Soil Organic Matter Changes in Lithuanian Soils: Experiences and Results

Lithuania, Soil organic matter, Eutric Albeluvisol, Soil conservation, Carbon sequestration, Land management, Crop rotationData has been obtained from sandy loam Eutric Albeluvisol-ABe at the Kaltinenai Research Station of the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture on the undulating topography of Western Lithuania. Results from 18 years of investigations show significant increases in soil organic matter (SOM) content under grass-grain crop rotations compared with field and grain-grass crop rotations, which thus provides evidence for carbon sequestration in soil

Evaluation of long-term effect of cultivation practices on the humus content and composition of Lithuania's loamy soils by chemical methods

Ilość próchnicy i jej skład - to najważniejsze wskaźniki żyzności gleby, dlatego też niezbędne jest określenie wpływu różnych zabiegów agrotechnicznych na zmiany ich wartości. Jakość próchnicy oceniano metodą Tiurina w modyfikacji Ponomariewej i Płotnikowej. Wyodrębniono 3 frakcje kwasów huminowych oraz 4 frakcje fulwokwasów. Stwierdzono, że stopień humifikacji materiału organicznego sięga 35% przy wieloletnim (49 lat) wykorzystaniu jako pastwiska gleb brunatnych oglejonych. Natomiast przy tradycyjnej uprawie gleb ciężkich, stopień humifikaciji substancji organicznej wynosił 21%.This article deals with the humus content and quality indicators of mixed soddy gleic and soddy calcareous soils where long-term experiments designed for the comparison of soil tillage systems have been carried out and long-term cultivated pastures have been established. In our experiments we have ascertained the effect of various long-term cultivation practices on total content of humus and the content of three fractions of humic acids and four fractions of fulvic acids, as well as on the degree of organic matter humification. It was established that some cultivation practices improved soil fertility, increased the content of humus and humic acids. In long-term cultivated pastures (used for 49 years) organic matter transformation processes occurred towards humification - a very high content of humus and the highest degree of humification were determined there. Shallow and less intensive soil tillage, and organic fertilizers increased the content of humus and humic acids. The indicators of humic acids optical density were on the increase in deeper soil layers

A comparative study of analytical methodologies to determine the soil organic matter content of Lithuanian Eutric Albeluvisols

Large archive databases of soil organic matter (SOM) widely exist in Lithuania and the other countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Despite the demise of the former Soviet Union over 16 years ago, and Lithuania's integration as a full European Union state, difficulties of SOM data acceptance remain where these results are presented for publication in international journals, due to methodological differences between laboratory protocols. Therefore, the scientific pilot project ‘Carbon sequestration in Lithuanian soils’, supported by the Leverhulme Trust (U.K.), included an objective to correlate soil carbon methodologies, using Lithuanian Eutric Albeluvisols. A comparison of SOM content data acquired using five different analytical methods is reported. The research programme included a specific objective to correlate analytical methods for SOM analyses. A total of 92 Eutric Albeluvisol samples were collected from topsoil (0–0.2 m: Ap, n=36; Ah, n=10) and subsoil (0.2–0.4 m: Bt, n=46) horizons of 46 long-term experimental field plots at the Kaltinenai Research Station of the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture. Each sample was then subsampled and analysed for SOM using dry combustion (by automatic elemental analyser), Walkley–Black (USDA), Tyurin photometrical, Tyurin titrimetrical and loss-on-ignition (LoI) methods (the later performed, in parallel, in both Lithuania and U.K. laboratories). Linear correlation and paired regression equations were calculated. Correlation coefficients between the sets of results varied between r=0.81–0.96 (from 0–0.2 m, n=46, P<0.001) and r=0.76–0.98 (from 0.2–0.4 m, n=46, P<0.001). Based on the strength and significance of these relationships, it is proposed that simple linear or more complex paired regression equations can be confidently employed to recalculate SOM data between various analytical methodologies. Future work will continue these investigations on other soil units and environments, hereby enhancing the database

International Comparison of Analytical Methods of Determining the Soil Organic Matter Content of Lithuanian Eutric Albeluvisols

Several soil organic matter (SOM) methodologies have been employed to analyze a suite of subsampled soils, and their results have been correlated. This will permit future comparison of the large archive of SOM databases, which widely exist in Lithuania and other Central and Eastern European countries, with those of other international countries. Samples were collected (n=92) from topsoil and subsoil horizons of Eutric Glassoboralfs (Eutric Albeluvisols) at five long‐term monitoring sites (three sites with 8 years' duration and two sites with 20 years' duration) containing a total of 46 experimental field plots. Each soil sample was subsampled and SOM determined by several analytical approaches (namely, dry combustion, Walkley–Black, Tyurin photometric, Tyurin titrimetric, and loss‐on‐ignition methods). Correlation coefficients between multiple sets of results varied between r=0.831 and r=0.965 (n=92, P<0.001). Based on the strength and significance of these relationships, we propose that simple linear regression equations can be confidently employed to recalculate SOM data among various analytical methodologies and thus help resolve the issue of international data comparison

The distribution of bioactive compounds in the tubers of organically grown Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) during the growing period

This study aim to evaluate the distribution of bioactive compounds in the tubers of organically grown Jerusalem artichoke (JA) during the growing season in 2012–2014. Field experiments on the three JA cultivars: Albik, Rubik and Sauliai, were carried out at the organic farm in South Lithuania. The tubers were uprooted at the end of each month of the growing period (8 times) in March–June (spring period) and August– November (autumn period) and were analysed for the contents of dry matter, carbohydrates, phenolic compounds, leuco-anthocyanins, catechins. The significantly highest dry matter content in JA tubers was determined in March of 2014 after they had been exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the soil during the winter, while the amount of phenolic compounds – at the beginning of the spring growing period. The significantly highest content of inulin in October of 2014 was accumulated in the tubers of cv. Sauliai (46.08%), carbohydrates – in Albik tubers in September of 2014 (44.23%), when the formation of new tubers began. Significantly higher amounts of catechins were determined in the second half of the growing period. Cultivar and organogenesis stage had a significant impact on the content of leuco-anthocyanins in JA tubers. Substantial differences in the content of leuco-anthocyanins among the tested cultivars were determined at the end of the growing season