Impact of manure on soil biochemical properties: A global synthesis

Shibin Liu; Jinyang Wang; Shengyan Pu; Evgenia Blagodatskaya; Yakov Kuzyakov; Bahar S Razavi

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141003

Impact of manure on soil biochemical properties: A global synthesis

Sci Total Environ. 2020 Nov 25:745:141003. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141003. Epub 2020 Jul 19.

Authors

Shibin Liu¹, Jinyang Wang², Shengyan Pu³, Evgenia Blagodatskaya⁴, Yakov Kuzyakov⁵, Bahar S Razavi⁶

Affiliations

¹ College of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, 1# Dongsanlu, Erxianqiao, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, 1# Dongsanlu, Erxianqiao, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, PR China. Electronic address: liushibin17@cdut.edu.cn.
² Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Low Carbon Agriculture and GHGs Mitigation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095 Nanjing, PR China.
³ College of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, 1# Dongsanlu, Erxianqiao, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, 1# Dongsanlu, Erxianqiao, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, PR China. Electronic address: pushengyan@gmail.com.
⁴ Department of Soil Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Saale, Germany; Agro-Technology Institute, RUDN University, Moscow, Russia.
⁵ Agro-Technology Institute, RUDN University, Moscow, Russia; Department of Soil Science of Temperate Ecosystems, Department of Agricultural Soil Science, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
⁶ Department of Soil and Plant Microbiome, Institute of Phytopathology, Christian- Albrecht-University of Kiel, Germany.

PMID: 32758749
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141003

Abstract

Manure application mitigates land degradation and improves soil fertility. Despite many individual studies on manure effects, a comprehensive overview of its consequences for a broad range of soil properties is lacking. Through a meta-analysis of 521 observations spanning the experiments from days after pulse addition up to 113 years with continues manure input, we quantified and generalized the average responses of soil biochemical properties depending on climate factors, management, soil, and manure characteristics. Large increase of pools with fast turnover (microbial carbon (C) and nitrogen (N): +88% and +84%, respectively) compared to stable organic matter pools (+27% for organic C, and +33% for total N) reflects acceleration of C and N cycles and soil fertility improvement. Activities of enzymes acquiring C-, energy-, N-, phosphorus- and sulfur were 1.3-3.3 times larger than those in soil without manure for all study durations included. Soil C/N ratio remained unaffected, indicating the stability of coupled C and N cycles. Microbial C/N ratio decreased, indicating a shift towards bacterial domination, general increase of C and N availability and acceleration of element cycling. Composted manure or manure without mineral fertilizers induced the greatest increase compared to non-composted manure or manure with mineral fertilizers, respectively, in most biochemical properties. The optimal manure application rate for adjusting proper soil pH was 25 Mg ha^-1 year^-1. Among manure types, swine manure caused the greatest increase of N-cycle-related properties: microbial N (+230%), urease (+258%) and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (+138%) activities. Manure application strategies should avoid P and N losses and pollution via runoff, leaching or gaseous emissions due to fast mineralization and priming of soil organic matter. In conclusion, manure application favors C accumulation and accelerates nutrient cycling by providing available organic substances and nutrients and thus increasing enzyme activities.

Keywords: Enzyme activities; Manure; Meta-analysis; Soil leaching; Soil nutrients; Soil organic matter.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis

MeSH terms

Agriculture
Animals
Carbon
Fertilizers
Manure*
Nitrogen / analysis
Soil*
Swine

Substances

Fertilizers
Manure
Soil
Carbon
Nitrogen