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Soil Microbial, Chemical and Physical Properties in Continuous Cotton and Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems
Author(s) -
Acosta-Martínez V.,
Zobeck T. M.,
Allen Vivien
Publication year - 2004
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 - 10.2136/sssaj2004.1875
Subject(s) - agronomy , secale , pasture , environmental science , monoculture , crop rotation , perennial plant , cover crop , soil quality , soil organic matter , tillage , cropping system , biomass (ecology) , soil water , crop , biology , soil science
Continuous monoculture systems can reduce soil organic matter because of low organic inputs and disturbance from tillage practices. Integrated cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum ) cropping and livestock production systems in West Texas may provide more sustainable alternatives to the traditional continuous cotton system and improve soil quality. Our study was conducted on a Pullman soil (Fine, mixed, thermic Torrertic Paleustolls) after 5 yr as a complete randomized block design (three replications) that compared continuous cotton and an integrated livestock‐crop system with a perennial warm‐season grass pasture ( Bothriochloa bladhii ) paddock and two paddocks (two stages) of a rotation (wheat [ Triticum aestivum ]‐fallow‐rye [ Secale cereale ]‐cotton). Total N (average: 1.0 g kg −1 soil) remained similar among systems and soil pH was >8.1. Organic C was higher (13.5 g kg −1 soil) in perennial pasture compared with continuous cotton (9.0 g kg −1 soil) at 0 to 5 cm. A similar trend was found for the soil aggregate stability. Soil microbial biomass C (C mic ) was greater in perennial pasture (193 mg kg −1 soil) and the rotation under rye and cotton (237 mg kg −1 soil) compared with continuous cotton (124 mg kg −1 soil) at 0 to 5 cm, and in perennial pasture at 5 to 10 and 10 to 15 cm. Soil microbial biomass N (N mic ) showed similar trends. Soil enzyme activities were greater in perennial pasture and the rotation (under rye and cotton) than under continuous cotton at 0 to 5 cm. The integrated crop‐livestock system had higher protozoa (20:4ω6c = 1.98%) and fungi (18:3ω9c = 1.30%) than continuous cotton (20:4ω6c = 1.09%; 18:3ω9c = 0.76%). These findings suggest positive differences in soil function and sustainability of the integrated crop–livestock system compared with continuous cotton.