Abstract
Soils under grasslands contribute significantly to terrestrial carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools, and grassland management practices directly impact pool size through effects on plant biomass. Our objective was to quantify above and belowground plant biomass and soil C and N accumulation for year-round forage systems based on N-fertilized grasses (GN; 290 kg N ha−1 yr−1) or legume-grass mixtures (LG; 30 kg N ha−1 yr−1) when grazed or harvested for hay. Soil C and N accumulation (0–0.4 m) were evaluated before and 6 yr after imposing treatments. Average root-rhizome mass did not differ for GN and LG systems (3690 and 3020 kg OM ha−1, respectively). Aboveground residual biomass was 55% greater for GN than LG (4890 vs. 3150 kg OM ha−1, respectively) and 46% greater for grazed than hayed swards (4770 vs. 3270 kg OM ha−1, respectively) at the end of the warm season. Aboveground C and N pools were 70 and 58% greater for GN than LG, respectively. After 6 yr, soil C and N concentration (0–0.1 m) increased 6.7 and 0.8 g C kg−1 and 0.6 and 0.2 g N kg−1, for GN and LG, respectively. Annual C accumulation (0–0.1 m) was 1.3 and 0.2 Mg C ha−1 for GN and LG systems, respectively. Thus, a year-round forage system based on N-fertilized grasses accumulated more plant biomass and surface soil C and N than a legume-grass mixture, with the grass system advantaged by presence of a perennial C4 species and application of moderate to high N fertilizer rates.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allard V, Soussana JF, Falcimagne R, Berbigier P, Bonnefond JM et al (2007) The role of grazing management for the net biome productivity and greenhouse gas budget (CO2, N2O and CH4) of semi-natural grassland. Agric Ecosyst Environ 121(1–2):47–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2006.12.004
Allen LH, Albrecht SL, Boote KJ, Thomas JMG, Newman YC et al (2006) Soil organic carbon and nitrogen accumulation in plots of rhizoma perennial peanut and bahiagrass grown in elevated carbon dioxide and temperature. J Environ Qual 35(4):1405–1412. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2005.0156
Allen VG, Batello C, Berretta EJ, Hodgson J, Kothmann M et al (2011) An international terminology for grazing lands and grazing animals. Grass Forage Sci 66(1):2–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2494.2010.00780.x
Ammann C, Flechard CR, Leifeld J, Neftel A, Fuhrer J (2007) The carbon budget of newly established temperate grassland depends on management intensity. Agric Ecosyst Environ 121(1–2):5–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2006.12.002
Cambardella CA, Elliott ET (1992) Particulate soil organic-matter changes across a grassland cultivation sequence. Soil Sci Soc Am J 56:777–783
Conant RT, Cerri CEP, Osborne BB, Paustian K (2017) Grassland management impacts on soil carbon stocks: a new synthesis. Ecol Appl 27(2):662–668. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1473
Conant RT, Paustian K, Elliott ET (2001) Grassland management and conversion into grassland: effects on soil carbon. Ecol Appl 11(2):343–355
Cong WF, van Ruijven J, Mommer L, De Deyn GB, Berendse F et al (2014) Plant species richness promotes soil carbon and nitrogen stocks in grasslands without legumes. J Ecol 102(5):1163–1170. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12280
Cotrufo MF, Wallenstein MD, Boot CM, Denef K, Paul E (2013) The Microbial Efficiency-Matrix Stabilization (MEMS) framework integrates plant litter decomposition with soil organic matter stabilization: do labile plant inputs form stable soil organic matter? Glob Chang Biol 19(4):988–995. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12113
De Deyn GB, Quirk H, Yi Z, Oakley S, Ostle NJ et al (2009) Vegetation composition promotes carbon and nitrogen storage in model grassland communities of contrasting soil fertility. J Ecol 97(5):864–875. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2009.01536.x
De Deyn GB, Shiel RS, Ostle NJ, Mcnamara NP, Oakley S et al (2011) Additional carbon sequestration benefits of grassland diversity restoration. J Appl Ecol 48(3):600–608. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01925.x
Dubeux JCB Jr, Blount ARS, Mackowiak C, Santos ERS, Pereira Neto JD et al (2017) Biological N fixation, belowground responses, and forage potential of rhizoma peanut cultivars. Crop Sci 57(2):1027–1038. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2016.09.0810
Dubeux JCB Jr, Sollenberger LE, Comerford NB, Scholberg JM, Ruggieri AC, Vendramini JMB, Interrante SM, Portier KM (2006a) Management intensity affects density fractions of soil organic matter from grazed bahiagrass swards. Soil Biol Biochem 38:2705–2711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2006.04.021
Dubeux JCB Jr, Sollenberger LE, Vendramini JMB, Stewart RL Jr, Interrante SM (2006b) Litter mass, deposition rate, and chemical composition in grazed Pensacola bahiagrass pastures managed at different intensities. Crop Sci 46:1299–1304. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2005.08-0262
