Effects Of Stubble Burning on Selected Physical and Chemical Properties in Alkaline Agricultural Soil

Abstract

Stubble burning is a traditional soil management method that affects soil quality and fertility and has often been preferred by farmers. In this study conducted to understand the short-term effects of stubble burning on soil properties in alkaline agricultural soils, 100 soil samples were taken from 20 wheat fields with stubble burned (STB, n=10) and non-stubble burned (NSB, n=10) in Araban. The samples were analyzed for aggregate stability (AS), pH, carbonates (IC), electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic matter (SOM), available phosphorus (Pav), and extractable potassium (Kex). Correlation (CA), principal component (PCA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were applied to the data. The results showed that AS and pH values were 3% and 2% lower (p<0.05), while IC and Pav contents were approximately 23% higher (p<0.01 and p<0.05) in NSB. No significant differences were observed in EC values and SOM and Kex contents between STB and NSB (p>0.05). PCA accounted for 74.9% and 76.4% of total variance in NSB and STB, respectively. According to HCA results, it was determined that the components were completely changed. Many statistical approaches showed that stubble burning changed the ongoing relationships between selected physical and chemical properties of soils before burning due to the direct and indirect effects of heat and ash. In conclusion, these disturbed relationships are likely to negatively affect the productivity of alkaline field soils in the long term.