Highfield Bare Fallow

Experiment Code: R/RS/1
Experiment Site: Rothamsted
Objectives: The effect of continuous bare fallow.
Description: In 1959 an area of permanent grass (since 1838, Lawes & Gilbert, 1885) adjacent to the Highfield Ley-Arable experiment at Rothamsted was ploughed, and has not grown a crop since. This is the Highfield Bare Fallow. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is measured periodically, and this has declined substantially since the area was first ploughed out of grass. Archived soil samples are available.
Date Start: 1959
Date End: Ongoing

Key Contacts

Andy Gregory
Role: Principal Investigator
Organisation: Rothamsted Research
Address: West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom
Sarah Perryman
Role: Data Manager
Organisation: Rothamsted Research
Address: West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom

Funding

The e-RA database, including the published datasets generated from it, is part of the Rothamsted Long-Term Experiments - National Bioscience Research Infrastructure (RLTE-NBRI) , which also includes the Long-Term Experiments, the Sample Archive and Rothamsted's environmental monitoring activities including the weather stations and its role in the UK Environmental Change Network.
The RLTE-NBRI is supported by the Lawes Agricultural Trust and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Grants BBS/E/C/00005189 (2012-2017); BBS/E/C/000J0300 (2017-2022); BBS/E/RH/23NB0007 (2023-2028)).

Keywords

bare fallow, long term experiments, rothamsted research, soil organic carbon

Experimental Design

Design

Period: 1959 - Now

Site: Highfield - Rothamsted

Experiment Site: Rothamsted
Description: Permanent grass since 1838 (Lawes & Gilbert, 1885) adjacent to the Highfield Ley-Arable experiment at Rothamsted.
Management: Since 1959 the experiment is kept free of weeds by frequent cultivation, but herbicides are used occasionally, so inputs of carbon to the soil are negligible. The experiment is on a trapezoidal area of approximately 900 m2.
Visit Permitted?: Yes
Visiting Arrangments: By arrangement with Dr Andy Gregory, LTE Manager
Geolocation: 51.804108, -0.361341

Soil

Type: Luvisol

Soil Properties

Variable	Value	Reference Year	Is Estimated	Is Baseline
Sand content	15% (Percent)	1945	NO	YES
Silt content	59% (Percent)	1945	NO	YES
Clay content	26% (Percent)	1945	NO	YES
Soil pH	4.8 ()	1945	NO	YES

Datasets available

Title (hover for a longer description)	Year of Publication	Identifier	Version
Soil data
Highfield Bare Fallow soil chemical properties, 1959-2014	2022	https://doi.org/10.23637/rrs1-SOILCN1959-2014-01	01

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License

These media (images and videos) are available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence (4.0) with attribution to Rothamsted Research.

Images

Key References

2021

Clark, I.M. , Hughes, D.J. , Fu, Q. , Abadie, M. and Hirsch, P.R.(2021) "Metagenomic approaches reveal differences in genetic diversity and relative abundance of nitrifying bacteria and archaea in contrasting soils", Scientific Reports, 11, 15905
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95100-9
Neal, A.L. , Hughes, D. , Clark, I.M. , Jansson, J.K. , Hirsch, P.R. and Allard, S.M.(2021) "Microbiome Aggregated Traits and Assembly Are More Sensitive to Soil Management than Diversity", mSystems, 6, e01056-20
DOI: 10.1128/mSystems.01056-20

2020

Rix, G.D. , Todd, J.D. , Neal, A.L. and Brearley, C.A.(2020) "Improved sensitivity, accuracy and prediction provided by a high-performance liquid chromatography screen for the isolation of phytase-harbouring organisms from environmental samples", Microbial Biotechnology, n/a
DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13733
Bacq-Labreuil, A. , Neal, A.L. , Crawford, J. , Mooney, S.J. , Akkari, E. , Zhang, X. , Clark, I. and Ritz, K.(2020) "Significant structural evolution of a long-term fallow soil in response to agricultural management practices requires at least 10 years after conversion", European Journal of Soil Science, 1-13
DOI: 10.1111/ejss.13037
Neal, A.L. , Bacq-Labreuil, A. , Zhang, X. , Clark, I.M. , Coleman, K. , Mooney, S.J. , Ritz, K. and Crawford, J.W.(2020) "Soil as an extended composite phenotype of the microbial metagenome", Scientific Reports, 10, 10649
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67631-0

