Dataset Information

Soil C and N dynamics and hydrological processes in a maize-wheat rotation field subjected to different tillage and straw management practices.

ABSTRACT: The impact of farmland nutrient losses on environment security is of serious concern. Conservation tillage led to reduced water and soil losses and increased grain yield, and is therefore one potential solution, but this approach requires an understanding of the complex adaptive traits for environment conditions. In this study, a 4-year field experiment was conducted to quantify the crop yield, runoff and soil water, organic C and N content dynamics in summer maize-winter wheat rations subjected to different tillage and straw management practices. Based on these, the effects of different tillage and straw management regimes on water, C and N balances of the soil-plant system was evaluated with a 11-year model prediction using the SPACSYS model. The treatments used in this study included conventional tillage (CT) with straw removal, conventional tillage with straw returning (CTSR), reduced tillage (RT) with straw removal and reduced tillage with straw returning (RTSR). The results showed that maize yield was remarkably affected by straw returning while there was no significant tillage effect. By contrast, wheat yield showed a high inter-annual variability, but was not significantly influenced by tillage and straw management practices. The soil water balance analysis demonstrated that the treatments with straw returning improved water use efficiency by increasing transpiration while reducing water losses through evaporation and runoff, compared to the straw-removal treatments. The simulations for all of the treatments showed that the soils acted as C and N sinks in the present study. Furthermore, plots that included straw returning amassed more C and N in the soil than the that with straw removal. Our work demonstrates that in maize-wheat rotation slopping land reduced tillage with straw returning is a win-win practice for the equilibrium between agricultural productivity and low soil water, C and N losses.

SUBMITTER: Wang L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6743210 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Soil C and N dynamics and hydrological processes in a maize-wheat rotation field subjected to different tillage and straw management practices.

Wang Li L Yuan Xiaoliang X Liu Chuang C Li Zhiguo Z Chen Fang F Li Shiqing S Wu Lianhai L Liu Yi Y

Agriculture, ecosystems & environment 20191201

The impact of farmland nutrient losses on environment security is of serious concern. Conservation tillage led to reduced water and soil losses and increased grain yield, and is therefore one potential solution, but this approach requires an understanding of the complex adaptive traits for environment conditions. In this study, a 4-year field experiment was conducted to quantify the crop yield, runoff and soil water, organic C and N content dynamics in summer maize-winter wheat rations subjected ...[more]

PMID: 31798199

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Project description:Soil rotational tillage is an effective measure to overcome the problems caused by long-term of a single tillage, but the effect of the interval time of rotational tillage practices is not very well understood. Therefore, we conducted a 3-year field study in a wheat-maize cropping system to evaluate the effects of rotary tillage (RT) in rotation with plowing tillage (PT) on soil properties in northern China. Four practices were designed as follows: 3 years of RT to a depth of 10-15 cm (3RT), 3 years of PT to a depth of 30-35 cm (3PT), 1 year of PT followed by 2 years of RT (PT+2RT), and 2 years of PT followed by 1 year of RT (2PT+RT). Within 20 cm of the surface soil, the 3RT treatment significantly increased the soil quality index (SQI) by 6.0%, 8.8% and 13.1%, respectively, relative to the PT+2RT, 2PT+RT and 3PT treatments. The improvement was closely related to the significant increase in the soil organic carbon (SOC) and available nutrients concentrations in the 0-20 cm depths and the improvement of soil invertase, urease, alkaline phosphatase and catalase activities in the topsoil (0-10 cm). However, the opposite effects were observed in the subsoil (20-40 cm). Compared with the 3RT treatment, the 3PT, 2PT+RT and PT+2RT treatments decreased soil bulk density, and significantly enhanced enzyme activities, resulting in an increase in SQI of 32.6%, 24.4% and 0.7%, respectively, especially in the 3PT and 2PT+RT treatments, the difference was significant. When averaged across to all soil depths, the SQI under the 3RT and 2PT+RT treatments was much higher than that under the other treatments. The yields of wheat and maize under the 2PT+RT treatment were 15.0% and 14.3% higher than those under the 3RT treatment, respectively. The 2PT+RT treatment was the most effective tillage practice. These results suggest that RT in rotation with PT could improve soil quality in the soil profile whilst enhancing crop yield after continuous RT, and the benefits were enhanced with an interval time of one year. Therefore, the 2PT+RT treatment could act as an effective method for both soil quality and crop yield improvement in a wheat-maize cropping system under straw incorporation conditions.

Project description:BackgroundSoil aggregation is fundamental for soil functioning and agricultural productivity. Aggregate formation depends on microbial activity influencing the production of exudates and hyphae, which in turn act as binding materials. Fungi are also important for improving soil quality and promoting plant growth in a symbiotic manner. There is a scarcity of findings comparing the long-term impacts of different yearly double-crop straw return modes (e.g., straw return to the field and straw-derived biochar return to the field) on soil aggregation and fungal community structure in rice-wheat rotation systems.MethodsThe effects of 6-year continuous straw and straw-derived biochar amendment on soil physicochemical properties and the fungal community were evaluated in an intensively managed crop rotation system (rice-wheat). Soil samples of different aggregates (macroaggregates, microaggregates, and silt clay) from four different fertilization regimes (control, CK; traditional inorganic fertilization, CF; straw returned to field, CS; straw-derived biochar addition, CB) were obtained, and Illumina MiSeq sequencing analysis of the fungal internal transcribed spacer gene was performed.ResultsCompared to CF, CS and CB enhanced soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and aggregation in 0-20 and 20-40 cm soil, with CB exhibiting a stronger effect. Additionally, agrowaste addition increased the mean weight diameter and the geometric diameter and decreased the fractal dimension (p < 0.05). Principal coordinates analysis indicated that fertilization management affected fungal community structure and aggregation distribution. In addition, CS increased fungal community richness and diversity, compared to CK, CB decreased these aspects. Ascomycota, unclassified_k_Fungi, and Basidiomycota were the dominant phyla in all soil samples. At the genus level, CB clearly increased fungi decomposing biosolids (Articulospora in macroaggregates in 0-20 cm soil and Neurospora in macroaggregates in 20-40 cm soil); decreased pathogenic fungi (Monographella in macroaggregates and Gibberella in microaggregates in 0-20 cm soil) and CO2-emission-related fungi (Pyrenochaetopsis in microaggregates and silt clay in 0-40 cm soil) (p < 0.05). Straw and biochar with inorganic fertilizer counteracted some of the adverse effects of the inorganic fertilizer with biochar showing better effects than straw.

Dataset Information

Soil C and N dynamics and hydrological processes in a maize-wheat rotation field subjected to different tillage and straw management practices.

Publications

Soil C and N dynamics and hydrological processes in a maize-wheat rotation field subjected to different tillage and straw management practices.

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