Abstract

COZZOLI, María Victoria et al. Nitrogen released by anaerobic incubation and organic carbon fractions in macro- and microaggregates under cropping systems. Cienc. suelo [online]. 2010, vol.28, n.2, pp.155-167. ISSN 1850-2067.

Soil organic carbon (CO) content determines many soil functions in the agroecosystem, including nitrogen (N) supply to crops. The level and distribution of organic carbon fractions and mineralizable N in the soil depends on management practices. The aim of this work was to analyze total organic carbon content (COT) associated with the mineral (COA) and particulate (COP) fraction and mineralizable N (through N release during anaerobic incubation, NAN) in whole soil and in macro- and microaggregates under different cropping systems (pastures and cropping with conventional tillage (LC) and with no-tillage (SD)) and N fertilization (0 and 120 kg N ha-1). Soil samples were taken from a long-term crop rotation and tillage system trial at Balcarce, Buenos Aires province. Macro- and microaggregates were separated by dry sieving and COT, COA, POC, and NAN content were determined in whole soil and in each aggregate fraction. The soils under pasture showed the highest CO fraction and NAN content both in whole soil and in each of the aggregate fractions. The longer the period under cropping and LC, the lower the variables compared with the SD regime. Although the proportion of macro- and microaggregates did not vary among treatments, a significant correlation was found between COT and POC content in macroaggregates and their stability when soil was less disturbed (pastures and SD). Under LC, aggregate stability was lower and there was no correlation with CO content. Under cropping there was a significant correlation between NAN in whole soil and NAN in the macroaggregates. A higher expression of N mineralization potential can therefore be expected in soils under management techniques that tend to break up macroaggregates or where these are less stable. However, the lack of significant differences in aggregation and in NAN and CO fractions under cropping suggests that careful tilling can help N mineralization largely without affecting its properties and that the inclusion of pastures in the rotation would reverse the effect of cropping.

Keywords : Particulate organic matter; Potentially mineralizable nitrogen; Soil aggregates; Tillage systems; Crop rotations.

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