Continuous decrease in soil organic matter despite increased plant productivity in an 80-years-old phosphorus-addition experiment

Abstract The objective of this study was to understand how eight decades of tillage affected soil element dynamics. We measured soil chemical properties and the 14C:12C ratio (Δ14C) of organic carbon in one of the oldest cropland experiments in Europe with different levels of phosphorus addition. So...

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Main Authors: Marie Spohn, Sabina Braun, Carlos A. Sierra
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2023-07-01
Series:Communications Earth & Environment
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00915-1
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author Marie Spohn
Sabina Braun
Carlos A. Sierra
author_facet Marie Spohn
Sabina Braun
Carlos A. Sierra
author_sort Marie Spohn
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The objective of this study was to understand how eight decades of tillage affected soil element dynamics. We measured soil chemical properties and the 14C:12C ratio (Δ14C) of organic carbon in one of the oldest cropland experiments in Europe with different levels of phosphorus addition. Soil total and organic phosphorus stocks in the uppermost 20 cm did not differ significantly between the control and the phosphorus addition treatments after 80 years, indicating plant phosphorus uptake from the subsoil. Crop yields increased from 220 g dry weight m−2 in 1936 to more than 500 g dry weight m−2 in the 2010s. The soil total organic carbon and total organic phosphorus stocks decreased by 13.7% and 11.6%, respectively, in the uppermost 20 cm of the soils during the experiment, irrespective of phosphorus addition. Based on modeling of Δ14C, we show that the mean transit time of carbon in the soil was below 10 years, indicating that a large share of the carbon inputs to soil is quickly respired. Our results suggest that the current agricultural practice at this long-term experiment is not sustainable because it led to a continuous decrease in soil organic matter over the last decades, despite increases in plant productivity.
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spelling doaj.art-53cf94b670d64eadbd1df034281932872023-07-16T11:29:05ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352023-07-014111010.1038/s43247-023-00915-1Continuous decrease in soil organic matter despite increased plant productivity in an 80-years-old phosphorus-addition experimentMarie Spohn0Sabina Braun1Carlos A. Sierra2Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesDepartment of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesDepartment of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesAbstract The objective of this study was to understand how eight decades of tillage affected soil element dynamics. We measured soil chemical properties and the 14C:12C ratio (Δ14C) of organic carbon in one of the oldest cropland experiments in Europe with different levels of phosphorus addition. Soil total and organic phosphorus stocks in the uppermost 20 cm did not differ significantly between the control and the phosphorus addition treatments after 80 years, indicating plant phosphorus uptake from the subsoil. Crop yields increased from 220 g dry weight m−2 in 1936 to more than 500 g dry weight m−2 in the 2010s. The soil total organic carbon and total organic phosphorus stocks decreased by 13.7% and 11.6%, respectively, in the uppermost 20 cm of the soils during the experiment, irrespective of phosphorus addition. Based on modeling of Δ14C, we show that the mean transit time of carbon in the soil was below 10 years, indicating that a large share of the carbon inputs to soil is quickly respired. Our results suggest that the current agricultural practice at this long-term experiment is not sustainable because it led to a continuous decrease in soil organic matter over the last decades, despite increases in plant productivity.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00915-1
spellingShingle Marie Spohn
Sabina Braun
Carlos A. Sierra
Continuous decrease in soil organic matter despite increased plant productivity in an 80-years-old phosphorus-addition experiment
Communications Earth & Environment
title Continuous decrease in soil organic matter despite increased plant productivity in an 80-years-old phosphorus-addition experiment
title_full Continuous decrease in soil organic matter despite increased plant productivity in an 80-years-old phosphorus-addition experiment
title_fullStr Continuous decrease in soil organic matter despite increased plant productivity in an 80-years-old phosphorus-addition experiment
title_full_unstemmed Continuous decrease in soil organic matter despite increased plant productivity in an 80-years-old phosphorus-addition experiment
title_short Continuous decrease in soil organic matter despite increased plant productivity in an 80-years-old phosphorus-addition experiment
title_sort continuous decrease in soil organic matter despite increased plant productivity in an 80 years old phosphorus addition experiment
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00915-1
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AT carlosasierra continuousdecreaseinsoilorganicmatterdespiteincreasedplantproductivityinan80yearsoldphosphorusadditionexperiment