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Carbon dioxide flush as a soil health indicator related to soil properties and crop yields
Author(s) -
Sainju Upendra M.,
Liptzin Daniel,
Dangi Sadikshya M.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.1002/saj2.20288
Subject(s) - carbon dioxide , soil water , sativum , environmental science , agronomy , crop rotation , crop , chemistry , soil science , biology , organic chemistry
Carbon dioxide flush after rewetting of dried soils has been recommended as a promising soil health indicator, but it has not been related to most soil properties and crop yields. We evaluated the effect of cropping systems and N fertilization on CO 2 flushes at 1‐ (1dC) and 4‐d incubations (4dC) after rewetting of dried soils and related to 54 soil physical, chemical, and biological properties and annualized crop yields in two long‐term experimental sites in eastern Montana (USA). Treatments included till and no‐till spring wheat ( Triticum aestiveum L.), pea ( Pisum sativum L.), and fallow rotations with and without N fertilization. Carbon dioxide flushes were lower in till crop–fallow than in no‐till continuous cropping systems at both sites. The 1dC was correlated to 5 soil physical, 7 chemical, and 12 biological properties, and 4dC was correlated to 9 physical, 8 chemical, and 11 biological properties in Froid. In Sidney, 1dC was correlated to 10 physical, 13 chemical, and 9 biological properties, and 4dC was correlated to 7 physical, 11 chemical, and 2 biological properties (1–8 moderately, 18–21 strongly, and 1–3 very strongly related). Carbon dioxide flushes were also related to mean annualized crop yields in both sites, except for the relationship between 4dC and crop yield in Sidney. Because of its stronger relationship with soil properties and crop yields, 1dC after rewetting of dried soils determined by using the infrared gas analyzer can be used as a simple, rapid, reliable, and inexpensive indicator of measuring soil health in dryland cropping systems.