Follett RF, Reed DA (2010) Soil carbon sequestration in grazing lands: societal benefits and policy implications. Rangel Ecol Manag 63(1):4–15. https://doi.org/10.2111/08-225.1
Franzluebbers AJ, Stuedemann JA (2005) Bermudagrass management in the southern Piedmont USA: VII. Soil-profile organic carbon and total nitrogen. Soil Sci Soc Am J 69(5):1455–1462. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2004.0142
Franzluebbers AJ, Stuedemann JA (2009) Soil-profile organic carbon and total nitrogen during 12 years of pasture management in the Southern Piedmont USA. Agric Ecosyst Environ 129:28–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2008.06.013
Franzluebbers AJ, Stuedemann JA, Schomberg HH (2000) Spatial distribution of soil carbon and nitrogen pools under grazed tall fescue. Soil Sci Soc Am J 64:635–639. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2000.642635x
Franzluebbers AJ, Stuedemann JA, Wilkinson SR (2001) Bermudagrass management in the Southern Piedmont USA: I. Soil and surface residue carbon and sulfur. Soil Sci Soc Am J 65:834–841. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2001.653834x
Grossman RB, Reinsch TG (2002) Bulk density an linear extensibility. In: Dane JH, Topp CG (eds.), Methods of soil analysis: Part 4. Physical methods. SSSA Book Ser. 5.4. SSSA, Madison, WI. pp. 201–228
Hernandez-Garay A, Sollenberger LE, Staples CR, Pedreira CGS (2004) ‘Florigraze’ and ‘Arbrook’ rhizoma peanut as pasture for growing Holstein heifers. Crop Sci 44:1355–1360. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2004.1355
Isbell F, Craven D, Connolly J, Loreau M, Schmid B et al (2015) Biodiversity increases the resistance of ecosystem productivity to climate extremes. Nature 526(7574):574–577. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15374
Jensen ES, Peoples MB, Boddey RM, Gresshoff PM, Henrik HN et al (2012) Legumes for mitigation of climate change and the provision of feedstock for biofuels and biorefineries. A Rev. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-011-0056-7
Kohmann MM, Sollenberger LE, Dubeux JCB Jr, Silveira ML, Moreno LSB, Silva LS, Aryal P (2018) Nitrogen fertilization and proportion of legume affect litter decomposition and nutrient return in grass pastures. Crop Sci 58:2138–2148. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2018.01.0028
Lal R (2004) Carbon emission from farm operations. Environ Int 30(7):981–990. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ENVINT.2004.03.005
Lenth R, Singmann H, Love J, Buerkner P, Herve M (2019) Package “emmeans”. https://doi.org/10.1080/00031305.1980.10483031
Liebig MA, Morgan JA, Reeder JD, Ellert BH, Gollany HT, Schuman GE (2005) Greenhouse gas contributions and mitigation potential of agricultural practices in northwestern USA and western Canada. Soil Tillage Res 83:25–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2005.02.008
Liu K, Sollenberger LE, Silveira ML, Newman YC, Vendramini JMB (2011) Grazing intensity and nitrogen fertilization affect litter responses in “Tifton 85” bermudagrass pastures: I. Mass, deposition rate, and chemical composition. Agron J 103(1):156–162. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2010.0319
Liu K, Sollenberger LE, Silveira ML, Vendramini JMB, Newman YC (2015) Nutrient pools in bermudagrass swards fertilized at different nitrogen levels. Crop Sci 57(1):525–533. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2016.08.0722
Liu Y, Tian F, Jia P, Zhang J, Hou F et al (2017) Leguminous species sequester more carbon than gramineous species in cultivated grasslands of a semi-arid area. Solid Earth 8(1):83–91. https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-83-2017
Lüscher A, Mueller-Harvey I, Soussana JF, Rees RM, Peyraud JL (2014) Potential of legume-based grassland-livestock systems in Europe: a review. Grass Forage Sci 69:206–228. https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.12124
Moore JE, Mott GO (1974) Recovery of residual organic matter from in vitro digestion of forages. J Dairy Sci 57(10):1258–1259. https://doi.org/10.3168/JDS.S0022-0302(74)85048-4
Mullenix MK, Sollenberger LE, Wallau MO, Rowland DL, Blount AR et al (2016) Sward structure, light interception, and rhizome-root responses of rhizoma peanut cultivars and germplasm to grazing management. Crop Sci 56(2):899–906. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2015.08.0508
Ortega-S JA, Sollenberger LE, Quesenberry KH, Jones CS, Cornell JA (1992) Productivity and persistence of rhizoma peanut pastures under different grazing managements. Agron J 84(5):799–804. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj1992.00021962008400050008x
R Core Team (2018) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Found. Stat. Comput. Viena, Austria
Rasse DP, Rumpel C, Dignac MF (2005) Is soil carbon mostly root carbon? Mechanisms for a specific stabilisation. Plant Soil 269:341–356. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-004-0907-y
