Quantitative Changes in Selected Soil Health Indices as a Result of Long-Term (23-Year) Cultivation of Winter Wheat in Various Crop Rotations: Case Study for Sandy Soil

Perennial monoculture crops are perceived as detrimental to soil health. This study examines this assumption with regard to winter wheat cultivated in crop rotations with varying cereal shares (50%, 75%, and 100%) and under different irrigation regimes. The experiments were established in light, san...

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Main Authors: Monika Jakubus, Katarzyna Panasiewicz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Agriculture
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/13/1456
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author Monika Jakubus
Katarzyna Panasiewicz
author_facet Monika Jakubus
Katarzyna Panasiewicz
author_sort Monika Jakubus
collection DOAJ
description Perennial monoculture crops are perceived as detrimental to soil health. This study examines this assumption with regard to winter wheat cultivated in crop rotations with varying cereal shares (50%, 75%, and 100%) and under different irrigation regimes. The experiments were established in light, sandy soil and conducted as static trials over 23 years (1997–2020). This study aims to assess the quantitative changes in parameters indicative of soil fertility and health. The amounts of total organic carbon (TOC), humic substance carbon (HSC), total nitrogen (TN), and available forms of N, P, K, and Mg (AN, AP, AK, AMg) were measured. It was found that, regardless of the research year, higher levels of TOC, TN, AP, AK, and AMg were recorded in the soil following winter wheat cultivated in a rotation with a 100% share of cereals. The amounts of the above-mentioned parameters were higher by 10–30%. The effect of crop rotation on the quantitative changes in HSC and AN was not statistically significant, although a decrease in their amounts was noted (by 10%). The reduction in HSC content was accompanied by a decline in the quality of these compounds, as indicated by Q<sub>4/6</sub> values, which were significantly higher in plots with sprinkling irrigation and under winter wheat cultivated in rotations with a 100% cereal share; this was evident in both 1997 and 2020. Sprinkling irrigation resulted in lower amounts of TOC, TN, HSC, AN, and AK, but higher levels of AP and AMg. The results directly indicate that the long-term cultivation of winter wheat in rotations with a 100% cereal share in light soils leads to quantitative changes in soil health indices. These changes are generally positive, favorably affecting the health of light soils, in contrast to the effects observed with irrigation.
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spelling doaj-art-08238ae484d7496ca46b7f9af37ddc0a2025-08-20T03:17:04ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722025-07-011513145610.3390/agriculture15131456Quantitative Changes in Selected Soil Health Indices as a Result of Long-Term (23-Year) Cultivation of Winter Wheat in Various Crop Rotations: Case Study for Sandy SoilMonika Jakubus0Katarzyna Panasiewicz1Department of Soil Science and Microbiology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Szydłowska 50, 60-656 Poznań, PolandDepartment of Agronomy, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Dojazd 11, 60-632 Poznań, PolandPerennial monoculture crops are perceived as detrimental to soil health. This study examines this assumption with regard to winter wheat cultivated in crop rotations with varying cereal shares (50%, 75%, and 100%) and under different irrigation regimes. The experiments were established in light, sandy soil and conducted as static trials over 23 years (1997–2020). This study aims to assess the quantitative changes in parameters indicative of soil fertility and health. The amounts of total organic carbon (TOC), humic substance carbon (HSC), total nitrogen (TN), and available forms of N, P, K, and Mg (AN, AP, AK, AMg) were measured. It was found that, regardless of the research year, higher levels of TOC, TN, AP, AK, and AMg were recorded in the soil following winter wheat cultivated in a rotation with a 100% share of cereals. The amounts of the above-mentioned parameters were higher by 10–30%. The effect of crop rotation on the quantitative changes in HSC and AN was not statistically significant, although a decrease in their amounts was noted (by 10%). The reduction in HSC content was accompanied by a decline in the quality of these compounds, as indicated by Q<sub>4/6</sub> values, which were significantly higher in plots with sprinkling irrigation and under winter wheat cultivated in rotations with a 100% cereal share; this was evident in both 1997 and 2020. Sprinkling irrigation resulted in lower amounts of TOC, TN, HSC, AN, and AK, but higher levels of AP and AMg. The results directly indicate that the long-term cultivation of winter wheat in rotations with a 100% cereal share in light soils leads to quantitative changes in soil health indices. These changes are generally positive, favorably affecting the health of light soils, in contrast to the effects observed with irrigation.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/13/1456irrigation managementhumic substancestotal organic carbontotal nitrogenavailable macronutrients
spellingShingle Monika Jakubus
Katarzyna Panasiewicz
Quantitative Changes in Selected Soil Health Indices as a Result of Long-Term (23-Year) Cultivation of Winter Wheat in Various Crop Rotations: Case Study for Sandy Soil
Agriculture
irrigation management
humic substances
total organic carbon
total nitrogen
available macronutrients
title Quantitative Changes in Selected Soil Health Indices as a Result of Long-Term (23-Year) Cultivation of Winter Wheat in Various Crop Rotations: Case Study for Sandy Soil
title_full Quantitative Changes in Selected Soil Health Indices as a Result of Long-Term (23-Year) Cultivation of Winter Wheat in Various Crop Rotations: Case Study for Sandy Soil
title_fullStr Quantitative Changes in Selected Soil Health Indices as a Result of Long-Term (23-Year) Cultivation of Winter Wheat in Various Crop Rotations: Case Study for Sandy Soil
title_full_unstemmed Quantitative Changes in Selected Soil Health Indices as a Result of Long-Term (23-Year) Cultivation of Winter Wheat in Various Crop Rotations: Case Study for Sandy Soil
title_short Quantitative Changes in Selected Soil Health Indices as a Result of Long-Term (23-Year) Cultivation of Winter Wheat in Various Crop Rotations: Case Study for Sandy Soil
title_sort quantitative changes in selected soil health indices as a result of long term 23 year cultivation of winter wheat in various crop rotations case study for sandy soil
topic irrigation management
humic substances
total organic carbon
total nitrogen
available macronutrients
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/13/1456
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