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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2013, Vol. 12 Issue (11): 2114-2123    DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(13)60428-1
Soil & Fertilization · Irrigation · Agro-Ecology & Environment Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
Soil Aggregate Stability and Aggregate-Associated Carbon Under Different Tillage Systems in the North China Plain
 DU Zhang-liu, REN Tu-sheng, HU Chun-sheng, ZHANG Qing-zhong , Humberto Blanco-Canqui
1.Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R.China
2.College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P.R.China
3.Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Development Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050021, P.R.China
4.Agricultural Research Center-Hays, Kansas State University, KS 67601-9228, USA
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摘要  The influences of tillage systems on soil carbon (C) stocks have been studied extensively, but the distribution of soil C within aggregate fractions is not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine the influences of various tillage systems on soil aggregation and aggregate-associated C under wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) double cropping systems in the North China Plain. The experiment was established in 2001, including four treatments: moldboard plow (MP) with residue (MP+R) and without residue (MP-R), rotary tillage with residue (RT), and no-till with residue (NT). In 2007 soil samples were collected from the 0-5, 5-10, and 10-20 cm depths, and were separated into four aggregate-size classes (>2 000, 250-2 000, 53-250, and <53 μm) by wet-sieving method. Aggregate-associated C was determined, and the relationships between total soil C concentration and aggregation-size fractions were examined. The results showed that NT and RT treatments significantly increased the proportion of macroaggregate fractions (>2 000 and 250-2 000 μm) compared with the MP-R and MP+R treatments. Averaged across all depths, mean weight diameters of aggregates (MWD) in NT and RT were 47 and 20% higher than that in MP+R. The concentration of bulk soil organic C was positively correlated with MWD (r=0.98; P=0.024) and macroaggregate fraction (r=0.96; P=0.036) in the 0-5 cm depth. In the 0-20 cm depth, comparing with MP+R, total C occluded in the >2 000 μm fraction was increased by 9 and 6% under NT and RT, respectively. We conclude that adoption of conservation tillage system, especially no-till, can increase soil macro-aggregation and total C accumulation in macroaggregates, which may improve soil C sequestration in the intensive agricultural region of the North China Plain.

Abstract  The influences of tillage systems on soil carbon (C) stocks have been studied extensively, but the distribution of soil C within aggregate fractions is not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine the influences of various tillage systems on soil aggregation and aggregate-associated C under wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) double cropping systems in the North China Plain. The experiment was established in 2001, including four treatments: moldboard plow (MP) with residue (MP+R) and without residue (MP-R), rotary tillage with residue (RT), and no-till with residue (NT). In 2007 soil samples were collected from the 0-5, 5-10, and 10-20 cm depths, and were separated into four aggregate-size classes (>2 000, 250-2 000, 53-250, and <53 μm) by wet-sieving method. Aggregate-associated C was determined, and the relationships between total soil C concentration and aggregation-size fractions were examined. The results showed that NT and RT treatments significantly increased the proportion of macroaggregate fractions (>2 000 and 250-2 000 μm) compared with the MP-R and MP+R treatments. Averaged across all depths, mean weight diameters of aggregates (MWD) in NT and RT were 47 and 20% higher than that in MP+R. The concentration of bulk soil organic C was positively correlated with MWD (r=0.98; P=0.024) and macroaggregate fraction (r=0.96; P=0.036) in the 0-5 cm depth. In the 0-20 cm depth, comparing with MP+R, total C occluded in the >2 000 μm fraction was increased by 9 and 6% under NT and RT, respectively. We conclude that adoption of conservation tillage system, especially no-till, can increase soil macro-aggregation and total C accumulation in macroaggregates, which may improve soil C sequestration in the intensive agricultural region of the North China Plain.
Keywords:  tillage systems      aggregate stability      aggregate-associated C  
Received: 06 December 2012   Accepted:
Fund: 

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31000250), and the National 973 Program of China (2009CB118607).

Corresponding Authors:  Correspondence REN Tu-sheng, Tel: +86-10-62733594, E-mail: tsren@cau.edu.cn     E-mail:  tsren@cau.edu.cn
About author:  DU Zhang-liu, Tel: +86-10-82108544, E-mail: duzlsd@163.com

Cite this article: 

DU Zhang-liu, REN Tu-sheng, HU Chun-sheng, ZHANG Qing-zhong , Humberto Blanco-Canqui. 2013. Soil Aggregate Stability and Aggregate-Associated Carbon Under Different Tillage Systems in the North China Plain. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 12(11): 2114-2123.

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