Santos ERS, Dubeux JCB Jr, Menezes RC, Mackowiak CL, Sollenberger LE, Ruiz-Moreno M, Jaramillo DM, Garcia L, Queiroz LMD (2019) Particulate soil organic matter in bahiagrass-rhizoma peanut mixtures and their monocultures. Soil Sci Soc Am J 83:658–665. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2018.11.0445
Schultze-Kraft R, Rao IM, Peters M, Clements RJ, Bai C, Liu G (2018) Tropical forage legumes for environmental benefits: an overview. Trop Grassl Forrajes Trop 6(1):1–14. https://doi.org/10.17138/TGFT(6)1-14
Shepard EM, Sollenberger LE, Kohmann MM, Silva LS, Dubeux JCB et al (2018) Phenotypic plasticity and other forage responses to grazing management of ecoturf rhizoma peanut. Crop Sci 58(5):2164. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2018.03.0150
Silva LS, Sollenberger LE, Kohmann MM, Dubeux JC, Aryal P, Silveira ML, Vendramini JM Litter mass and nitrogen disappearance in year-round nitrogen-fertilized grass and legume-grass forage systems. Agron J. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20826
Six J, Elliott ET, Paustian K (1999) Aggregate and soil organic matter dynamics under conventional and no-tillage systems. Soil Sci Soc Am J 63:1350–1358. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1999.6351350x
Skinner RH, Dell CJ (2016) Yield and soil carbon sequestration in grazed pastures sown with two or five forage species. Crop Sci 56:2035–2044. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2015.11.0711
Skinner RH, Sanderson MA, Tracy BF, Dell CJ (2006) Above- and belowground productivity and soil carbon dynamics of pasture mixtures. Agron J 98(2):320–326. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2005.0180a
Sochorová L, Jansa J, Verbruggen E, Hejcman M, Schellberg J et al (2016) Long-term agricultural management maximizing hay production can significantly reduce belowground C storage. Agric Ecosyst Environ 220:104–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2015.12.026
Sokol NW, Kuebbing SE, Karlsen-Ayala E, Bradford MA (2019a) Evidence for the primacy of living root inputs, not root or shoot litter, in forming soil organic carbon. New Phytol 221:233–246. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15361
Sokol NW, Sanderman J, Bradford MA (2019b) Pathways of mineral-associated soil organic matter formation: integrating the role of plant carbon source, chemistry, and point of entry. Glob Change Biol 25:12–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14482
Sollenberger LE, Kohmann MM, Dubeux JCB Jr, Silveira ML (2019) Grassland management affects delivery of regulating and supporting ecosystem services. Crop Sci 59:441–459. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2018.09.0594
Somenahally A, McLawrence J, DuPont JI, Brady J, Sarkar R et al (2020) Root-mycorrhizae interactions contributed to organic carbon density in the sandy soil profiles of adapted grazing lands. Appl Soil Ecol 154:103656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2020.103656
Tarre R, Macedo R, Cantarutti R et al (2001) The effect of the presence of a forage legume on nitrogen and carbon levels in soils under Brachiaria pastures in the Atlantic forest region of the South of Bahia, Brazil. Plant Soil 234:15–26. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010533721740Thomas
Thomas RJ, Asakawa NM (1993) Decomposition of leaf litter from tropical forage grasses and legumes. Soil Biol Biochem 25:1351–1361
Tracy BF, Foster JL, Butler TJ, Islam MA, Toledo D et al (2018) Resilience in forage and Grazinglands. Crop Sci 58(1):31–42. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2017.05.0317
Ussiri DAN, Lal R, Jacinthe PA (2006) Soil properties and carbon sequestration of afforested pastures in reclaimed minesoils of Ohio. Soil Sci Soc Am J 70(5):1797. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2005.0352
Vendramini JMB, Silveira MLA, Dubeux JCB Jr, Sollenberger LE (2007) Environmental impacts and nutrient recycling on pastures grazed by cattle. Rev Bras Zootec 36:139–149
Wright AL, Hons FM, Rouquette FM (2004) Long-term management impacts on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics of grazed bermudagrass pastures. Soil Biol Biochem 36(11):1809–1816. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SOILBIO.2004.05.004
Zhou G, Zhou X, He Y, Shao J, Hu Z et al (2017) Grazing intensity significantly affects belowground carbon and nitrogen cycling in grassland ecosystems: a meta-analysis. Glob Change Biol 23(3):1167–1179. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13431
Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, under award no. 2016-67019-24990. The student acknowledges the scholarship provided by National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, CNPq, award no 201250/2015-2. Assistance with field activities was provided by Dwight Thomas.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
S. da Silva, L., Sollenberger, L.E., Kimberly Mullenix, M. et al. Soil carbon and nitrogen stocks in nitrogen-fertilized grass and legume-grass forage systems. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 122, 105–117 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-021-10188-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-021-10188-9