Please wait a minute...
Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2019, Vol. 18 Issue (6): 1337-1347    DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(18)62079-9
Agro-ecosystem & Environment Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
Residue management induced changes in soil organic carbon and total nitrogen under different tillage practices in the North China Plain
PU Chao, KAN Zheng-rong, LIU Peng, MA Shou-tian, QI Jian-ying, ZHAO Xin, ZHANG Hai-lin
College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University/Key Laboratory of Farming System, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100193, P.R.China
Download:  PDF in ScienceDirect  
Export:  BibTeX | EndNote (RIS)      
Abstract  
Crop residue retention has been considered a practicable strategy to improve soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN), but the effectiveness of residue retention might be different under varied tillage practices.  To evaluate the effects of residue management on the distribution and stocks of SOC and TN under different tillage practices, a bifactorial experiment with three levels for tillage practices (no-tillage, rotary tillage, and conventional tillage) and two levels for residue managements (residue retention and residue removal) was conducted in the North China Plain (NCP).  Results showed that after a short experimental duration (3–4 years), concentrations of SOC and TN in the 0–10 cm layer were higher under no-tillage than under conventional tillage, no matter whether crop residues were retained or not.  Residue retention increased SOC and TN concentrations in the upper layers of soil to some degree for all tillage practices, as compared with residue removal, with the greatest increment of SOC concentration occurred in the 0–10 cm layer under rotary tillage, but in the 10–30 cm layer under conventional tillage.  The stocks of SOC in the 0–50 cm depth increased from 49.89 Mg ha–1 with residue removal to 53.03 Mg ha–1 with residue retention.  However, no-tillage did not increase SOC stock to a depth of 50 cm relative to conventional tillage, and increased only by 5.35% as compared with rotary tillage.  Thus, residue retention may contribute more towards SOC sequestration than no-tillage.  Furthermore, the combination between residue retention and no-tillage has the greatest advantage in enhancing SOC and TN in the NCP region.
Keywords:  no-tillage        residue retention        residue removal        stratification ratio        SOC stock        total nitrogen stock  
Received: 02 April 2018   Accepted:
Fund: This research was funded by the Special Fund for Agro-Scientific Research in the Public Interest in China (201503136) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31171510).
Corresponding Authors:  Correspondence ZHANG Hai-lin, Tel: +86-10-62733376, Fax: +86-10-62733316, E-mail: hailin@cau.edu.cn   
About author:  PU Chao, E-mail: puchao@cau.edu.cn;

Cite this article: 

PU Chao, KAN Zheng-rong, LIU Peng, MA Shou-tian, QI Jian-ying, ZHAO Xin, ZHANG Hai-lin. 2019. Residue management induced changes in soil organic carbon and total nitrogen under different tillage practices in the North China Plain. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 18(6): 1337-1347.

Alvarez C, Alvarez C R, Costantini A, Basanta M. 2014. Carbon and nitrogen sequestration in soils under different management in the semi-arid Pampa (Argentina). Soil & Tillage Research, 142, 25–31.
Balesdent J, Chenu C, Balabane M. 2000. Relationship of soil organic matter dynamics to physical protection and tillage. Soil & Tillage Research, 53, 215–230.
Bao S D. 2000. Soil Agricultural Chemistry Analysis. Beijing Agricultural Press, China. (in Chinese)
Bauer A, Black A L. 1994. Quantification of the effect of soil organic-matter content on soil productivity. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 58, 185–193.
Blanco-Canqui H, Lal R. 2008. No-tillage and soil-profile carbon sequestration: An on-farm assessment. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 72, 693–701.
Blanco-Canqui H, Lal R. 2009. Crop Residue removal impacts on soil productivity and environmental quality. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences, 28, 139–163.
Boizard H, Yoon S W, Leonard J, Lheureux S, Cousin I, Roger-Estrade J, Richard G. 2013. Using a morphological approach to evaluate the effect of traffic and weather conditions on the structure of a loamy soil in reduced tillage. Soil & Tillage Research, 127, 34–44.
Dikgwatlhe S B, Chen Z D, Lal R, Zhang H L, Chen F. 2014. Changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen as affected by tillage and residue management under wheat-maize cropping system in the North China Plain. Soil & Tillage Research, 144, 110–118.
Dolan M S, Clapp C E, Allmaras R R, Baker J M, Molina J A E. 2006. Soil organic carbon and nitrogen in a Minnesota soil as related to tillage, residue and nitrogen management. Soil & Tillage Research, 89, 221–231.
