Dairy manure and tillage effects on soil fertility and corn yields
Introduction
High-energy conventional agriculture is often associated with degradation of soil and air quality (Batjes, 1998, Islam and Weil, 2000). Soil quality degradation by tillage is particularly important in regions where there is low input of organic matter. Although CT reduces compaction, provides favorable seed bed, enhances root growth and development, controls weeds, and maintains crop yields (Bennie and Botha, 1986, Varsa et al., 1997), it accelerates soil structural degradation, nutrient depletion and biochemical oxidation of soil organic matter (Dick, 1983, Islam and Weil, 2000). Greater loss of organic matter by oxidation and soil erosion is not compensated by C inputs through the return of crop residues in CT (Arshad et al., 1990). Moreover, CT’s contribution to increasing CO2 emission is becoming a global environmental concern (Batjes, 1998).
In response to high cost involvement of CT and its contribution to soil and air quality degradation, NT has been increasingly adopted to enhance and/or maintain soil quality for economic crop production (Kelley et al., 1996, Batjes, 1998, Islam and Weil, 2000). Moreover, NT substantially lowers fuel consumption and labor inputs, which over time improves farm income (Kelley et al., 1996). The no-till soil has been characterized by increased C content, improvements in physical properties, and greater water storage and water-use efficiency, and reduction in soil erosion (Acharya and Sharma, 1994, Pikul and Aase, 1995, Hussain et al., 1998, Islam and Weil, 2000). However, NT is often associated with soil compaction and surface stratification of organic C and nutrients (Follett and Peterson, 1988, Dick, 1983). The efficiency of NT to improve soil quality for economic crop production can be improved through organic amendments (Acharya and Sharma, 1994, Barzegar et al., 2002, Shirani et al., 2002, Mando et al., 2005).
Organic amendments have reportedly improve aggregation, reduce compaction and surface crusting, increase C sequestration and nutrient availability, and enhance infiltration and water holding capacity of soil (Khan et al., 1975, Ekwue, 1992, Islam and Weil, 2000, Min et al., 2003). As a means of disposal and utilization of farm wastes, dairy manure has traditionally been applied to soil for crop and fodder production (Sommerfield and Chang, 1985, Barkle et al., 2000, Min et al., 2003). Since dairy manure supplies organic matter, N and other nutrients, it is likely that dairy manure will exert immediate and wide-ranging beneficial effects on soil quality properties than chemical fertilizers alone (Sommerfield and Chang, 1985, Barzegar et al., 2002, Barkle et al., 2000, Min et al., 2003). The use of dairy manure as organic amendments to improve soil quality may be more important where water and organic matter maintenance under CT are major constraints for economic crop production. The objectives of the present study were to (i) determine the effects of different tillage operations and chemical fertilization with or without dairy manure amendments on low organic matter content soil, and (ii) evaluate their effects on growth, yield and nutrient uptake of irrigated corn.
Section snippets
Description of the site
The experiment was conducted at research farm (latitude 31°–26′N and 73°–06′E, altitude 184.4 m) of the Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, from 2002 through 2003. The existing farming system predominantly based on irrigated corn, wheat, cotton, sugarcane, rice, fodder, and pulses.
The soil was a well-drained Hafizabad sandy clay loam (mixed, semi-active, isohyperthermic Typic Calciargids) which is poor in fertility especially organic
Dairy manure and tillage effects on soil properties
Soil bulk density (ρb), total porosity (ft), and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) were significantly influenced by tillage and manure with significant interaction (Fig. 1). The conventional tillage (CT) significantly reduced ρb with an associated increase in ft compared to no-till (NT) soils, as did the manure amendments. Manure significantly decreased ρb and increased ft in all tillage treatments. The effect of manure in reducing ρb and increasing ft was not significant between NT and
Conclusions
Two years of tillage and dairy manure amendments had exerted variable effects on soil properties and corn growth. While the short-term effects of tillage significantly improved ft and Kfs (∼40%) with an associated decrease in ρb than NT, the effect of manure on soil physical properties was more consistent (∼44%) than tillage. The C sequestration was consistently improved (∼17%) by manuring. However, with manure, C sequestration did not vary consistently by tillage operations, which suggests
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