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Long-term continuous cropping, fertilisation, and manuring effects on physical properties and organic carbon content of a sandy loam soil.
- Article from:
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Australian Journal of Soil Research
- Article date:
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August 1, 2006
- Author:
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Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2006 CSIRO Publishing. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Effects of continuous cropping, fertilisation, and manuring on soil organic carbon content and physical properties such as particle size distribution, bulk density, aggregation, porosity, and water retention characteristics of a Typic Ustochrept were examined after 31 cycles of maize--wheat--cowpea (fodder) crop rotation. Five contrasting nutrient treatments from a long-term fertiliser experiment were chosen for this study: control (no fertiliser or manure); 100% (optimum dose) nitrogen (N) fertiliser; 100% nitrogen and phosphorus (NP); 100% nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK); 100% NPK + farmyard manure (NPK + FYM). The NPK + FYM treatment significantly improved soil organic carbon ...
<30 [micro]m) was assessed from the volumetric water content at -0.01 MPa. Macroporosity (consisting of pores with equivalent diameter><0.05). NPK + FYM and NPK treatments registered 13.3 and 9.5% more microporosity than the control treatment in 0-0.15 m soil depth, but the difference was less pronounced (7.7 and 5.4%, respectively) in 0.15-0.30 m soil depth. Total porosity of NPK + FYM and NPK treatments was also significantly higher than control and N treatments in these depths. Total porosity and micro-porosity of NPK and NP treatments were not significantly different at both the soil depths (P><0.01) positive linear correlation with the MWD, %WSMA, and aggregates of 2-4 and>