Park Grass Hay Experiment, Long Term Soil Organic Matter Study
Entry ID:
IACR.ParkGrass
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Summary
This experiment began in 1856 at a cool temperate grassland site that was probably grazed for several centuries before the experiment started. A uniformity trial was carried out for several years before the experiment started. The soil at the site is silty clay loam overlying chalk. The land use: Grass cut twice, 1st cut made into hay. ... Treatments: Main treatments include no N, NH4-N, NH3-N, FYM (+fishmeal) every 4 yrs since 1905. Also P,K,Na,Mg,Si trts. Most plots now split and limed to keep pH at 7,6&5+unlimed. Recent splits no longer receive NaNO3 or (NH4)2SO4 after 130 yrs or FYM+fishmeal after 90 yrs. MEASUREMENTS MADE DURING THE EXPERIMENT a) Vegetation measurements made and frequency Yield: Twice yearly Total above-ground dry matter: Twice yearly since 1960 (excludes "stubble") Total dry matter offtake: 1856-1959 Nitrogen content of offtake: 4 yr periods bulked together, about every 20 years P, K, Ca, Mg, Na. Frequency as for N. Also some trace elements, heavy metals and atmospheric pollutants. b) Soil sampling Details of soil sampling method: 1870-1913 samples taken with a 6"x6"x9" (15.2x15.2x22.9cm) open ended metal box; 1, 2 or 3 holes per plot. In 1876 surface soils taken with a 12x12x9 inch box - 3 holes per plot; subsoils taken with a 6x6x9 inch box - 3 holes per plot. Later samples (1923->) taken with a semicylindrical auger (12-16 cores per plot [or subplot]) bulked together. Outer edges of plots (1m) not sampled. Not all plots were sampled on each occasion. Soil is separated into layers. Details of measuring depths and soil layers: 1870: 0-23, 23-46, 46-69 cm. All plots - 1876: 0-23, 23-46, 46-69, 69-92, 92-115, 115-138 cm. 1878: 0-23, 23-46, 46-69 cm. 1904/6: 0-23, 23-46, 46-69, 69-92, 92-115, 115-139 cm. All plots - 1913: 0-3.8, 3.8-7.6, 7.6-10.2, 10.2-12.7, 12.7-15.2, 15.2-17.8, 17.8-20.3, 20.3-22.9 cm. All plots - 1923/4: 0-23, 23-46 cm. 1932: 0-20 cm - none archived. All plots - 1956/7: 0-15, 15-23, 23-30, 30-38, 38-46, 46-51 cm. All plots - 1959: 0-7.6, 7.6-15.2, 15.2-22.9, 22.9-30.5, 30.5-38.1, 38.1-45.7 cm. 1966, 67, 70, 71: 0-23 cm. All plots - 1974, 75, 76, 77: 0-23 cm. 1979: 0-23 cm. All plots - 1984,91: 0-23+some 0-7.6, 7.6-15.2, 15.2-22.9, 22.9-46, 46-69 cm. Some plots - 1995: 0-23 cm. c) Soil measurements made and frequency Total carbon: Selected plots, depths and years. Method of measuring total carbon: Some early samples by Chromate method then Walkley-Black (with correction factor), combustion or Tinsley. Most recent (1984&91) and some older samples analysed by Tinsley. Biomass carbon: Very limited Method of measuring biomass carbon: Chloroform fumigation - incubation method (Jenkinson & Powlson, 1976). For results see Patra et al (1990). Carbon dioxide evolution: Very limited Total nitrogen: Selected plots, depths and years Method of measuring total nitrogen: Kjeldahl Total mineral nitrogen: Selected plots, depths and years Biomass nitrogen: Very limited Method of measuring biomass nitrogen: Chloroform fumigation - incubation (Jenkinson & Powlson, 1976). For results see Patra et al, (1990). Nitrate nitrogen: Selected treatments Method of measuring nitrate nitrogen: As soil mineral N Ammonium nitrogen: Selected treatments Method of measuring ammonium nitrogen: As soil mineral N Soil bulk density or weight: 20-50 years Method of measuring soil bulk density or weight: Using 6x6x9 inch (15.2x15.2x22.9 cm) open ended metal box or semicylindrical augers of known volume. Other nutrients: Bicarbonate soluble P (Olsen) and other extractants. Exchangeable K, Ca, Mg, Na (Metson) Ammonium acetate and other extractants. Total P (by fusion). pH Atmospheric inputs: Current estimates for N deposition to Rothamsted soils are 40-50 kg N/ha. See Goulding & Poulton (1992) Chemistry in Britain. Dec 1992. Goulding (1990) S.O.M. 6.2 p61-63. See also Jenkinson et al (1994). Other measurements: pH. Heavy metals on selected treatments (in crop & soil). d) Details of the meteorological station Nearest meteorological station to the site: Rothamsted which is .8 km from the site at coordinates 0deg 21min W, 51deg49min N Meteorological data is available from both a manual and an automatic station. e) Meteorological data available and frequency Rainfall: Continuous - read daily Air temperature: Continuous Soil temperature: Read daily at 10 cm depth Wind speed: Continuous Net Radiation: Continuous Sun hours: Continuous Relative humidity: Calculated Potential evapotranspiration: Calculated measured/calculated by Evaporation from open pans. Potential Soil Moisture Deficit calculated using Penman Equation. f) Isotope measurements available and frequency Carbon 13 measurements in vegetation:Very limited Carbon 14 measurements in vegetation: Very limited Nitrogen 15 measurements in vegetation: 1980&81 & residual years 83,86,91. Total soil carbon 13 measurements: Very limited Total soil carbon 14 measurements: Very limited Total soil nitrogen 15 measurements: 1981 & residual years 83,86&91 Details of isotope measurements: C-13 & C-14 work Jenkinson (1969); RES Report (1968) pt.1, 73. N-15 work not yet published. N-15 applied in 1980&81; uptake by grass measured in 1st & residual years. N-15 remaining in soil also measured. g) Archived samples available Archived soil samples: See 'sampling depth' (93. above) dating from 1870 Archived crop samples: 2 cuts annually dating from 1856 Archived inorganic fertilizer samples: Occasionally dating from 1960s Archived organic fertilizer samples: Every 2 years dating from 1960s Other archived samples available: Some botanical separations of the grasses, legumes and herbs have been made at various times. Some, but not all of these separated samples have been archived. DATA AVAILABLE IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT Yield data available in electronic format from 1856 Data available in electronic format for rainfall from 1853 Data available in electronic format for air temperature from 1878 Data available in electronic format for soil temperature from 1931 Data available in electronic format for wind speed from 1946 Data available in electronic format for net radiation from 1931 Data available in electronic format for sun hours from 1890 Data available in electronic format for relative humidity from 1925 This information was compiled for the GCTE-SOMNET Database, Pete Smith, Pete Falloon, David Powlson, and Jo Smith. Soil Science Department, IACR-Rothamsted, UK.
