Macronutrient in soils and wheat from long-term agroexperiments reflects variations in residue and fertilizer inputs

Authors: SHIWAKOTIA, SANTOSH - Oregon State University; ZHELJAZKOV, VALTCHO - Oregon State University; Gollany, Hero; KLEBER, MARKUS - Oregon State University; XING, BAOSHAN - University Of Massachusetts, Amherst; ASTATKIE, TESS - Dalhousie University

Submitted to: Nature Scientific Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/5/2020
Publication Date: 2/24/2020
Citation: Shiwakotia, S., Zheljazkov, V.D., Gollany, H.T., Kleber, M., Xing, B., Astatkie, T. 2020. Macronutrient in soils and wheat from long-term agroexperiments reflects variations in residue and fertilizer inputs. Nature Scientific Reports. 10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60164-6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60164-6

Interpretive Summary: Previous studies in the long-term experiments at Pendleton, Oregon, were focused on organic matter cycling, but the consequences of land management for nutrient status over time have received little attention. Soil and wheat tissue samples were analyzed to determine the macronutrient dynamics associated with residue management methods and fertilizer rate under a dryland winter wheat-fallow rotation. The treatments included: no burn residue incorporation with farmyard manure or pea vines, no burn or spring burn with application of N fertilizer (0, 40, and 80 lb/ac), and fall burn wheat residue incorporation. The results revealed no differences in the effect of residue burning on macronutrient concentration overtime. After receiving the same treatments for 84 years, the concentrations of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and sulfur, and extractable magnesium, potassium, and phosphorous in the 4 inches depth significantly increased in FYM plots compared to the rest of the plots. The nitrogen fertilization rate of 80 lb/ac reduced the accumulations of phosphorous, potassium, and calcium in grain compared to the 0 and 40 lb/ac applications. The results indicate that residue incorporation with farmyard manure can play vital role in reducing the macronutrient decline over time.

Technical Abstract: Previous studies in the long-term experiments at Pendleton, OR (USA), were focused on organic matter cycling, but the consequences of land management for nutrient status over time have received little attention. Soil and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) tissue samples of 1995, 2005, and 2015 were analyzed to determine the macronutrient dynamics associated with residue management methods and fertilizer rate under a dryland winter wheat-fallow rotation (WW-F). The treatments included: no burn residue incorporation with farmyard manure (FYM) or pea vines, no burn or spring burn with application of N fertilizer (0, 45, and 90 kg ha-1), and fall burn wheat residue incorporation. The results revealed no differences in the effect of residue burning on macronutrient concentration over time. After receiving the same treatments for 84 years, the concentrations of soil organic C, total N and S, and extractable Mg, K, and P in the 0-10 cm depth significantly increased in FYM plots compared to the rest of the plots. The N fertilization rate of 90 kg/ha reduced the accumulations of P, K, and Ca in grain compared to the 0 and 45 kg N/ha applications. The results indicate that residue incorporation with FYM can play vital role in reducing the macronutrient decline over time.