Simulating soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics in various managements through CENTURY model at Saral area in West Iran

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of soil science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

2 Department of Rangeland Science, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

3 Department of soil science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kurdistan University,, Sanandaj, Iran.

Abstract

Nowadays grasslands and pastures transmission to agricultural lands reduces soil qualities and wastes carbon and nitrogen of soil. The aim of this study is to calibrate and validate the Century model to assess soil organic carbon and nitrogen sources from 1900 (native vegetation conditions before land use and management change) to 2020 (current situation) and predict management scenarios until 2100 for grasslands, pastures, and cropland of Saral region of Kurdistan province. The results have showed that organic carbon input has been decreased after the land use change from the pasture to pease and grassland to wheat from 1963 to 2009, it has been decreased 0.96 and 1.05 mg/ha/y, respectively. The maximum amount of soil organic carbon and nitrogen in Scenario 3 (minimum grazing with fertilization in addition to management of crop rotation, no-tillage and fertilization) from 2020 to 2100 in grassland were 71.16 and 4.01 mg/ha, and the lowest soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks between the 1978 and 2009 were have been estimated in wheat 27.75 mg/ha and pease 2.29 mg/ha, respectively. The results confirm that minimal grazing management along with the use of urea fertilizer in pastures and grasslands and observance of wheat-pease and wheat-safflower crop rotation and no-tillage and direct cultivation with urea fertilizer, superphosphate and animal manure are the best solutions and scenarios for compensating soil organic carbon and nitrogen sources and achieving sustainable production in wheat and peas cultivation in Saral region of Kurdistan.

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Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 18 May 2025

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