Novel Organic Amendments to Enhance Nutrient Cycling and Organic Matter in Problem Soils

拟议的研究评估了增加新的有机改良剂的影响，包括生物炭，腐殖物质（风化煤）和堆肥肥料，化学，物理和生物挑战盐影响的土壤在萨斯喀彻温省。计划中的研究将解决有关盐碱土中有机物的行为和相互作用的基本问题，以及评估和制定使土壤更有生产力的实际手段（修正、轮换）。 将在萨斯喀彻温省的棕色和深棕色土壤区建立两个受盐影响的土壤（盐渍土、solonetzic）实地研究点。强调了解修正剂对土壤和植物生产力的影响，盐矿物的性质及其与有机质的相互作用，碳和氮的周转和封存。申请人先前的工作研究了对非盐碱土壤进行的新型有机改良剂的影响，从而更好地了解了其对土壤质量和植物生长的影响。继续这项工作，包括盐渍土是合理的，因为有超过600万英亩的盐影响的土地在加拿大西部。此外，近年来降水量增加，气温升高，导致许多地区的地下水位上升，蒸发量增加，导致盐碱化蔓延。 气候多变性可能导致盐碱化，但受盐影响的土壤也有希望通过改良和提高生产力来固碳。然而，有很少的科学关注有机质动态和养分循环在盐渍土。 在耕作之前和耕作期间存在的盐分导致植物生产力低下，这导致这些土壤中有机质含量低，以及过去施肥积累的大量无机养分。 有机材料可以吸附阳离子和阴离子，改善水的关系，并鼓励微生物活性的修正案将有可能促进更好的养分利用和耐盐牧草和一年生作物的生长，如杂交油菜和大麦轮作。如果有机物能有效地隔离营养物和盐分，预计也会有助于改善水质。 实地和受控环境研究将使用传统的化学，物理和新的同步加速器技术相结合，以更好地了解改良剂如何影响土壤盐度，水和空气的关系，碳和氮的形式和周转，有机矿物复合物的性质，以及它们促进耐盐牧草和一年生作物发芽和生长的能力。这项研究将有助于种植者适应和减缓气候变化，沿着经济繁荣。

The proposed research evaluates the impact of adding novel organic amendments, including biochar, humic material (leonardite) and composted manure, to chemically, physically and biologically challenged salt affected soils in Saskatchewan. Planned studies will address basic questions surrounding behaviour and interactions of organic matter in saline soils, as well as assessing and developing practical means (amendments, rotations) that will make the soils more productive. Two field research sites with salt affected soils (saline, solonetzic) in the Brown and Dark Brown soil zones of Saskatchewan will be established. Understanding the effect of the amendments on soil and plant productivity, nature of salt minerals and their interaction with organic matter, carbon and nitrogen turnover and sequestration is emphasized. Previous work by the applicant has examined impacts of novel organic amendments made to non-saline soils, which has led to a better understanding of their effects on soil quality and plant growth. A continuation of this work to include saline soils is justifiable as there are over 6 million acres of salt affected lands in Western Canada. Furthermore, increased precipitation and higher temperatures in recent years has led to higher water tables and increased evaporation in many regions that has contributed to the spread of salinity. Climatic variability can contribute to salinization, but the salt affected soils also offer promise for carbon sequestration through amendment and improvement in productivity. However, there has been very little scientific attention given to organic matter dynamics and nutrient cycling in saline soils. Low plant productivity caused by salinity present before and during cultivation contributes to low organic matter content in these soils as well as large amounts of inorganic nutrients that have accumulated from past fertilizer applications. Amendment with organic materials that can sorb cations and anions, improve water relations and encourage microbial activity will potentially promote better nutrient utilization and growth of salt tolerant forages and annual crops like hybrid canola and barley grown in rotation. A contribution to improved water quality is also anticipated if nutrients and salts are effectively sequestered by organic matter. Field and controlled environment studies will use a combination of traditional chemical, physical and novel synchrotron based techniques to better understand how the amendments influence soil salinity, water and air relations, carbon and nitrogen forms and turn over, nature of organo-mineral complexes, and their ability to promote germination and growth of salt tolerant forage grasses and annual crops. This research will contribute to grower adaptation and mitigation of climate change along with economic prosperity.