Total and mineralizable soil carbon as affected by tillage in the Argentinean Pampas

• Published in: Soil & tillage research 2006-07, Vol.88 (1), p.274-278
• Main Authors: Costantini, Alejandro, De-Polli, Helvécio, Galarza, Carlos, Rossiello, Roberto Pereyra, Romaniuk, Romina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; carbon; carbon sequestration; Carbon stock; corn; crop rotation; crop yield; Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Glycine max; grain yield; mineralization; Mollisols; No-tillage; reduced tillage; soil; soil organic carbon; soil respiration; Soil science; Soil tillage; soybeans; Tillage systems; Tillage. Tending. Growth control; topsoil; Total organic carbon; Triticum aestivum; wheat; Zea mays
• ISSN: 0167-1987; 1879-3444
• DOI: 10.1016/j.still.2005.06.016

This study was carried out in experimental plots established at Marcos Juárez, in the Pampean Region (center of Argentina) on Typic Argiudolls, with high silt content. The aim of this work was to study the effects of two tillage systems (reduced tillage and no-tillage) on the amount of total organic C, potentially mineralizable C, C released by respiration, and C stock in the topsoil of a corn ( Zea mays L.)–wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/soybean ( Glycine max L. Merr.)–soybean rotation. No-tillage showed C stock greater than reduced tillage only at 0–5 cm depth, but not at 0–20 cm, even though in situ respiration was lower. As a consequence, no tillage did not show a differential capacity for C sequestration in comparison with reduced tillage.