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. A. Liebig, G. Varvel, and J. Doran A Simple Performance-Based Index for Assessing Multiple Agroecosystem Functions Agron. J., March 1, 2001; 93(2): 313 - 318. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. D. Halvorson, C. A. Reule, and R. F. Follett Nitrogen Fertilization Effects on Soil Carbon and Nitrogen in a Dryland Cropping System Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., July 1, 1999; 63(4): 912 - 917. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| The SCI Journals | Crop Science | Vadose Zone Journal | |||
| Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education |
Soil Science Society of America Journal | ||||
| Journal of Plant Registrations | Journal of Environmental Quality |
The Plant Genome | |||
