@article{fdi:010049063,
  title = {{S}oil carbon stocks under no-tillage mulch-based cropping systems in the {B}razilian {C}errado : an on-farm synchronic assessment},
  author = {{N}eto, {M}. {S}. and {S}copel, {E}. and {C}orbeels, {M}. and {C}ardoso, {A}. {N}. and {D}ouzet, {J}. {M}. and {F}eller, {C}hristian and {P}iccolo, {M}. {D}. and {C}erri, {C}. {C}. and {B}ernoux, {M}artial},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{N}o-tillage mulch-based ({NTM}) cropping systems have been widely adopted by farmers in the {B}razilian savanna region ({C}errado biome). {W}e hypothesized that this new type of management should have a profound impact on soil organic carbon ({SOC}) at regional scale and consequently on climate change mitigation. {T}he objective of this study was thus to quantify the {SOC} storage potential of {NTM} in the oxisols of the {C}errado using a synchronic approach that is based on a chronosequence of fields of different years under {NTM}. {T}he study consisted of three phases: (1) a farm/cropping system survey to identify the main types of {NTM} systems to be chosen for the chronosequence; (2) a field survey to identify a homogeneous set of situations for the chronosequence and (3) the characterization of the chronosequence to assess the {SOC} storage potential. {T}he main {NTM} system practiced by farmers is an annual succession of soybean ({G}lycine max)or maize ({Z}ea mays) with another cereal crop. {T}his cropping system covers 54% of the total cultivated area in the region. {A}t the regional level, soil organic {C} concentrations from {NTM} fields were closely correlated with clay + silt content of the soil (r(2) = 0.64). {N}o significant correlation was observed (r(2) = 0.07), however, between these two variables when we only considered the fields with a clay + silt content in the 500-700 g kg(-1) range. {T}he final chronosequence of {NTM} fields was therefore based on a subsample of eight fields, within this textural range. {T}he {SOC} stocks in the 0-30 cm topsoil layer of these selected fields varied between 4.2 and 6.7 kg {C} m(-2) and increased on average (r(2) = 0.97) with 0.19 kg {C} m(-2) year(-1). {A}fter 12 years of {NTM} management, {SOC} stocks were no longer significantly different from the stocks under natural {C}errado vegetation (p < 0.05), whereas a 23-year-old conventionally tilled and cropped field showed {SOC} stocks that were about 30% below this level. {C}onfirming our hypotheses, this study clearly illustrated the high potential of {NTM} systems in increasing {SOC} storage under tropical conditions, and how a synchronic approach may be used to assess efficiently such modification on farmers' fields, identifying and excluding non desirable sources of heterogeneity (management, soils and climate).},
  keywords = {{C}over crops ; {C}hronosequence ; {I}ntensive agriculture ; {T}ropics ; {O}xisols},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{S}oil and {T}illage {R}esearch},
  volume = {110},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {187--195},
  ISSN = {0167-1987},
  year = {2010},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.still.2010.07.010},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010049063},
}