Dou F, Wright A L, Hons F M. 2007. Depth distribution of soil organic C and N after long-term soybean cropping in Texas. Soil & Tillage Research, 94, 530–536.
Du Z L, Ren T S, Hu C S. 2010. Tillage and residue removal effects on soil carbon and nitrogen storage in the North China Plain. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 74, 196–202.
Ellert B H, Bettany J R. 1995. Calculation of organic matter and nutrients stored in soils under contrasting management regimes. Canadian Journal of Soil Science, 75, 529–538.
Figueiredo C C, Resck D V S, Carneiro M A C, Ramos M L G, Sa J C M. 2013. Stratification ratio of organic matter pools influenced by management systems in a weathered Oxisol from a tropical agro-ecoregion in Brazil. Soil Research, 51, 133–141.
Franzluebbers A J. 2002. Soil organic matter stratification ratio as an indicator of soil quality. Soil & Tillage Research, 66, 95–106.
Franzluebbers A J, Stuedemann J A. 2013. Soil-profile distribution of organic C and N after 6 years of tillage and grazing management. European Journal of Soil Science, 64, 558–566.
Ghimire R, Lamichhane S, Acharya B S, Bista P, Sainju U M. 2017. Tillage, crop residue, and nutrient management effects on soil organic carbon in rice-based cropping systems: A review. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 16, 1–15.
Hou R X, Ouyang Z, Li Y S, Tyler D D, Li F D, Wilson G V. 2012. Effects of tillage and residue management on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in the North China Plain. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 76, 230–240.
Laird D A, Chang C W. 2013. Long-term impacts of residue harvesting on soil quality. Soil & Tillage Research, 134, 33–40.
Lal R. 2004. Soil carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change. Geoderma, 123, 1–22.
Lal R. 2009. Soil quality impacts of residue removal for bioethanol production. Soil & Tillage Research, 102, 233–241.
Li C S, Li J G, Tang Y L, Wu X L, Wu C, Huang G, Zeng H. 2016. Stand establishment, root development and yield of winter wheat as affected by tillage and straw mulch in the water deficit hilly region of southwestern China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 15, 1480–1489.
Lopez-Fando C, Pardo M T. 2009. Changes in soil chemical characteristics with different tillage practices in a semi-arid environment. Soil & Tillage Research, 104, 278–284.
Lou Y L, Xu M G, Chen X N, He X H, Zhao K. 2012. Stratification of soil organic C, N and C:N ratio as affected by conservation tillage in two maize fields of China. Catena, 95, 124–130.
Malhi S S, Nyborg M, Goddard T, Puurveen D. 2011. Long-term tillage, straw management and N fertilization effects on quantity and quality of organic C and N in a Black Chernozem soil. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 90, 227–241.
Martinez E, Fuentes J P, Silva P, Valle S, Acevedo E. 2008. Soil physical properties and wheat root growth as affected by no-tillage and conventional tillage systems in a Mediterranean environment of Chile. Soil & Tillage Research, 99, 232–244.
Mazzoncini M, Sapkota T B, Barberi P, Antichi D, Risaliti R. 2011. Long-term effect of tillage, nitrogen fertilization and cover crops on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content. Soil & Tillage Research, 114, 165–174.
Potter K N, Velazquez-Garcia I, Scopel E, Torbert H A. 2007. Residue removal and climatic effects on soil carbon content of no-till soils. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 62, 110–114.
Qin R J, Stamp P, Richner W. 2006. Impact of tillage on maize rooting in a Cambisol and Luvisol in Switzerland. Soil & Tillage Research, 85, 50–61.
Sa J C D, Lal R. 2009. Stratification ratio of soil organic matter pools as an indicator of carbon sequestration in a tillage chronosequence on a Brazilian Oxisol. Soil & Tillage Research, 103, 46–56.
Schmer M R, Jin V L, Wienhold B J, Varvel G E, Follett R F. 2014. Tillage and residue management effects on soil carbon and nitrogen under irrigated continuous corn. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 78, 1987–1996.
Shu X, Zhu A N, Zhang J B, Yang W L, Xin X L, Zhang X F. 2015. Changes in soil organic carbon and aggregate stability after conversion to conservation tillage for seven years in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 14, 1202–1211.
