ABSTRACT
Dissolved Organic Carbon and Nitrogen in Andisol for Six Crop Rotations with Different Soil Management Intensity

Pablo Undurraga D.1*, Erick Zagal V.2, Gloria Sepúlveda W.1, and Natalia Valderrama V.3
 

Soil organic matter (OM) content is a quality indicator, but is an inadequate indicator in the short-term because these changes take place slowly, so dissolved organic components have emerged as an alternative. In volcanic soil subjected to different crop rotations with distinct land use intensity, dissolved organic C and N (DOC and DON) were determined as well as their relationship with total C and N contents in the soil, considering the effects of crop rotation, fertilization level, and soil depth. In humid samples of Humic Haploxerands collected at four depths up to 40 cm, DOC and DON contents were determined by extraction with K2SO4 and filtered. Results indicated interaction between the studied factors, DOC fluctuated between 67.8 and 151.7 mg kg-1 with the highest value with intensive management in rotations that included corn (Zea mays L.) associated with a higher fertilization. DON fluctuated between 4.62 and 37.4 mg kg-1 with the highest value in non-intensive rotations that included prairie. With respect to total C, DOC reached 0.40% with intensive management and the lowest value in non-intensive management. DON showed values between 0.13 and 0.68% with respect to total N with intensive and non-intensive management, respectively. Tillage management affected DOC and DON contents depending on the fertilization level and the depth at which it was determined, and were also affected by the crop included in the rotation, thus making these parameters good indicators to evaluate the effects of agronomic management in the short-term.

Keywords: organic matter, dissolved organic matter, total C, total N, volcanic soil
1 Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias INIA, Casilla 246, Chillán, Chile. *Corresponding author (pundurra@inia.cl).
2 Universidad de Concepción, Facultad de Agronomía. Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán, Chile.
3 Universidad de Concepción, Facultad de Ingeniería Agrícola. Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán, Chile.