Response of maize and soil microorganisms to decomposing poplar root residues after shallow or homogenous mixing into soil

Response of maize and soil microorganisms to decomposing poplar root residues after shallow or homogenous mixing into soil

During re‐conversion of short‐rotation poplar tree plantations back to arable land use, large amounts of tree residues must be incorporated into soil. A 90‐d pot experiment with and without N addition was carried out after mixing the same amounts of chaffed poplar root residues into the pots at 0–5...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of plant nutrition and soil science Vol. 178; no. 3; pp. 507 - 514
Main Authors: Gad, Hikal, Wachendorf, Christine, Joergensen, Rainer Georg
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Weinheim WILEY‐VCH Verlag 01-06-2015
WILEY-VCH Verlag
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
Subjects:
arable soils
Biomass
carbon nitrogen ratio
community structure
corn
crop yield
crops
ergosterol
field experimentation
fungi
land use
microbial biomass
microbial communities
N immobilization
Nitrogen
nitrogen fertilizers
organic matter
plantations
poplar root residues
Populus
re-conversion
soil microbial biomass
soil microorganisms
Tillage
tree plantation
trees
Zea mays
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Summary:During re‐conversion of short‐rotation poplar tree plantations back to arable land use, large amounts of tree residues must be incorporated into soil. A 90‐d pot experiment with and without N addition was carried out after mixing the same amounts of chaffed poplar root residues into the pots at 0–5 cm or at 0–20 cm depth. The objective was to investigate whether shallow mixing has positive effects on maize growth, reduces poplar root residue decomposition, and changes the microbial community structure towards fungi. Aboveground maize yield was strongly reduced after mixing of poplar root residues at 0–20 cm depth without N fertilization, but was not affected if mixed at 0–5 cm depth. Neither the mixing nor N fertilization had significant effects on root residue decomposition, estimated as recovered particulate organic matter. The total increase in microbial biomass C and biomass N was strongest after homogenous mixing of root residues at 0–20 cm, but remained unaffected by N fertilization. In contrast, the total amount of ergosterol remained unaffected by the mixing treatments, but responded positively to N fertilization. Shallow incorporation of poplar root residues did not affect the microbial biomass C/N ratio but disproportionately increased the fungal ergosterol to microbial biomass C ratio. Shallow incorporation of poplar root residues seems to reduce the demand for N fertilization of following crops, which should be further tested in field experiments.
Bibliography:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jpln.201400593
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ark:/67375/WNG-LF9PP5LB-Q
ArticleID:JPLN201400593
ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:1436-8730
1522-2624
DOI:10.1002/jpln.201400593