Effect of Crop Management and Texture on Some Soil Structural Properties

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Assistant Professor, Bu-Ali Sina University. College of Agriculture. Soil Science Department

Abstract

Cropping practices have considerable effects on soil physical properties by influencing soil structure. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of two soil textures, namely, clay loam (CL) and sandy loam (SL), and two crops, namely, alfalfa (A) and wheat (W) managements on soil structure stability. Two structural stability indexes of mean weight diameter (MWD) and tensile strength (Y) were determined at air-dry and 500 kPa matric suction conditions at three depths (0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm). Soil texture and crop managements' combination affected MWD and Y in the order of CL-A> CL-W> SL-A> SL-W at both moisture conditions. MWD decreased with depth due to diminishing the soil organic matter, whereas Y increased with depth as a result of reduced severity of wetting and drying cycles. The soil organic matter content showed the highest impact on aggregate stability indexes followed by clay and calcium carbonate content. The highest R2 obtained for the relation between Y and the intrinsic soil properties was at air-dry condition, whereas for Y and MWD it was found at matric suction of 500 kPa. Our results indicate that the considered indexes are suitable for investigating the effects of soil intrinsic properties and agricultural managements on soil structural stability. 

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Soil Research
Volume 27, Issue 3
November 2013
Pages 327-334

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