Management Practices Affect Soil Organic Carbon Stocks and Soil Fertility in Cactus Orchards

Abstract

Management practices might alter soil chemical properties. This study evaluated soil chemical properties in a forage cactus Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw. (‘Orelha de Elefante Mexicana’) (OEM) production system in the Brazilian semiarid region. The experiment was established in June 2011, and the design was a split-split-plot in randomized complete blocks, in which the main plots were formed by distinct levels of organic fertilizer (cattle manure) (0, 10, 20, and 30 Mg ha−1 year−1), the subplots were formed by different levels of N inorganic fertilizer applied as urea (0, 120, 240, and 360 kg N ha−1 year−1), and the sub-subplots were distinguished by the distinct OEM harvesting frequency (annual or biennial). Soil samples were collected for chemical analysis, C and N contents analysis, and stocks analysis at 0 to 10 and 10 to 20 cm depths in August 2019. Organic fertilizer contributed to a linear increase in soil pH, Ca2+, Na+, sum of bases (SB), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and base saturation (V) at both depths (p < 0.05). With the application of 30 Mg ha−1 year−1 of cattle manure, there was storage of approximately 126 Mg C ha−1 and 13 Mg N ha−1 at 0 to 20 cm depths. Managing OEM with organic fertilizer and a biennial frequency of harvesting affects the soil’s chemical characteristics in cactus orchards, and it is a sustainable alternative for semiarid regions.