Abstract
The objective of our study was to assess the response of physical (aggregate stability and bulk density) and biological (enzyme activities and microbial biomass) soil quality indicators to the adoption of agroecological management practices, such as the planting of forage species (forage area) and the rotation of local crops (polycrop area), carried out in a representative tropical pasture on an integrated livestock–crop farm. The pasture system was used as control (pasture area). In all three areas, the values of water-soluble C were higher in the rainy season compared to the dry season. Pasture and forage areas had the highest percentage of stable aggregates in the rainy season, while polycrops developed soils with less stable aggregates. Soil bulk density was lower in the pasture and forage areas than in the polycrop area. In the pasture area, the microbial biomass C values, dehydrogenase, urease, protease-BAA, acid phosphatase, and β-glucosidase activities were higher than in the forage and polycrop areas, particularly in the dry season. The highest increase in the microbial biomass C in the rainy season, with respect to the dry season, was recorded in the pasture area (about 1.2-fold). In conclusion, the planting of forage species can be considered an effective practice for carrying out sustainable, integrated livestock–crop systems, due to its general maintenance of soil quality, while the adoption of polycrop rotations appears to be less favorable because it decreases soil quality.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
M. A. Altieri (1999) Agroecology: the scientific basis of alternative agriculture. Nordan-Comunidad Montevideo 338
E. Barahona F. Santos (1981) ArticleTitleUn nuevo método para la determinación de densidades aparentes y del coeficiente de extensividad lineal (COLE) por método de parafina. Anales de Edafología y Agrobiologia 40 721–725
B. N. Bearden L. Petersen (2000) ArticleTitleInfluence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on soil structure and aggregate stability of vertisols. Plant and Soil 218 173–183 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1014923911324 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXhvVGrtb4%3D
M. A. Bolinder D. A. Angers E. G. Gregorich M. R. Carter (1999) ArticleTitleThe response of soil quality indicators to conservation management. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 79 37–45
R. H. Brink P. Dubach D. L. Lynch (1960) ArticleTitleMeasurements of carbohydrates in soil hydrolyzates with anthrone. Soil Science 89 157–166 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaF3MXhsFSgtg%3D%3D
F. Caravaca J. M. Barea D. Figueroa A. Roldán (2002) ArticleTitleAssessing the effectiveness of mycorrhizal inoculation and soil compost addition for reafforestation with Olea europaea subsp. sylvestris through changes in soil biological and physical parameters. Applied Soil Ecology 20 107–118 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0929-1393(02)00015-X
B. Ceccanti C. Garcia (1994) Coupled chemical and biochemical methodologies to characterize a composting process and the humic substances. N. Senesi T. Miano (Eds) Humic substances in the global environment and its implication on human health. Elsevier New York 1279–1285
A. Cerdà (1997) ArticleTitleThe effect of patchy distribution of Stipa tenacissima L. on runoff and erosion. Journal of Arid Environments 36 37–51 Occurrence Handle10.1006/jare.1995.0198
A. Cerdà (1998) ArticleTitleSoil aggregate stability under different Mediterranean vegetation types. Catena 32 73–86 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0341-8162(98)00041-1
D. Cox D. Bezdicek M. Fauci (2001) ArticleTitleEffects of compost, coal ash, and straw amendments on restoring the quality of eroded Palouse soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils 33 365–372 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s003740000335 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXjtlGnsbY%3D
T. H. De Luca D. R. Keeney (1993) ArticleTitleSoluble anthrone-reactive carbon in soils: effect of carbon and nitrogen amendments. Soil Science Society of America Journal 57 1296–1300 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2cXns1equg%3D%3D
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). 1988. Soil map of the world: revised legend, final draft. FAO, Rome, 119 pp
F. Funes-Monzote M. Monzote (2000) Results of integrated crop-livestock- forestry systems with agroecological bases for the development of Cuban agriculture. 13th IFOAM international scientific conference. Basel Switzerland 426
C. García A. Roldán F. Costa (1997) ArticleTitlePotential use of dehydrogenase activity as an index of microbial activity in degraded soils. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 12 123–134
P. L. Giusquiani M. Pagliai G. Gigliotti D. Businelli A. Benetti (1995) ArticleTitleUrban waste compost: effects on physical, chemical, and biochemical soil properties. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 24 175–182 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2MXjtVeqtbo%3D
E. G. Gregorich M. R. Carter D. A. Angers C. M. Monreal B. H. Ellert (1994) ArticleTitleTowards a minimum data set to assess soil organic matter quality in agricultural soils. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 74 367–385 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2MXjsVWlurs%3D
R. J. Haynes M. H. Beare (1997) ArticleTitleInfluence of six crop species on aggregate stability and some labile organic matter fractions. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 29 1647–1653 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0038-0717(97)00078-3 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1cXhs12rtQ%3D%3D
