Aggregate size distribution and associated organic C and N under different tillage systems and Ca-amendment in a degraded Ultisol

• No-tillage increased about 40% the macroaggregate fraction in the surface layer.
• Aggregation was strongly influenced by tillage and slightly by Ca-amendment.
• Unlike other studies in tropical soils, we found an aggregation hierarchy.
• Organic matter seems to be a key factor for aggregation even in some tropical soils.

The physical protection and stabilization of soil organic carbon in soil aggregates are important processes for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions through carbon sequestration. Compared with temperate soils, the relationships between management practices, soil aggregation and soil organic matter (SOM) are not well understood in subtropical and tropical soils. The objectives of this study were to assess the influence of tillage system and Ca-amendment on the size distribution of soil aggregates and aggregate-associated organic C and N, as well as to contribute to the understanding of the role of soil organic matter in the aggregation process in a soil with tropical mineralogical characteristics. Our study was conducted on an annual forage agrosystem with a degraded Palexerult soil in SW Spain with mineralogical and morphological characteristics inherited from a pre-Quaternary humid-subtropical climate. The experiment had a split-plot design with tillage (no-tillage vs. traditional tillage) as the main factor and with or without Ca-amendment as the second factor. Aggregate size distribution was dominated by microaggregates (0.053–0.250 mm). Compared with tilled plots, after six years, no-tillage increased the macroaggregates (>0.250 mm) to a depth of 10 cm by about 40%. The relatively low clay content of the surface soil may explain the strong impact of tillage on macroaggregation and the relatively slow recovery after the adoption of no-tillage. In contrast to the tillage system, the Ca-amendment barely influenced aggregation parameters. No-tillage also favored accumulation of organic C and N in all aggregate fractions but no size preference between macro- and microaggregates was observed while Ca-amendment enhanced accumulation only in large macroaggregates. Our results indicate an aggregation hierarchy in these kaolinitic soils, as well as an important role of SOM in enhancing soil aggregation.