TY - JOUR
T1 - Higher nitrates, P and lower pH in soils under medicinal plants versus crop plants
AU - Du, Lianfeng
AU - Zhao, Jiaojiao
AU - Abbas, Farhat
AU - Liu, Wenke
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments This work was financially supported by the project of Research and Development Program for China Sustainable Agriculture Technology (II), 2009–2014.
PY - 2013/12
Y1 - 2013/12
N2 - This report shows a higher soil quality under medicinal plants versus food-crop plants. Long-term continuous cultivation of food crops induces changes of soil properties that can lead to fertility loss and, in turn, decline of food productivity. Effect of cropping on soil changes has been studied mainly for food crops and vegetables worldwide, whereas soil changes in herbal fields are scarcely known. Therefore, we compared here soil nutrients and soil chemical properties of herbal fields, cultivated with Chinese medicinal plants, and food-crop fields. Fields are located at the famous traditional planting base of Chinese medicinal plants in Anguo, China. The results showed that in herbal fields, soil nitrate, available P, soil organic matter (SOM), and electrical conductivity decreased with soil depth, whereas soil pH and soil water content increased with depth. In herbal fields, soil nitrate, available P contents, and soil electrical conductivity were higher than those of food-crop fields at various soil layers. SOM and soil water content were similar in herbal and food-crop fields. Soil pH of herbal fields at 0-20 cm was lower than those of food-crop fields. Findings show overall that soil nutrient accumulation and changes under medicinal plants are higher than food-crop fields.
AB - This report shows a higher soil quality under medicinal plants versus food-crop plants. Long-term continuous cultivation of food crops induces changes of soil properties that can lead to fertility loss and, in turn, decline of food productivity. Effect of cropping on soil changes has been studied mainly for food crops and vegetables worldwide, whereas soil changes in herbal fields are scarcely known. Therefore, we compared here soil nutrients and soil chemical properties of herbal fields, cultivated with Chinese medicinal plants, and food-crop fields. Fields are located at the famous traditional planting base of Chinese medicinal plants in Anguo, China. The results showed that in herbal fields, soil nitrate, available P, soil organic matter (SOM), and electrical conductivity decreased with soil depth, whereas soil pH and soil water content increased with depth. In herbal fields, soil nitrate, available P contents, and soil electrical conductivity were higher than those of food-crop fields at various soil layers. SOM and soil water content were similar in herbal and food-crop fields. Soil pH of herbal fields at 0-20 cm was lower than those of food-crop fields. Findings show overall that soil nutrient accumulation and changes under medicinal plants are higher than food-crop fields.
KW - Available P
KW - Cropland
KW - Electric conductivity
KW - Nitrate
KW - Soil depth
KW - Soil pH
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84888134381&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10311-013-0419-1
DO - 10.1007/s10311-013-0419-1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84888134381
SN - 1610-3653
VL - 11
SP - 385
EP - 390
JO - Environmental Chemistry Letters
JF - Environmental Chemistry Letters
IS - 4
ER -