Variable impacts of reduced and zero tillage on soil carbon storage across 4–10 years of UK field experiments

R. Stobart; P. D. Hallett; N. L. Morris; T. S. George; A. C. Newton; T. A. Valentine; B. M. McKenzie; J. L.  Brown

doi:10.1007/s11368-020-02799-6

Variable impacts of reduced and zero tillage on soil carbon storage across 4–10 years of UK field experiments

R. Stobart, P. D. Hallett, N. L. Morris, T. S. George, A. C. Newton, T. A. Valentine, B. M. McKenzie, J. L. Brown^* (Corresponding Author)

^*Corresponding author for this work

Aberdeen Centre For Environmental Sustainability

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Aims: Reduced tillage has been advocated as a practical measure to increase soil carbon in long-term cropping soils. We examine three medium-term experiments in sites with contrasting soil and climatic characteristics in the UK. The objectives were to determine the effects of different reduced and zero tillage practices on bulk density and soil carbon storage and depth distribution and to quantify the effect of stones in their calculation.

Methods: The treatments were zero tillage, minimum tillage, conventional plough, deep non-inversion tillage and plough compaction. Soil samples were collected from three sites at five depth intervals to approximately 60 cm.

Results: Deep non-inversion and minimum tillage led to 6.5 and 1.6 Mg ha⁻¹ greater SOC than conventional plough in sites under rotation systems. In a monoculture system in Scotland, conventional plough had 25.3, 21.6 and 17.7 Mg ha⁻¹ greater SOC than plough compaction, minimum tillage and zero tillage, respectively. After harvest, bulk density was greater in the soil surface of conventional plough compared with minimum tillage.

Conclusions: Our results suggest variable impacts of reduced tillage on SOC storage. Overall there is limited benefit in using shallow minimum tillage and zero tillage practices in the UK to increase soil carbon storage when a soil profile of 60 cm is considered but other benefits associated to these systems, such as speed of working and timeliness of operations, should be considered.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	890-904
Number of pages	15
Journal	Journal of Soils and Sediments
Volume	21
Issue number	2
Early online date	16 Oct 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-020-02799-6
Publication status	Published - Feb 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was financially supported by AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds grant RD-2012-3786 “Platforms to test and demonstrate sustainable soil management: integration of major UK field experiments” and the Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS).

The collection of meteorological data by the James Hutton Institute is supported by underpinning capacity funding provided by the Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) division of Scottish Government.

Data Availability Statement

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information files.

Keywords

Carbon storage
Deep non-inversion tillage
Minimum tillage
Plough compaction
Reduced tillage
Zero tillage

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title = "Variable impacts of reduced and zero tillage on soil carbon storage across 4–10 years of UK field experiments",

abstract = "Aims: Reduced tillage has been advocated as a practical measure to increase soil carbon in long-term cropping soils. We examine three medium-term experiments in sites with contrasting soil and climatic characteristics in the UK. The objectives were to determine the effects of different reduced and zero tillage practices on bulk density and soil carbon storage and depth distribution and to quantify the effect of stones in their calculation. Methods: The treatments were zero tillage, minimum tillage, conventional plough, deep non-inversion tillage and plough compaction. Soil samples were collected from three sites at five depth intervals to approximately 60 cm. Results: Deep non-inversion and minimum tillage led to 6.5 and 1.6 Mg ha−1 greater SOC than conventional plough in sites under rotation systems. In a monoculture system in Scotland, conventional plough had 25.3, 21.6 and 17.7 Mg ha−1 greater SOC than plough compaction, minimum tillage and zero tillage, respectively. After harvest, bulk density was greater in the soil surface of conventional plough compared with minimum tillage. Conclusions: Our results suggest variable impacts of reduced tillage on SOC storage. Overall there is limited benefit in using shallow minimum tillage and zero tillage practices in the UK to increase soil carbon storage when a soil profile of 60 cm is considered but other benefits associated to these systems, such as speed of working and timeliness of operations, should be considered.",

keywords = "Carbon storage, Deep non-inversion tillage, Minimum tillage, Plough compaction, Reduced tillage, Zero tillage",

author = "R. Stobart and Hallett, {P. D.} and Morris, {N. L.} and George, {T. S.} and Newton, {A. C.} and Valentine, {T. A.} and McKenzie, {B. M.} and Brown, {J. L.}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was financially supported by AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds grant RD-2012-3786 “Platforms to test and demonstrate sustainable soil management: integration of major UK field experiments” and the Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS). The collection of meteorological data by the James Hutton Institute is supported by underpinning capacity funding provided by the Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) division of Scottish Government. ",

year = "2021",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1007/s11368-020-02799-6",

language = "English",

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T1 - Variable impacts of reduced and zero tillage on soil carbon storage across 4–10 years of UK field experiments

