Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 109388 |
| Journal | Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment |
| Volume | 380 |
| Early online date | 22 Nov 2024 |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 22 Nov 2024 |
Abstract
Among the current global challenges, the research of new practices aimed at mitigating soil impoverishment, exacerbated by the pressing climate changes, is the most urgent. Studying soil organic matter (SOM) ecological dynamics and comparing the conventional intensive farming practices with the emerging alternative sustainable ones can represent a key indicator in soil health investigation, helping to find new guidelines for conservative agrosystems management. In this study, the soil from a Mediterranean olive orchard, with both sustainable (Smng) and conventional (Cmng) land use for 21 years, was investigated for its physicochemical properties, with a particular attention to the soil organic matter from aggregates (SOM-A) and its interaction and distribution at different soil depths. Significantly higher amounts of total carbon (+50.7 %) and nitrogen (+74.9 %), as well as of SOM-A aromatic component (+76.0 %), were detected in the topsoil layer (0–5 cm) of the Smng, compared to the Cmng, a sign that the organic matter from surface deeply seeps slowly. This evidence was highlighted especially in micro-aggregates (< 0.063 mm) of the Smng, compared to the Cmng (C = +59.3 %; N = +86.7 %; SOM-A aromatic component = +87.7 % in the Smng). This trend was also reflected in an increase in the bacterial abundance and in a different accumulation of organic compounds deriving from microbial fermentation processes in Smng soil, as highlighted by the SOM-A qualitative characterization by metabolomics. The soil mineralogical analysis showed that minerals maintained a higher crystallinity in the Smng than in the Cmng, where soil tillage promoted their alteration. Moreover, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis highlighted that soil disturbance in the Cmng can affect SOM distribution, creating different spatial distributions in the particle aggregates and soil depths. Distinguishing SOM quantity, quality, and interaction with mineral components can help to understand its degradability and dynamics, both essential for mitigating the effects of climate change and promoting land protection.
Keywords
- Aggregate-associated organic matter, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Soil metabolomics, Soil mineralogy, Sustainable soil management
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Science(all)
- Ecology
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Animal Science and Zoology
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Agronomy and Crop Science
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, Vol. 380, 109388, 01.03.2025.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Soil organic matter quality in an olive orchard differently managed for 21 years
T2 - Insights into its distribution through soil aggregates and depth
AU - Addesso, Rosangela
AU - Araniti, Fabrizio
AU - Bloise, Andrea
AU - Mininni, Alba N.
AU - Dichio, Bartolomeo
AU - López-González, David
AU - Elshafie, Hazem S.
AU - Ellerbrock, Ruth H.
AU - Schnee, Laura S.
AU - Filser, Juliane
AU - Sileo, Domenico
AU - Sofo, Adriano
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors
PY - 2024/11/22
Y1 - 2024/11/22
N2 - Among the current global challenges, the research of new practices aimed at mitigating soil impoverishment, exacerbated by the pressing climate changes, is the most urgent. Studying soil organic matter (SOM) ecological dynamics and comparing the conventional intensive farming practices with the emerging alternative sustainable ones can represent a key indicator in soil health investigation, helping to find new guidelines for conservative agrosystems management. In this study, the soil from a Mediterranean olive orchard, with both sustainable (Smng) and conventional (Cmng) land use for 21 years, was investigated for its physicochemical properties, with a particular attention to the soil organic matter from aggregates (SOM-A) and its interaction and distribution at different soil depths. Significantly higher amounts of total carbon (+50.7 %) and nitrogen (+74.9 %), as well as of SOM-A aromatic component (+76.0 %), were detected in the topsoil layer (0–5 cm) of the Smng, compared to the Cmng, a sign that the organic matter from surface deeply seeps slowly. This evidence was highlighted especially in micro-aggregates (< 0.063 mm) of the Smng, compared to the Cmng (C = +59.3 %; N = +86.7 %; SOM-A aromatic component = +87.7 % in the Smng). This trend was also reflected in an increase in the bacterial abundance and in a different accumulation of organic compounds deriving from microbial fermentation processes in Smng soil, as highlighted by the SOM-A qualitative characterization by metabolomics. The soil mineralogical analysis showed that minerals maintained a higher crystallinity in the Smng than in the Cmng, where soil tillage promoted their alteration. Moreover, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis highlighted that soil disturbance in the Cmng can affect SOM distribution, creating different spatial distributions in the particle aggregates and soil depths. Distinguishing SOM quantity, quality, and interaction with mineral components can help to understand its degradability and dynamics, both essential for mitigating the effects of climate change and promoting land protection.
AB - Among the current global challenges, the research of new practices aimed at mitigating soil impoverishment, exacerbated by the pressing climate changes, is the most urgent. Studying soil organic matter (SOM) ecological dynamics and comparing the conventional intensive farming practices with the emerging alternative sustainable ones can represent a key indicator in soil health investigation, helping to find new guidelines for conservative agrosystems management. In this study, the soil from a Mediterranean olive orchard, with both sustainable (Smng) and conventional (Cmng) land use for 21 years, was investigated for its physicochemical properties, with a particular attention to the soil organic matter from aggregates (SOM-A) and its interaction and distribution at different soil depths. Significantly higher amounts of total carbon (+50.7 %) and nitrogen (+74.9 %), as well as of SOM-A aromatic component (+76.0 %), were detected in the topsoil layer (0–5 cm) of the Smng, compared to the Cmng, a sign that the organic matter from surface deeply seeps slowly. This evidence was highlighted especially in micro-aggregates (< 0.063 mm) of the Smng, compared to the Cmng (C = +59.3 %; N = +86.7 %; SOM-A aromatic component = +87.7 % in the Smng). This trend was also reflected in an increase in the bacterial abundance and in a different accumulation of organic compounds deriving from microbial fermentation processes in Smng soil, as highlighted by the SOM-A qualitative characterization by metabolomics. The soil mineralogical analysis showed that minerals maintained a higher crystallinity in the Smng than in the Cmng, where soil tillage promoted their alteration. Moreover, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis highlighted that soil disturbance in the Cmng can affect SOM distribution, creating different spatial distributions in the particle aggregates and soil depths. Distinguishing SOM quantity, quality, and interaction with mineral components can help to understand its degradability and dynamics, both essential for mitigating the effects of climate change and promoting land protection.
KW - Aggregate-associated organic matter
KW - Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy
KW - Soil metabolomics
KW - Soil mineralogy
KW - Sustainable soil management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85209757225&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.agee.2024.109388
DO - 10.1016/j.agee.2024.109388
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85209757225
VL - 380
JO - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
JF - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
SN - 0167-8809
M1 - 109388
ER -