Study Reveals Changes in Soil Carbon and Nutrient Stocks in Desert Oasis Farmland

May 10, 2024

By Zhang Nannan

The arid desert oasis is an important agricultural production base in northwestern China, and desert reclamation is the main reason for its continuous expansion. However, the effects of long-term conventional agricultural practices on soil carbon and nutrient pools after desert reclamation in arid oasis farmlands are still unclear.

A research team from the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences investigated carbon and nutrient storage in farmland soils in the Zhangye Oasis with different reclamation ages. They used regression analysis to reveal patterns of change in carbon and nutrient storage over conventional farming years, and analyzed the key factors influencing these storage levels using a random forest model.

The study is published in Geoderma.

The researchers found that the soil carbon pool in the 0–40 cm layer increased by 4.2-fold after desert reclamation, while nitrogen and phosphorus stocks increased by 1.2–6.5-fold. However, regression analyses showed an exponential pattern of change in both carbon and nutrient stocks with years of cultivation.

In addition, carbon and nitrogen stocks in the 0–40 cm soil layer and phosphorus stocks in the topsoil layer, stopped increasing after 60 years of conventional cultivation.

The researchers also found that soil stoichiometry, pH, and mechanical composition were the key factors influencing carbon and nutrient pools in oasis farmland.

Click here to see more...

Video: 2024 AGM Day 1 Panel - Succession Planning & Risk Management

Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census of Agriculture indicates that 75% of all farms operating in Canada operate as sole proprietorships or family partnerships. While incorporated farms make up just over a third of Canadian farm operations most of those are also family-run corporations. If the issue of farm succession planning is not on the minds of Canadian farm producers, it probably should be. That same Statistics Canada Census of Agriculture indicates that the average age of a Canadian farmer is 56 years of age with the 55 plus age group becoming the fastest growing segment in Canadian agriculture.

Despite these statistics, the same Census reports that only 1 in 10 Canadian farm operations have a formal succession plan. While each farm has its unique issues when it comes to transferring the business to the next generation, there are some common topics that almost all farmers must address. Join financial, legal, and tax experts to learn about how to begin the process, key tips on ensuring a smooth transition from one generation to the next, and how to manage the strong emotions the topic can create within the family.