2018

Bacq-Labreuil, A. , Crawford, J. , Mooney, S.J. , Neal, A.L. , Akkari, E. , McAuliffe, C. , Zhang, X. , Redmile-Gordon, M. and Ritz, K.(2018) "Effects of cropping systems upon the three-dimensional architecture of soil systems are modulated by texture", Geoderma, 332, 73-83
DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.07.002
Neal, A.L. , Blackwell, M. , Akkari, E. , Guyomar, C. , Clark, I. and Hirsch, P.R.(2018) "Phylogenetic distribution, biogeography and the effects of land management upon bacterial non-specific Acid phosphatase Gene diversity and abundance", Plant and Soil, 427, 175-189
DOI: 10.1007/s11104-017-3301-2

2017

Neal, A.L. , Rossmann, M. , Brearley, C. , Akkari, E. , Guyomar, C. , Clark, I.M. , Allen, E. and Hirsch, P.R.(2017) "Land-use influences phosphatase gene microdiversity in soils", Environmental Microbiology, 19, 2740-2753
DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13778
Jensen, J.L. , Schjonning, P. , Watts, C.W. , Christensen, B.T. and Munkholm, L.J.(2017) "Soil texture analysis revisited: Removal of organic matter matters more than ever", PLOS ONE, 12, e0178039
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178039

2016

Gregory, A.S. , Dungait, J.A.J. , Watts, C.W. , Bol, R. , Dixon, E.R. , White, R.P. and Whitmore, A.P.(2016) "Long-term management changes topsoil and subsoil organic carbon and nitrogen dynamics in a temperate agricultural system", European Journal of Soil Science, 67, 421-430
DOI: 10.1111/ejss.12359

2010

Goulding, K.W.T. , Murray, P.J. , Sohi, S.P. , Gilliam, L.M. , Williams, J.K. , Clark, I.M. and Hirsch, P.R.(2010) "Soil without plants: the consequences for microorganisms and mesofauna", Proceedings of the 19th World Congress of Soil Science: Soil solutions for a changing world, Brisbane, Australia, 1-6 August 2010. Symposium 2.3.1 The soil-root interface, 134-137
https://www.iuss.org/19th%20WCSS/Symposium/pdf/0528.pdf
Barre, P. , Eglin, T. , Christensen, B.T. , Ciais, P. , Houot, S. , Katterer, T. , Oort, F.v. , Peylin, P. , Poulton, P.R. , Romanenkov, V. and Chenu, C.(2010) "Quantifying and isolating stable soil organic carbon using long-term bare fallow experiments", Biogeosciences, 7, 3839-3850
DOI: 10.5194/bg-7-3839-2010

2009

Hirsch, P.R. , Gilliam, L.M. , Sohi, S.P. , Williams, J.K. , Clark, I.M. and Murray, P.J.(2009) "Starving the soil of plant inputs for 50 years reduces abundance but not diversity of soil bacterial communities", Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 41, 2021-2024
DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.07.011
Johnston, A.E. , Poulton, P.R. and Coleman, K.(2009) "Soil organic matter: its importance in sustainable agriculture and carbon dioxide fluxes", Advances in Agronomy, 101, 1-57
DOI: 10.1016/s0065-2113(08)00801-8

1885

Lawes, J.B. and Gilbert, J.H.(1885) "On some points in the composition of soils; with results illustrating the sources of the fertility of Manitoba Prairie soils", Journal of the Chemical Society, 47, 380-422 (Series 1/67)