Geographic Coverage
Spatial coordinates
N: 51.82 |
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S: 51.81 |
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E: -0.34 |
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W: -0.36 |
Min Depth: SURFACE
Max Depth: 139CM
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Data Set Citation
Temporal Coverage
Location Keywords
Science Keywords
ISO Topic Category
Project
Quality
a) Details of the plots Width of smallest plot is 19.3 m Length of smallest plot is 25.2 m Width of largest plot is 11.3 m Length of largest plot is 6.6 m Slope: 0 . Shape: Uniform Details of homogeneity of the plots: Plot boundaries are very sharp, extending no more than 0.5m into the plot. Transects taken across some plots show pH to ... be fairly uniform and soluble P and other nutrients showing greater variability (not published) with coefficients of variation of about 10-15%. Herbage is less uniform on more acid plots, but currently a great amount of work is being done on species composition etc. b) Details of replication, randomization and controls There are no replicates in the experiment. Although there are two control plots, none of the other treatments are replicated, unless one considers some of the lower pH subplots as replicates. There are control plots described as follows: There are two control plots (three if you count one which has been unmanured since 1864 after 8 years FYM). Thes plots have been split in 1903 and again in 1965 for a chalk treatment but one level of chalk is Nil. (Thurston et al, 1976). N.B. The whole experiment was chalked in the 1880s. All yields data have been rigorously checked by referring back to original notebooks etc., prior to entry onto database.
Access Constraints
none
Use Constraints
Link to the following location to view data use policy of SOMNET members: http://www.rothamsted.bbsrc.ac.uk/aen/somnet/index.htm
Ancillary Keywords
Data Set Progress
Data Center
Personnel
PAUL
R.
POULTON
Role:
TECHNICAL CONTACT
Phone:
+44 (0)1582 763133
Fax:
+44 (0)1582 760981
Contact Address:
IACR-Rothamsted
AL5 2JQ.
City:
Harpenden
Province or State:
Hertfordshire
Country:
UNITED KINGDOM
TYLER
B.
STEVENS
Role:
DIF AUTHOR
Phone:
(301) 614-6898
Fax:
301-614-5268
Email:
Tyler.B.Stevens at nasa.gov
Contact Address:
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Global Change Master Directory
City:
Greenbelt
Province or State:
MD
Postal Code:
20771
Country:
USA
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Link:
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Description:
This url links to the GCTE-SOMNET home page where additional project
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Publications/References
Jenkinson, D.S., Potts, J.M., Perry, J.N., Barnett, V., Coleman, K. & Johnston, A.E. (1994) Trends in herbage yields over the last century on the Rothamsted Park Grass Long-Term Continuous Hay Experiment. J. Agric. Sci. 122: 365-374. Poulton, P.R. (1995) The Park Grass Experiment 1856-1995. In: Evaluation of soil organic matter models using ... existing, long-term datasets. (eds: D.S. Powlson, P. Smith & J.U. Smith), NATO ASI Series I, Vol. 38, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg: 377-384. Richardson, H.L. (1938) The nitrogen cycle in grassland soils: with especial reference to the Rothamsted Park Grass Experiment. J. Agric. Sci. 28: 73-121. Rothamsted Experimental Station (1968) Details of the classical and long-term experiments up to 1967. Lawes Agricultural Trust, Harpenden, U.K., 128pp. Rothamsted Experimental Station (1977) Details of the classical and long-term experiments 1968-1973. Lawes Agricultural Trust, Harpenden, U.K., 77pp. Thurston, J.M., Williams, E.D. & Johnston, A.E. (1976) Modern developments in an experiment on permanent grassland started in 1856: Effects of fertilisers and lime on botanical composition and crop and soil analysis. Ann. Agron. 27: 1043-1082. Warren, R.G. & Johnston, A.E. (1964) The Park Grass Experiment. Rothamsted Experimental Station Report for 1963, part 2: 240262.
Creation and Review Dates
Last DIF Revision Date:
2006-05-11
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