Cover cropping is a farming practice that may improve C sequestration and soil fertility, but these effects can vary under different edaphoclimatic conditions. The effects of including a winter gramineous cover crop (CC) in continuous soybeans were evaluated in three long-term experiments (8 yr) on one coarse-textured soil and two finetextured soils in the Pampas region of Argentina. The impacts of CC on soil C sequestration, soil nutrient availability, soil organic C (SOC), and N contents of soil particle size fractions were also determined. The inclusion of CC only increased SOC stock by 3.1 Mg ha-1 in the coarse-textured soil (CTS). The labile C fraction in the 0–5-cm depth increased in both the CTS and the fine-textured soils (FTS) by 263% and 93%, respectively. Soil N also increased in the labile fraction by 119% and 112% when a CC was used in the CTS and FTS soils, respectively. Moreover, the inclusion of a CC decreased soil P availability in one experiment (4.9 kg ha-1) and increased soil manganese in two experiments (11 kg ha-1 on average). The inclusion of a gramineous CC in a soybean monoculture increased the C balance, particularly in coarse-textured soils. Considering that soil N was similarly affected, the C/N ratio was not impacted.
Beltrán, M. J.; Galantini, J. A.; Salvagiotti, F.; Tognetti, P. M.; Bacigaluppo, S.; ... Sainz R. (2021). Do soil carbon sequestration and soil fertility increase by including a gramineous cover crop in continuous soybean?. Soil Science Society of America Journal,85, (5),p.1380-1394
10.1002/saj2.20257
Beltrán, Marcelo Javier,Galantini, Juan Alberto,Salvagiotti, Fernando,Tognetti, Pedro Maximiliano,Bacigaluppo, Silvina,Sainz Rozas, Hernán René, et al.. 2021. "Do soil carbon sequestration and soil fertility increase by including a gramineous cover crop in continuous soybean?". Soil Science Society of America Journal 85, no.5:1380-1394.
Recuperado de http://ri.agro.uba.ar/greenstone3/library/collection/arti/document/2021beltran