Tuesday, 8 November 2005 - 9:30 AM
174-6

Effect of Texture on Soil Organic Carbon in Different Management Practices.

X. Hao1, A. Kravchenko1, Senthil K. Subramanian1, G. P. Robertson2, and Alvin Smucker2. (1) Dept. Crop and Soil Science, Michigan State University, PSSB, East Lansing, MI 48824, (2) Michigan State University, W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners, MI 49060

Management practices and soil texture have great influence on soil organic carbon dynamics in agricultural systems. However, the interaction effects of management practices and soil texture on total soil carbon (C) are unclear. We studied the relationship between soil texture and C on Alfisols in three management practice treatments at the Long Term Ecological Research site at Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan, namely, conventionally tilled, no till, and conventionally tilled with legume winter cover crop treatments. The study site was established in 1988. Prior to the establishment, the site had been cultivated in a corn/soybean rotation with moldboard plow tillage for more then 50 years. Twelve hundred samples were taken from top 5 cm soil layer from four replicate 1-ha plots of each treatment. Statistically significant positive relationship was observed between soil fine fraction (silt plus clay content) and total C in all treatments. Preliminary analysis showed significantly higher regression slopes for fine fraction/total C relationships in no till treatment than in conventionally tilled treatment. Results of complete analyses of the pattern of total C/soil texture relationships for the studied management practices will be presented and discussed.

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