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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Carbon leaching from undisturbed soil cores treated with dairy cow urine

S. M. Lambie A D , L. A. Schipper B , M. R. Balks B and W. T. Baisden C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Landcare Research, Private Bag 11052, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

B University of Waikato, Gate 1 Knighton Road, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.

C GNS Science, National Isotope Centre, PO Box 30-368, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand.

D Corresponding author. Email: lambies@landcareresearch.co.nz

Soil Research 50(4) 320-327 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR12055
Submitted: 9 March 2012  Accepted: 18 May 2012   Published: 3 July 2012

Abstract

Solubilisation of soil carbon (C) under cow urine patches may lead to losses of soil C by priming or leaching. We investigated the solubilisation and bioavailability of soil C in undisturbed pasture soil treated with urine. We also studied the contribution of acid-neutralising capacity (ANC) forcing and aggregate disruption as mechanisms of soil C solubilisation. Undisturbed soil cores (0–5 cm; Typic Udivitrand) were treated with water or δ13C-enriched urine and subsequently leached. Urine deposition increased total C and dissolved organic C leaching by 8 g C m–2 compared with water. Soil C contributed 28.1 ± 0.9% of the C in the leachate from urine-treated cores (ULeachate). ANC forcing of urine was 11.8 meq L–1 and may have contributed to soil C leaching, but aggregate disruption was unlikely to have contributed. The bioavailability of organic C in ULeachate was four times greater than in both cow urine and water leachate. It is possible that ULeachate may lead to priming of soil C decomposition lower in the profile. Further testing under field conditions would determine the long-term contribution of urine deposition to dissolved organic C leaching and the fate of solubilised C in pastoral soils.

Additional keywords: acid neutralising capacity forcing, Carbon-13, cow urine, leaching, pH.


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