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Is CO2 evolution in saline soils affected by an osmotic effect and calcium carbonate?

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Abstract

Salt-affected soils are widespread, particularly in arid climates, but information on nutrient dynamics and carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux from salt-affected soils is scarce. Four laboratory incubation experiments were conducted with three soils. To determine the influence of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) on respiration in saline and non-saline soils, a loamy sand (6.3% clay) was left unamended or amended with NaCl to obtain an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1.0 dS m−1 in a 1:5 soil/water extract. Powdered CaCO3 at rates of 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.5%, 5.0% and 10.0% (w/w) and 0.25-2 mm mature wheat residue at 0% and 2% (w/w) were then added. Cumulative CO2-C emission from the salt amended and unamended soils was not affected by CaCO3 addition. To investigate the effect of EC on microbial activity, soil respiration was measured after amending a sandy loam (18.8% clay) and a silt loam (22.5% clay) with varying amount of NaCl to obtain an EC1:5 of 1.0–8.0 dS m−1 and 2.5 g glucose C kg−1 soil. Soil respiration was reduced by more than 50% at EC1:5 ≥ 5.0 dS m−1. In a further experiment, salinity up to an EC1:5 of 5.0 dS m−1 was developed in the silt loam with NaCl or CaCl2. No differences in respiration at a given EC were obtained between the two salts, indicating that Na and Ca did not differ in toxicity to microbial activity. The effect of different addition rates (0.25–2.0%) of mature wheat residue on the response of respiration to salinity was investigated by adding NaCl to the silt loam to obtain an EC1:5 of 2.0 and 4.0 dS m−1. The clearest difference between salinity levels was with 2% residue rate. At a given salinity level, the modelled decomposition constant ‘k’ increased with increasing residue addition rate up to 1% and then remained constant. Particulate organic carbon left after decomposition from the added wheat residues was negatively correlated with cumulative respiration but positively correlated with EC. Inorganic N (NH +4 -N and NO −3 -N) and resin P significantly decreased with increasing salinity. Resin P was significantly decreased by addition of CaCl2 and CaCO3.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Mr. Sean Forrester for MIR analyses and predictions, North and Yorke Natural Resources Management Board, Department of Climate Change and The Future Farm Industries CRC for funding, Merv Lewis, John Snodgrass and Paul March for access to their properties and Dr. P. Rengasamy for comments on the manuscript. R. Setia also acknowledges the scholarship from The University of Adelaide.

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Raj Setia, Petra Marschner & Jeff Baldock

  2. CSIRO Land and Water, Glen Osmond, SA, 5064, Australia

    Jeff Baldock

  3. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia

    David Chittleborough

  4. School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Campus, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005, Australia

    Raj Setia

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  1. Raj Setia
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Correspondence to Raj Setia.

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Setia, R., Marschner, P., Baldock, J. et al. Is CO2 evolution in saline soils affected by an osmotic effect and calcium carbonate?. Biol Fertil Soils 46, 781–792 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-010-0479-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-010-0479-3

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