Effects of residue management and controlled traffic on carbon dioxide and water loss

Management of crop residues and soil organic matter is of primary importance in maintaining soil fertility and productivity and in minimizing agricultural impact on the environment. Our objective was to determine the effects of traffic and tillage on short-term carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) fluxes from a representative soil in the southeastern Coastal Plain (USA). The study was conducted on a Norfolk loamy sand (FAO classification, Luxic Ferralsols; USDA classification, fine-loamy siliceous, thermic Typic Kandiudults) cropped to a corn (Zea mays L.) --- soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) rotation with a crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) winter cover crop for eight years. Experimental variables were with and without traffic under conventional tillage (CT) (disk harrow twice, chisel plow, field cultivator) and no tillage (NT) arranged in a split-plot design with four replicates. A wide-frame tractive vehicle enabled tillage without wheel traffic. Short-term CO2 and H2O fluxes were measured with a large portable chamber. Gas exchange measurements were made on both CT and NT at various times associated with tillage and irrigation events. Tillage-induced CO2 and H2O fluxes were larger than corresponding fluxes from untilled soil. Irrigation caused the CO2 fluxes to increase rapidly from both tillage systems, suggesting that soil gas fluxes were initially limited by lack of water. Tillage-induced CO2 and H2O fluxes were consistently higher than under NT. Cumulative CO2 flux from CT at the end of 80 h was nearly three times larger than from NT while the corresponding H2O loss was 1.6 times larger. Traffic had no significant effects on the magnitude of CO2 fluxes, possibly reflecting this soil's natural tendency to reconsolidate. The immediate impact of intensive surface tillage of sandy soils on gaseous carbon loss was larger than traffic effects and suggests a need to develop new management practices for enhanced soil carbon and water management for these sensitive soils.