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The effects of 55 years of different inorganic fertiliser regimes on soil properties and microbial community composition

Williams, Alwyn LU ; Borjesson, Gunnar and Hedlund, Katarina LU orcid (2013) In Soil Biology & Biochemistry 67. p.41-46
Abstract
Agricultural fertilisation increases crop yields but can cause environmental damage, thus reductions in inorganic fertiliser application have been advocated. Farmer usage of phosphate rock has declined over the last decade, which may lead to soil nutrient depletion that undermines future crop production. We investigated the long-term (55 years) effects of eight different inorganic fertiliser regimes at four sites: no phosphorous and potassium (PR) fertilisation or annual replacement of harvested PR, combined with 0, 50, 100, or 150 kg nitrogen (N) ha(-1) yr(-1) on a range of soil properties and microbial community composition. We also investigated whether differences in microbial community composition under different fertiliser regimes... (More)
Agricultural fertilisation increases crop yields but can cause environmental damage, thus reductions in inorganic fertiliser application have been advocated. Farmer usage of phosphate rock has declined over the last decade, which may lead to soil nutrient depletion that undermines future crop production. We investigated the long-term (55 years) effects of eight different inorganic fertiliser regimes at four sites: no phosphorous and potassium (PR) fertilisation or annual replacement of harvested PR, combined with 0, 50, 100, or 150 kg nitrogen (N) ha(-1) yr(-1) on a range of soil properties and microbial community composition. We also investigated whether differences in microbial community composition under different fertiliser regimes arose from differences in underlying soil properties, changes in soil properties resulting indirectly from fertilisation, or directly from fertilisation. Reduced fertiliser application significantly reduced topsoil organic carbon and N, as well as plant-available R This significantly reduced sugar beet yields but had less impact on winter wheat. The different fertiliser regimes had no significant effect on microbial community composition. Differences in soil properties as a result of fertilisation were less than differences between sites, and differences in microbial community composition were mainly explained by site. The results show that long-term inorganic fertiliser practices have little impact on microbial community composition, and lend support to research showing that microbial community composition is more influenced by organic matter inputs and underlying soil properties. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Agriculture, Fertilisation, Microbial community, Nitrogen, Nutrient, depletion, Phosphorous, Soil organic carbon
in
Soil Biology & Biochemistry
volume
67
pages
41 - 46
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000327107700006
  • scopus:84883628807
ISSN
0038-0717
DOI
10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.08.008
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
96d0abe4-8b63-420c-a00a-8e9d391fc563 (old id 4273407)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:55:36
date last changed
2024-04-10 12:53:21
@article{96d0abe4-8b63-420c-a00a-8e9d391fc563,
  abstract     = {{Agricultural fertilisation increases crop yields but can cause environmental damage, thus reductions in inorganic fertiliser application have been advocated. Farmer usage of phosphate rock has declined over the last decade, which may lead to soil nutrient depletion that undermines future crop production. We investigated the long-term (55 years) effects of eight different inorganic fertiliser regimes at four sites: no phosphorous and potassium (PR) fertilisation or annual replacement of harvested PR, combined with 0, 50, 100, or 150 kg nitrogen (N) ha(-1) yr(-1) on a range of soil properties and microbial community composition. We also investigated whether differences in microbial community composition under different fertiliser regimes arose from differences in underlying soil properties, changes in soil properties resulting indirectly from fertilisation, or directly from fertilisation. Reduced fertiliser application significantly reduced topsoil organic carbon and N, as well as plant-available R This significantly reduced sugar beet yields but had less impact on winter wheat. The different fertiliser regimes had no significant effect on microbial community composition. Differences in soil properties as a result of fertilisation were less than differences between sites, and differences in microbial community composition were mainly explained by site. The results show that long-term inorganic fertiliser practices have little impact on microbial community composition, and lend support to research showing that microbial community composition is more influenced by organic matter inputs and underlying soil properties. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Williams, Alwyn and Borjesson, Gunnar and Hedlund, Katarina}},
  issn         = {{0038-0717}},
  keywords     = {{Agriculture; Fertilisation; Microbial community; Nitrogen; Nutrient; depletion; Phosphorous; Soil organic carbon}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{41--46}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Soil Biology & Biochemistry}},
  title        = {{The effects of 55 years of different inorganic fertiliser regimes on soil properties and microbial community composition}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.08.008}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.08.008}},
  volume       = {{67}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}