Long-term organic amendments for plant-available water capacity in a temperate no-till system

IF 6.4 1区农林科学 Q1 AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment Pub Date : 2026-05-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-05 DOI:10.1016/j.agee.2026.110296

Md Nayem Hasan Munna, Rattan Lal

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Abstract

Plant-available water capacity (PAWC) is a key indicator of soil physical quality and water delivery. Yet, research data on these parameters from long-term field studies are scant. This study evaluated the legacy effects of organic amendments and cover cropping on PAWC and pore structure in an Alfisol under a 27-year no-till (NT) system in central Ohio, USA. Four treatments were examined: weedy fallow (no input), cover crop (annual and perennial ryegrass, red fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass), compost (15.3 Mg/ha/yr), and cow manure (23.3 Mg/ha/yr), arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Soil samples were collected in 2024 from four replicated plots per treatment at 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm depths. Volumetric water content was determined at eight matric suctions using tension tables and pressure plate extractors, with three cores per plot analyzed separately and averaged for plot-level analyses (n = 4 per treatment and depth). PAWC was calculated as the difference between water content at field capacity (pF 2.5) and permanent wilting point (pF 4.2). Manure-treated soils exhibited the highest PAWC in the 0–20 cm layer (5.14 ± 1.31 cm), while fallow had the highest in 20–40 cm (5.88 ± 1.04 cm). Water content at pF 1.8 ranged from 44.4 ± 0.8 % (manure) to 35.8 ± 2.0 % (cover crop) in surface soil. Fallow showed the steepest dθ/dpF curves (R² = 0.97–0.98, p < 0.01), indicating rapid drainage, while manure-treated soil had broader curves suggesting sustained delivery. Compost-treated soils had weaker model fits (R² = 0.32–0.54, p > 0.05), suggesting occluded mesoporosity. PAWC was strongly correlated with storage pores (R² = 0.94–0.92, p < 0.001). Structural equation modeling showed that storage pores mediate the effects of soil physical properties on PAWC, with bulk density acting as the primary constraint on water availability in surface soil. These findings highlight the legacy effects of organic inputs, particularly manure, on mesoporosity, PAWC, and soil hydrologic function under long-term NT management.

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温带免耕系统中植物有效水分的长期有机修正

植物有效水量（PAWC）是土壤物理质量和水分输送的重要指标。然而，从长期的实地研究中获得的关于这些参数的研究数据很少。在美国俄亥俄州中部27年免耕（NT）制度下，研究了有机肥改良和覆盖种植对Alfisol土壤PAWC和孔隙结构的影响。4个处理：杂草休耕（无投入）、覆盖作物（一年生和多年生黑麦草、红羊茅和肯塔基蓝草）、堆肥（15.3 Mg/ha/yr）和牛粪（23.3 Mg/ha/yr），采用随机完全区组设计，设4个重复。2024年，每个处理在0-20 cm和20-40 cm深度的4个重复样地采集土壤样品。使用张力表和压力板提取器在8个基质抽吸处测定体积含水量，每个地块分别分析3个岩心，并在地块水平分析中取平均值（每个处理和深度n = 4）。PAWC计算为田间容量含水量（pF 2.5）与永久萎蔫点（pF 4.2）之差。耕作土壤PAWC在0 ~ 20 cm层最高（5.14±1.31 cm），休耕土壤PAWC在20 ~ 40 cm层最高（5.88±1.04 cm）。pF 1.8下表层土壤含水量为44.4 ± 0.8 %（粪便）~ 35.8 ± 2.0 %（覆盖作物）。休耕土壤的dθ/dpF曲线最陡（R²= 0.97-0.98,p <； 0.01），表明排水迅速，而粪肥处理土壤的曲线较宽，表明排水持续。堆肥处理土壤的模型拟合较弱（R²= 0.32-0.54,p >； 0.05），表明介孔被封闭。PAWC与储孔隙呈显著正相关（R²= 0.94-0.92,p <； 0.001）。结构方程模型表明，土壤孔隙调节了土壤物理性质对PAWC的影响，其中容重是表层土壤水分有效性的主要制约因素。这些发现强调了有机投入，特别是粪便，在长期NT管理下对介孔、PAWC和土壤水文功能的遗留效应。

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来源期刊

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

11.70

自引率

9.10%

发文量

392

审稿时长

26 days

期刊介绍： Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment publishes scientific articles dealing with the interface between agroecosystems and the natural environment, specifically how agriculture influences the environment and how changes in that environment impact agroecosystems. Preference is given to papers from experimental and observational research at the field, system or landscape level, from studies that enhance our understanding of processes using data-based biophysical modelling, and papers that bridge scientific disciplines and integrate knowledge. All papers should be placed in an international or wide comparative context.