Crop rotation and tillage impact on carbon sequestration in Saskatchewan soils
Date
1999-02-25
Authors
Liang, B.C.
McConkey, B.G.
Campbell, C.A.
Curtin, D.
Moulin, A.
Brandt, S.A.
Lafond, G.P.
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Abstract
Six field experiments from the Brown to Black soil zones and from light- to heavy-textured
soils in Saskatchewan were conducted to quantify C sequestration under different tillage and crop
rotations. Continuous cropping compared with crop rotations containing various frequency of fallow
sequestered soil C ranging from 0.5 to 6.7 Mg C ha-1, depending on the duration of experiments,
frequency of fallow and soil texture. This increase in soil organic C under continuous cropping varied
from 36 to 453 kg C ha-1yr-1. The potential for sequestering soil C with continuous cropping was
greater in the Dark Brown and Black soil zones than in the Brown soil zone even through the
frequency of fallow was greater in the Brown soil zone. No-tillage compared with conventional tillage
also sequestered soil C ranging from 0.6 to 13.2 Mg C ha-1. This increase in soil organic C under notill
varied from 50 to 528 kg C ha-1yr-1. With elimination of both tillage and fallow, the soil organic C
increase was approximately 200 kg C ha-1yr-1 in the Brown soil zone regardless of soil texture, and
from 600 to 800 kg C ha-1yr-1 in the Dark Brown and Black soil zones. Relative annual increase in
soil organic C under no-till was approximately a linear function of clay content. This study also
indicated that potential gains of soil organic C under no-till were not necessarily related to the level
of soil organic C prior to adoption of no-till. Heavy-textured soils would have a greater potential for
gains in soil organic C under no-till in the prairie soils.
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Part Of
Soils and Crops Workshop