<> "The repository administrator has not yet configured an RDF license."^^ . <> . . . "Surface organic carbon enrichment to explain greater CO2 emissions from short-term no-tilled soils"^^ . "The impact of agricultural practices on CO2 emissions from soils needs to be understood and quantified to\r\nenhance ecosystem functions, especially the ability of soils to sequester atmospheric carbon (C), while\r\nenhancing food and biomass production. The objective of this study was to assess CO2 emissions in the\r\nsoil surface following tillage abandonment and to investigate some of the underlying soil physical,\r\nchemical and biological controls. Maize (Zea mays) was planted under conventional tillage (T) and\r\nno-tillage (NT), both without crop residues under smallholder farming conditions in Potshini, South\r\nAfrica. Intact top-soil (0–0.05 m) core samples (N = 54) from three 515m2 plots per treatment were\r\ncollected two years after conversion of T to NT to evaluate the short-term CO2 emissions. Depending on\r\nthe treatment, cores were left intact, compacted by 5 and 10%, or had surface crusts removed. They were\r\nincubated for 20 days with measurements of CO2 fluxes twice a day during the first three days and once a\r\nday thereafter. Soil organic C (SOC) content, soil bulk density (rb), aggregate stability, soil organic matter\r\nquality, and microbial biomass and its activity were evaluated at the onset of the incubation. CO2\r\nemissions were 22% lower under NT compared with T with CO2 emissions of 0.90.10 vs 1.10.10mg\r\nC–CO2 gC1 day1 under NT and T, respectively, suggesting greater SOC protection under NT. However,\r\nthere were greater total CO2 emissions per unit of surface by 9% under NT compared to T (1.150.03 vs\r\n1.050.04 g C–CO2m2 day1). SOC protection significantly increased with the increase in soil bulk\r\ndensity (r = 0.89) and aggregate stability (from 1.70.25mmto 2.30.31, r = 0.50), and to the decrease in\r\nmicrobial biomass and its activity (r =0.59 and 0.57, respectively). In contrast, the greater NT CO2\r\nemissions per m2 were explained by top-soil enrichment in SOC by 48% (from 12.40.2 to\r\n19.10.4 g kg1, r = 0.59). These results on the soil controls of tillage impact on CO2 emissions are\r\nexpected to inform on the required shifts in agricultural practices for enhancing C sequestration in soils.\r\nIn the context of the study, any mechanism favoring aggregate stability and promoting SOC allocation\r\ndeep in the soil profile rather than in the top-soil would greatly diminish soil CO2 outputs and thus\r\nstimulate C sequestration."^^ . "2015" . . "203" . . "Elsevier"^^ . . . "Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment"^^ . . . "01678809" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "D"^^ . "Muller-Nedebock"^^ . "D Muller-Nedebock"^^ . . "M"^^ . "Alexis"^^ . "M Alexis"^^ . . "M"^^ . "Mutema"^^ . "M Mutema"^^ . . "P"^^ . "Dlamini"^^ . "P Dlamini"^^ . . "K"^^ . "Quenea"^^ . "K Quenea"^^ . . "F"^^ . "Darboux"^^ . "F Darboux"^^ . . "H"^^ . "Thenga"^^ . "H Thenga"^^ . . "P"^^ . "Chivenge"^^ . "P Chivenge"^^ . . "V"^^ . "Chaplot"^^ . "V Chaplot"^^ . . "H"^^ . "Bourennane"^^ . "H Bourennane"^^ . . "K"^^ . "Abdalla"^^ . "K Abdalla"^^ . . "C"^^ . "Everson"^^ . "C Everson"^^ . . "C"^^ . "Mchunu"^^ . "C Mchunu"^^ . . . . . . "Surface organic carbon enrichment to explain greater CO2 emissions from short-term no-tilled soils (PDF)"^^ . . . . . "Surface organic carbon enrichment to explain greater CO2 emissions from short-term no-tilled soils (Other)"^^ . . . . . . "Surface organic carbon enrichment to explain greater CO2 emissions from short-term no-tilled soils (Other)"^^ . . . . . . "Surface organic carbon enrichment to explain greater CO2 emissions from short-term no-tilled soils (Other)"^^ . . . . . . "Surface organic carbon enrichment to explain greater CO2 emissions from short-term no-tilled soils (Other)"^^ . . . . . . "Surface organic carbon enrichment to explain greater CO2 emissions from short-term no-tilled soils (Other)"^^ . . . . . "HTML Summary of #8673 \n\nSurface organic carbon enrichment to explain greater CO2 emissions from short-term no-tilled soils\n\n" . "text/html" . . . "Soil Science"@en . .