AU - Stobart, R.

AU - Hallett, P. D.

AU - Morris, N. L.

AU - George, T. S.

AU - Newton, A. C.

AU - Valentine, T. A.

AU - McKenzie, B. M.

AU - Brown, J. L.

N1 - Funding Information: This research was financially supported by AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds grant RD-2012-3786 “Platforms to test and demonstrate sustainable soil management: integration of major UK field experiments” and the Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS). The collection of meteorological data by the James Hutton Institute is supported by underpinning capacity funding provided by the Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) division of Scottish Government.

PY - 2021/2

Y1 - 2021/2

N2 - Aims: Reduced tillage has been advocated as a practical measure to increase soil carbon in long-term cropping soils. We examine three medium-term experiments in sites with contrasting soil and climatic characteristics in the UK. The objectives were to determine the effects of different reduced and zero tillage practices on bulk density and soil carbon storage and depth distribution and to quantify the effect of stones in their calculation. Methods: The treatments were zero tillage, minimum tillage, conventional plough, deep non-inversion tillage and plough compaction. Soil samples were collected from three sites at five depth intervals to approximately 60 cm. Results: Deep non-inversion and minimum tillage led to 6.5 and 1.6 Mg ha−1 greater SOC than conventional plough in sites under rotation systems. In a monoculture system in Scotland, conventional plough had 25.3, 21.6 and 17.7 Mg ha−1 greater SOC than plough compaction, minimum tillage and zero tillage, respectively. After harvest, bulk density was greater in the soil surface of conventional plough compared with minimum tillage. Conclusions: Our results suggest variable impacts of reduced tillage on SOC storage. Overall there is limited benefit in using shallow minimum tillage and zero tillage practices in the UK to increase soil carbon storage when a soil profile of 60 cm is considered but other benefits associated to these systems, such as speed of working and timeliness of operations, should be considered.

AB - Aims: Reduced tillage has been advocated as a practical measure to increase soil carbon in long-term cropping soils. We examine three medium-term experiments in sites with contrasting soil and climatic characteristics in the UK. The objectives were to determine the effects of different reduced and zero tillage practices on bulk density and soil carbon storage and depth distribution and to quantify the effect of stones in their calculation. Methods: The treatments were zero tillage, minimum tillage, conventional plough, deep non-inversion tillage and plough compaction. Soil samples were collected from three sites at five depth intervals to approximately 60 cm. Results: Deep non-inversion and minimum tillage led to 6.5 and 1.6 Mg ha−1 greater SOC than conventional plough in sites under rotation systems. In a monoculture system in Scotland, conventional plough had 25.3, 21.6 and 17.7 Mg ha−1 greater SOC than plough compaction, minimum tillage and zero tillage, respectively. After harvest, bulk density was greater in the soil surface of conventional plough compared with minimum tillage. Conclusions: Our results suggest variable impacts of reduced tillage on SOC storage. Overall there is limited benefit in using shallow minimum tillage and zero tillage practices in the UK to increase soil carbon storage when a soil profile of 60 cm is considered but other benefits associated to these systems, such as speed of working and timeliness of operations, should be considered.

KW - Carbon storage

KW - Deep non-inversion tillage

KW - Minimum tillage

KW - Plough compaction

KW - Reduced tillage

KW - Zero tillage

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SN - 1439-0108

VL - 21

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EP - 904

JO - Journal of Soils and Sediments

JF - Journal of Soils and Sediments

IS - 2

ER -

Variable impacts of reduced and zero tillage on soil carbon storage across 4–10 years of UK field experiments

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Data Availability Statement

Keywords

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