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Changes in soil organic matter with cropping as measured by organic carbon fractions and 13C natural isotope abundance

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Abstract

The decline in soil organic matter with cropping is a major factor affecting the sustainability of cropping systems. Changes in total C levels are relativelyinsensitive as a sustainability measure. Oxidation with different strength KMnO4 has been shown to be a more sensitive indicator of change. The relative size of soil C fractions oxidised by 333 mM KMnO4 declined with cropping, whilst the relative size of the unoxidised fraction increased. Changes in δ13C ratio have been used to measure C turnover in systems which include C3 and C4 species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy and Soil Science, University of New England, 2351, Armidale, N.S.W.

    Rod D. B. Lefroy & Graeme J. Blair

  2. Queensland Wheat Research Institute, P.O. Box 2282, 4350, Toowoomba, Qld.

    Wayne M. Strong

Authors
  1. Rod D. B. Lefroy
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  2. Graeme J. Blair
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  3. Wayne M. Strong
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Lefroy, R.D.B., Blair, G.J. & Strong, W.M. Changes in soil organic matter with cropping as measured by organic carbon fractions and 13C natural isotope abundance. Plant Soil 155, 399–402 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00025067

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00025067

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