Soil and organic matter processes
Lead Research Organisation:
Rothamsted Research
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Technical Summary
The focus of this project is on organic matter and biological residue interaction in grassland soils. It consists of two components:
1. Biochemical and physical characterisation of organic matter, including the use of NIRS for analysing complexity of biological organic matter. This work is linked to the SoilCIP (Objective 1)
2. Novel process studies to examine infiltration of viscous liquids. This research will test the hypothesis that infiltration rates of livestock slurries control key soil processes influencing nutrient release, gaseous emissions and diffuse pollution to water.
This project is influenced by and provides information for another North Wyke project (project number 5740) in the 'Grassland, environment and soil systems' Strategic Programme Grant area.
1. Biochemical and physical characterisation of organic matter, including the use of NIRS for analysing complexity of biological organic matter. This work is linked to the SoilCIP (Objective 1)
2. Novel process studies to examine infiltration of viscous liquids. This research will test the hypothesis that infiltration rates of livestock slurries control key soil processes influencing nutrient release, gaseous emissions and diffuse pollution to water.
This project is influenced by and provides information for another North Wyke project (project number 5740) in the 'Grassland, environment and soil systems' Strategic Programme Grant area.
Planned Impact
unavailable
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| David Chadwick (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Gill F
(2010)
Archaeol - a biomarker for foregut fermentation in modern and ancient herbivorous mammals?
in Organic Geochemistry
Dungait JA
(2010)
Applications of stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry in cattle dung carbon cycling studies.
in Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM
Wurster CM
(2010)
Forest contraction in north equatorial Southeast Asia during the Last Glacial Period.
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Fangueiro D
(2010)
Short term N2O, CH4 and CO2 production from soil sampled at different depths and amended with a fine sized slurry fraction.
in Chemosphere
Hoekstra N
(2010)
The fate of slurry-N fractions in herbage and soil during two growing seasons following application
in Plant and Soil
Dixon ER
(2010)
Evidence for the production of NO and N2O in two contrasting subsoils following the addition of synthetic cattle urine.
in Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM
Gómez-Muñoz B
(2011)
Gross and net rates of nitrogen mineralisation in soil amended with composted olive mill pomace.
in Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM
Gómez-Muñoz B
(2011)
Carbon mineralization and distribution of nutrients within different particle-size fractions of commercially produced olive mill pomace.
in Bioresource technology
Dungait J
(2012)
Soil organic matter turnover is governed by accessibility not recalcitrance
in Global Change Biology
| Description | In this project we addressed the overall hypothesis that the physico-chemical characteristics of livestock derived organic matter (LD-OM) effects the fate of carbon and nitrogen in applied LDOM as a function of how it influences its physical position within the soil profile, accessibility by micro-organisms and substrate quality. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen, either enriched or at natural abundance, are an effective tool in the quantifying of rates of mineralisation of amended organic matter fractions and residual soil organic matter. Other naturally occurring tracers within livestock manure offer a useful method of tracing the transfer of organic amendments through the soil and landscape. New analytical techniques, including stable isotope tracing, are providing new quantitative information about the relationships between the N, P and C macronutrient cycles in agroecosystems, and have the potential to enable sustainable nutrient management at the whole farm scale. In the absence of macro-pores, soil acts in a similar way to a chromatographic column, separating out the coarser slurry fractions at or in the soil surface, with finer fractions and the liquid fraction having greater potential to be transported to greater depth within the soil profile. The fractionation of livestock slurries into components, e.g. operationally defined size classes (similar to those for soil particles), or pools with pre-determined different N release patterns provides an improved approach to assessing the fate of applied livestock derived organic matter (LDOM) to soil. Research confirmed that substrate quality of organic matter amendments influences short- and long-term gross and net mineralisation rates of carbon and nitrogen, and that organic matter accessibility to micro-organisms is key to turnover rates. We found that substrate quality (C:N) of LDOM particles is a function of particle size, with smaller particle sizes having higher C:N ratio and a large surface area: volume ratio, resulting in greater mineralisation rates than coarser particles. Different sized particle fractions of cattle slurry resulted in both positive and negative priming of soil carbon and that higher amounts of carbon are released from finer slurry particle sizes in the short- (days - months) and medium-term (months-years). Position of LDOM within the landscape and within the soil profile is controlled by the density, shape and mass of the LDOM constituent parts, as well as hydrological energy; and it's position in the soil (and landscape) influences the proximate environmental conditions and hence microbial activity. Mineralisation rates are generally greater in the upper soil layers where conditions are more aerobic, whilst LDOM that is transported to depth will encounter anaerobic conditions more favourable for processes such as denitrification, and nitrous oxide production. |
| Exploitation Route | Our research has shown that carbon additions to soil in amendments offer the opportunity for sequestration. This offers the opportunity for offsetting GHG emissions. also the prediction of rates of C and nutrient release means that the fertiliser replacement rate of e.g. livestock manures, can be utilised more effectively. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Environment |
| Description | The findings have featured in farmer discussion groups re: organic matter building in soil, climate change mitigation and nutrient use efficiencies from manures |
| First Year Of Impact | 2010 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
| Impact Types | Economic Policy & public services |