B33C-0692
Soil Management Effects on Gas Fluxes from an Organic Soil Agricultural System
Wednesday, 16 December 2015
Poster Hall (Moscone South)
Stephen Peter Jennewein1, Jehangir H Bhadha2, Timothy A Lang3, Maninder Singh3, Samira H Daroub3 and Mabry McCray3, (1)University of Florida, Ft Walton Beach, FL, United States, (2)Univeristy of Florida - Everglades Research and Education Center, Soil and Water Science, Belle Glade, FL, United States, (3)Univeristy of Florida - Everglades Research and Education Center, Belle Glade, FL, United States
Abstract:
The role of soil management on gas flux isn’t well understood for Histosols of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) of southern Florida. The region is responsible for roughly half of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) production in the USA along with supplying winter vegetable crops to the eastern USA. Future productivity in the EAA is jeopardized by soil subsidence resulting from oxidation of organic matter. Establishing the role of tillage, water-table depth, nitrogen fertilizer, and soil depth on gas flux will help determine how effective various managements are on conserving soil. Ongoing lysimeter and field studies examined effects of management practices (water-table, tillage, and nitrogen fertilizer), and soil depth on, gas emission and microbial biomass. The trials were set in Belle Glade, FL, on Lauderhill muck (Lithic Haplosaprists). Results to be presented include soil microbial biomass and soil gas (CO2, CH4, and N2O) flux. This study provides insight into management effectiveness and agriculture sustainability on shallow muck soils of the EAA and will help farmers mitigate problems associated with soil subsidence and seasonally high water-tables.
