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Clay amendment to sandy soil—effect of clay concentration and ped size on nutrient dynamics after residue addition

  • Soils, Sec 2 • Global Change, Environ Risk Assess, Sustainable Land Use • Research Article
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Abstract

Purpose

Crop growth on sandy soils can be increased by claying. In modified sandy soils, the added clay is in the form of peds ranging in size from millimetres to centimetres creating a highly non-uniform matrix where ped size could influence nutrient availability and organic C binding. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of clay addition rate and ped size in residue amended sandy soil on soil respiration, nutrient availability and organic C retention.

Materials and methods

In this study, clay peds of 1, 2 or 3 mm size derived from a clay-rich Vertosol (73 % clay) were added to a sandy soil (3 % clay) at clay addition rates of 10 and 20 % w/w. After the addition of ground faba bean residue (C/N 37) at 10 g kg−1, the soils were incubated for 45 days at 80 % of water-holding capacity.

Results and discussion

Clay addition had no consistent effect on cumulative respiration, but reduced NH4 + availability with a greater reduction at 20 % compared to 10 % clay and with 1 and 2 mm compared to 3 mm peds. Sandy soil with clay peds had a greater maximum NH4 + and P sorption capacity than sandy soil alone, and sorption capacity was higher at 20 % compared to 10 % clay addition and greater with 1 mm compared to 3 mm peds. Retrieval of clay peds at the end of the experiment showed ped breakdown during the experiment but also the formation of larger peds. Compared to the <53 μm fraction added at the start of the experiment, the total organic carbon (TOC) content of the <53 μm fraction was increased up to nearly two fold, particularly in the smaller peds (1 and 2 mm).

Conclusions

When sandy soils are amended with clay, N availability and organic C binding depend on both clay addition rate and ped size.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Amanda Schapel, Rural Solutions SA, for providing sandy soil. Shermeen Tahir thanks The University of Adelaide for the International Postgraduate Research Scholarship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia

    Shermeen Tahir & Petra Marschner

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  1. Shermeen Tahir
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  2. Petra Marschner
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Correspondence to Shermeen Tahir.

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Responsible editor: Saulo Rodrigues-Filho

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Tahir, S., Marschner, P. Clay amendment to sandy soil—effect of clay concentration and ped size on nutrient dynamics after residue addition. J Soils Sediments 16, 2072–2080 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1406-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1406-5

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