1. ABOUT THE DATASET
Title: Raw data of an experiment to assess the effect of plant residue quality, and diversity, applied as mulch, on soil nutrient dynamics, on soil microbial biomass, and on crop plant yield and quality. 
Creator: Dimitrios Gaitanis
Organization: Department of Sustainable Land Management & Soil Research Centre, School of Agriculture Policy and Development, University of Reading 
Rights-holders: Dimitrios Gaitanis 
Publication year: 2022
Description: This dataset concerns an experiment conducted in rhizotrons in 2019 at the University of Reading in UK. One barley plant was grown in each rhizotron, and mulch of diverse plant residues of about 30 cm size (the length of rhizotron surface) were applied. The purpose of the experiment was to assess the effect of quality, and diversity of plant residue mulch on soil nutrients, on soil microbial biomass, and on crop plant yield and quality. There were five different types of plant residues: i) Perennial rye grass (P) (1 plant species), ii) Smart grass (S) (6 plant species), iii) Biomix (B) (12 plant species), iv) Herbal mix (H) (17 plant species), and Wood chips (W), and there was also a Control treatment with no residues. Therefore, there were 6 different treatments in total in 5 replicates. Soil samples were collected on day 69 and on day 195 after mulch application. The dataset consists of 3 parts: 
i) data relevant to the barley plants (Hordeum vulgare L., var. Westminster) which were cultivated in rhizotrons. Data characteristics recorded concern the growth rate of barley plants (main stem elongation rate, main stem height), the dry mass of different parts of the barley plants (overground plants, roots, and seeds), seed quality (C, N, and protein content), yield expressed as seed dry mass/ plant, number of ears/ plant, and number of tillers/ plant
ii) data relevant to the plant residues that were applied as mulch on the soil surface of the rhizotrons. Data characteristics recorded concern plant residue initial and final dry mass, initial recalcitrance (Neutral Detergent Fibre, Acid Detergent Fibre, and lignin content), initial C and N content, and initial and final plant residue dry mass
iii) data relevant to the soil of the rhizotrons. Data characteristics recorded concern soil available N as NO3- and NH4+, soil available P, K, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu, total soil C and N, soil bulk density, soil solution pH, and soil microbial biomass measured by PLFA analysis.     
Cite as: Dimitrios Gaitanis (2022): Raw data of an experiment to assess the effect of plant residue quality, and diversity, applied as mulch, on soil nutrient dynamics, on soil microbial biomass, and on crop plant yield and quality. University of Reading. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.17864/1947.000411
Related publication: Gaitanis, D., Lukac, M., and Tibbett, M., (2022) ‘Long stemmed diverse plant-based mulches are promising fertilizers influencing soil microbial communities at later stages of cultivation period’, to be submitted.
Contact: Dimitrios Gaitanis, dimgaitan@yahoo.com 
2. TERMS OF USE
Copyright 2022 Dimitrios Gaitanis. This dataset is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
3. PROJECT AND FUNDING INFORMATION
This dataset was not created in the course of a funded project.
4. CONTENTS
File listing:
E3_Rhizotron_data_RAW
1) E3_Barley_plants
1.1) E3_Barley_plants_dry_mass_RAW
1.2) E3_Barley_plants_height_RAW 
1.3) E3_Root_dry_mass_RAW
1.4) E3_Seed_dry_mass_RAW
1.5) E3_Seeds_CN_protein_results_RAW
1.6) E3_Tillers_and_ears_RAW  
2) E3_Plant_residues
2.1)	E3_Plant_residue_dry_mass_RAW
	2.1.1)	E3_Plant_residue_initial_dry_mass_RAW
	2.1.2)	E3_Plant_residue_final_dry_mass_RAW
2.2)	E3_Initial_plant_residue_NDF_ADF_ADL_RAW
2.3)	E3_Plant_residue_initial_CN_ratio_RAW 
3) E3_Soil
3.1)	E3_Soil_available_N
	3.1.1)	E3_KCl_extraction_run1_results_RAW
	3.1.2)	E3_KCl_extraction_run2_results_RAW
	3.1.3)	E3_Soil_available N_RAW
3.2)	E3_Soil_microbial_activity
	3.2.1)	E3_PLFA
	3.2.2)	E3_PLFA_RAW
3.3)	E3_Soil_CN_results_RAW
3.4)	E3_Soil_nutrient_content_Mehlich3_RAW
3.5)	E3_Soil_solution_pH_RAW
5. METHODS
Total C, N, and protein content were estimated by the LECO CHN 628 analyser (LECO Corporation). [1]
Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF = hemicellulose + cellulose + lignin), Acid Detergent Fibre (cellulose + lignin), and Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL = lignin) were estimated according to ANKOM Technology protocols (ANKOM Technology). [2]
Soil microbial biomass was estimated by Phospholipid Fatty Acid (PLFA) analysis as described by Sizmur et al. [3]  
Soil available N (NO3-, and NH4+) was estimated by the KCl extraction method according to Great Britain M.A.F.F. standard protocol. [4]
Soil available nutrients P, K, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu were estimated by the Mehlich 3 method. [5]
Soil solution pH was measured as described by Blakemore et al. [6].

References:
[1] LECO Corporation | https://www.leco.com/product/628series. Accessed 4 March 2018. 
[2] ANKOM Technology, a | https://www.ankom.com/product-catalog/ankom-200-fiber-analyzer. Accessed 19 Oct 2018.
[3] Sizmur, T., Tilston, E. L., Charnock, J., Palumbo-Roe, B., Watts, M. J., & Hodson, M. E. (2011) ‘Impacts of epigeic, anecic and endogeic earthworms on metal and metalloid mobility and availability’, Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 13(2), pp. 266–273. doi: 10.1039/c0em00519c.
[4] Great Britain. M.A.F.F. (1986) The Analysis of agricultural materials??: a manual of the analytical methods used by the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service / Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Edited by G. B. A. D. and A. Service and F. and F. Great Britain. Ministry of Agriculture. London: H.M.S.O (Reference book (Great Britain. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food)??; 427.).
[5] Mehlich, A. (1984) ‘Mehlich 3 soil test extractant: A modification of Mehlich 2 extractant’, Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. Taylor & Francis, 15(12), pp. 1409–1416. doi: 10.1080/00103628409367568.
[6] Blakemore, L., Searle, P., and Daly, B. (1981) ‘Methods for chemical analysis of soils. New Zealnd Soil Bureau Scientific Report 10A.’, Dsir, 1981(2nd revision).