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Soil, land care and environmental research
REVIEW (Open Access)

Carbon (δ13C) dynamics in agroecosystems under traditional and minimum tillage systems: a review

C. J. Smith https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1087-9093 A C and P. M. Chalk B C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A CSIRO Agriculture, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.

B Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.

C Corresponding authors. Email: Chris.J.Smith@csiro.au; chalkphillip@gmail.com

Soil Research 59(7) 661-672 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR21056
Submitted: 2 March 2021  Accepted: 28 April 2021   Published: 30 June 2021

Journal compilation © CSIRO 2021 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND

Abstract

Following cultivation, substantial loss of soil organic matter occurs in surface soil layers. No-till is an agronomic practice to reverse or slow the loss of soil organic matter. We reviewed 95 research papers that used 13C natural abundance of soils to quantify the impact of tillage on the C dynamics of cropping systems. New C (from current cropping systems) accumulated in the surface soil under no-till, whereas the most extreme cultivation (mouldboard ploughing) mixed new C throughout the soil. There was a decline in soil C with years of cultivation. Compared with land that had been tilled, no-till generally had little impact on the accumulation on soil organic C. Tillage and residue retention caused stratification in C stocks that depended on tillage depth, with the highest C concentrations and stocks found in the surface under no-till. Shifts in the δ13C signature indicated significant exchange of ‘new’ C for the original (old) C. Tillage methods had no impact on the size and δ13C signature of the microbial biomass pool. Change in δ13C indicates that microbial biomass rapidly incorporates new carbon. The largest change in the δ13C values (Δ13C) was observed in the coarse sand fraction, whereas the smallest change occurred in the clay fraction. Comparison of conventional vs no-till showed inconsistent results on the effect of tillage on C in the different particle size fractions. Natural 13C abundance data show that no-till cropping systems do not result in increases in soil organic C in the top 0.30 m of soil.

Keywords: tillage, no-till, zero till, C3, C4, soil microbial biomass, δ13C, C sequestration.


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