Sindelar A J, Lamb J A, Coulter J A. 2015. Short-term stover, tillage, and nitrogen management affect near-surface soil organic matter. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 79, 251–260.
Singh P, Heikkinen J, Ketoja E, Nuutinen V, Palojarvi A, Sheehy J, Esala M, Mitra S, Alakukku L, Regina K. 2015. Tillage and crop residue management methods had minor effects on the stock and stabilization of topsoil carbon in a 30-year field experiment. Science of the Total Environment, 518, 337–344.
Sisti C P J, dos Santos H P, Kohhann R, Alves B J R, Urquiaga S, Boddey R M. 2004. Change in carbon and nitrogen stocks in soil under 13 years of conventional or zero tillage in southern Brazil. Soil & Tillage Research, 76, 39–58.
Six J, Elliott E T, Paustian K. 2000. Soil macroaggregate turnover and microaggregate formation: A mechanism for C sequestration under no-tillage agriculture. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 32, 2099–2103.
Sparling G P, Wheeler D, Vesely E T, Schipper L A. 2006. What is soil organic matter worth? Journal of Environmental Quality, 35, 548–557.
Varvel G E, Wilhelm W W. 2011. No-tillage increases soil profile carbon and nitrogen under long-term rainfed cropping systems. Soil & Tillage Research, 114, 28–36.
Villamil M B, Little J, Nafziger E D. 2015. Corn residue, tillage, and nitrogen rate effects on soil properties. Soil & Tillage Research, 151, 61–66.
Zhang P, Wei T, Li Y L, Wang K, Jia Z K, Han Q F, Ren X L. 2015. Effects of straw incorporation on the stratification of the soil organic C, total N and C:N ratio in a semiarid region of China. Soil & Tillage Research, 153, 28–35.
Zhao X, Xue J F, Zhang X Q, Kong F L, Chen F, Lal R, Zhang H L. 2015. Stratification and storage of soil organic carbon and nitrogen as affected by tillage practices in the North China Plain. PLoS ONE, 10, e0128873.
Zuber S M, Behnke G D, Nafziger E D, Villamil M B. 2015. Crop rotation and tillage effects on soil physical and chemical properties in Illinois. Agronomy Journal, 107, 971–978.
[1] Ebrahim ROOHI, Reza MOHAMMADI, Abdoul Aziz NIANE, Javad VAFABAKHSH, Mozaffar ROUSTAEE, Mohammad Reza JALAL KAMALI, Shahriar SOHRABI, Shahriar FATEHI, Hossain TARIMORADI. Genotype×tillage interaction and the performance of winter bread wheat genotypes in temperate and cold dryland conditions[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2022, 21(11): 3199-3215.
[2] LIU Kai-lou, HUANG Jing, LI Da-ming, YU Xi-chu, YE Hui-cai, HU Hui-wen, HU Zhi-hua, HUANG Qing-hai, ZHANG Hui-min. Comparison of carbon sequestration efficiency in soil aggregates between upland and paddy soils in a red soil region of China[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2019, 18(6): 1348-1359.
[3] HUANG Min, CHEN Jia-na, CAO Fang-bo, ZOU Ying-bin, Norman Uphoff. No-tillage effects on grain yield and nitrogen requirements in hybrid rice transplanted with single seedlings: Results of a long-term experiment[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2019, 18(1): 24-32.
[4] YIN Tao, ZHAO Cai-xia, YAN Chang-rong, DU Zhang-liu, HE Wen-qing. Inter-annual changes in the aggregate-size distribution and associated carbon of soil and their effects on the straw-derived carbon incorporation under long-term no-tillage[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2018, 17(11): 2546-2557.
[5] HUANG Min, TANG Qi-yuan, AO He-jun, ZOU Ying-bin. Yield potential and stability in super hybrid rice and its production strategies[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2017, 16(05): 1009-1017.
[6] TU Chun, LI Fa-dong, QIAO Yun-feng, ZHU Nong, GU Cong-ke, ZHAO Xin. Effect of experimental warming on soil respiration under conventional tillage and no-tillage farmland in the North China Plain[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2017, 16(04): 967-979.
[7] Rajan Ghimire, Sushil Lamichhane, Bharat Sharma Acharya, Prakriti Bista, Upendra Man Sainju . Tillage, crop residue, and nutrient management effects on soil organic carbon in rice-based cropping systems: A review[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2017, 16(01): 1-15.
No Suggested Reading articles found!