eprintid: 10012
rev_number: 16
eprint_status: archive
userid: 1305
dir: disk0/00/01/00/12
datestamp: 2017-05-17 08:59:32
lastmod: 2017-05-17 10:03:51
status_changed: 2017-05-17 08:59:32
type: conference_item
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Whitbread, A M
creators_name: Lefroy, R
creators_name: Blair, G
creators_name: Konboon, Y
creators_name: Naklang, K
icrisatcreators_name: Whitbread, A M
affiliation: ICRISAT (Patancheru)
affiliation: Department of Soil Science and Agronomy, University of New England (Armidale)
affiliation: Ubon Ratchthani Rice Research Centre, Thailand Department of Agriculture (Thailand)
country: India
country: Australia
country: Thailand
title: Sequestering soil carbon in the low input farming systems of the semi-arid tropics – does litter quality matter?
ispublished: pub
subjects: S21
subjects: f1
subjects: s10
subjects: s2.11
divisions: CRPS4
crps: crp1.13
full_text_status: public
pres_type: paper
keywords: Low input farming systems, Semi-arid tropics, Soil carbon
note: Australian Centre for International Research (ACIAR) funded this initiative through
grants to the University of New England 1991-1999. The CGIAR CRP for Water, Land and Ecosystems
funds the lead author’s time and attendance at this meeting
abstract: Maintaining soil organic matter (SOM) in low input smallholder rice cropping systems worldwide is of
paramount importance to maintaining livelihoods and food security. A long term rainfed lowland rice
experiment tested the hypothesis that applying small (1.5 t/ha dry matter) annual additions of slowly
decomposable plant materials which were grown offsite and applied prior to land preparation, could result in
increased soil organic carbon, crop yield and improve the recovery of nutrients compared with plant materials
of higher quality or straw retention alone. Annual leaf litter applications over 9 seasons resulted in significant
increases in SOC of 39% (from 3.5 to 4.9 mg/g) in the leaf litter treatments compared to only 13 % in the noleaf
litter control. In terms of rice grain production and nutrient use efficiency, leaf litter quality was an
important driver. Apparent nutrient recovery of nitrogen and sulfur reflected the decomposition rate of the
added residues. Sustainable farming systems will require that crop yields are stable through the maintenance
of soil fertility and the balanced use of nutrients in the system. The results of this study are therefore highly
significant and provide evidence that low rate, long term residue management can have profound effects.
date: 2017
date_type: published
pagerange: 1-3
event_title: Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon
event_location: Rome, Italy
event_dates: 21-23 March 2017
event_type: conference
refereed: TRUE
citation:   Whitbread, A M and Lefroy, R and Blair, G and Konboon, Y and Naklang, K  (2017) Sequestering soil carbon in the low input farming systems of the semi-arid tropics – does litter quality matter?  In: Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon, 21-23 March 2017, Rome, Italy.     
document_url: http://oar.icrisat.org/10012/1/Global_Symposium_C_Extended_Abstract_March22_2017.PDF