M. P. Jimenez A. M. Horra L. Pruzzo R. M. Palma (2002) ArticleTitleSoil quality: a new index based on microbiological and biochemical parameters. Biology and Fertility of Soils 35 302–306 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s00374-002-0450-z
E. Kandeler D. Tscherko H. Spiegel (1999) ArticleTitleLong-term monitoring of microbial biomass, N mineralization and enzyme activities of a chernozem under different tillage management. Biology and Fertility of Soils 28 343–351 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s003740050502 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXntFOguw%3D%3D
A. Lax E. Diaz V. Castillo J. Albaladejo (1994) ArticleTitleReclamation of physical and chemical properties of a salinized soil by organic amendment. Arid Soil Research and Rehabilitation 8 9–17 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2cXktVyit7Y%3D
G. Lu K. Sakagami H. Tanaka R. Hamada (1998) ArticleTitleRole of soil organic matter in stabilization of water-stable aggregates in soils under different types of land use. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 44 147–155
G. Masciandaro B. Ceccanti G. García (1994) ArticleTitleAnaerobic digestion of straw and piggery wastewater: II. Optimization of the process. Agrochimica 3 195–203
P. Nannipieri B. Ceccanti S. Cervelli E. Matarese (1980) ArticleTitleExtraction of phosphatase, urease, protease, organic carbon and nitrogen from soil. Soil Science Society of America Journal 44 1011–1016 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaL3MXivFamsA%3D%3D
P. Nannipieri S. Grego B. Ceccanti (1990) Ecological significance of the biological activity in soils. J. M. Bollag G. Stotzky (Eds) Soil biochemistry. Marcel Dekker New York 293–355
D. C. Naseby J. M. Lynch (1997) ArticleTitleRhizosphere soil enzymes as indicators of perturbation caused by a genetically modified strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens on wheat seed. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 29 1353–1362 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0038-0717(97)00061-8 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2sXmtVekt74%3D
E. Ouédraogo A. Mando N. P. Zombré (2001) ArticleTitleUse of compost to improve soil properties and crop productivity under low input agricultural system in West Africa. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 84 259–266 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0167-8809(00)00246-2
A. L. Page R. H. Miller O. R. Keeny (1982) Methods of soil analysis. American Society of Agronomy Madison, Wisconsin 1159
P. Puget D. A. Angers C. Chenu (1999) ArticleTitleNature of carbohydrates associated with water-stable aggregates of two cultivated soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 31 55–63 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0038-0717(98)00103-5 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1cXotVSqtb4%3D
Rodríguez, M. E., I. Izquierdo, and M. Monzote. 2002. Aporte/mineralización de carbono como indicator del estado del suelo en áreas con manejo agroecológico. XIII Congreso del Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agricolas, 12–15 November 2002, Havana, Cuba
A. Roldán F. Garcia-Orenes A. Lax (1994) ArticleTitleAn incubation experiment to determine factors involving aggregation changes in an arid soil receiving urban refuse. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 26 1699–1707 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0038-0717(94)90323-9
J. R. Sims V. A. Haby (1971) ArticleTitleSimplified colorimetric determination of soil organic matter. Soil Science 112 137–141 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaE3MXkvFOls70%3D
B. Stenberg (1999) ArticleTitleMonitoring soil quality of arable land: microbiological indicators. Acta Agriculture Scandinavica, Section B, Soil and Plant Science 49 1–24
M. A. Tabatabai (1982) Soil enzymes. A. L. Page E. M. Miller D. R. Keeney (Eds) Methods of soil analysis. Part 2, 2nd ed. ASA and SSSA Madison, Wisconsin 501–538
M. A. Tabatabai J. M. Bremner (1969) ArticleTitleUse of p-nitrophenol phosphate in assay of soil phosphatase activity. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 1 301–307 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0038-0717(69)90012-1 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaE3cXhtFShu7Y%3D
E. D. Vance P. C. Brookes D. Jenkinson (1987) ArticleTitleAn extraction method for measuring microbial biomass carbon. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 19 703–707 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0038-0717(87)90052-6 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaL1cXjs1KqsA%3D%3D
Willson, G. B., J. F. Parr, E. Epstein, P. B. March, R. L. Chaney, D. Colacicco, W. D. Burge, L. J. Sikora, C. F. Tester, and S. B. Hornick. 1980. Manual for composting sewage sludge by the Beltsville Aerated Pile Method. Joint USDA/EPA Spec Rep EPA-600/8-80-022, US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 64 pp
J. C. Yeomans J. M. Bremner (1988) ArticleTitleA rapid and precise method for routine determination of organic carbon in soil. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 19 1467–1476 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaL1cXlt1Oru7w%3D
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Izquierdo, I., Caravaca, F., Alguacil, M. et al. Changes in Physical and Biological Soil Quality Indicators in a Tropical Crop System (Havana, Cuba) in Response to Different Agroecological Management Practices . Environmental Management 32, 639–645 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-003-3034-2
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-003-3034-2