Please wait a minute...
Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2024, Vol. 23 Issue (5): 1541-1556    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.05.011
Crop Science Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |

Can soil organic carbon sequestration and the carbon management index be improved by changing the film mulching methods in the semiarid region?

Jialin Yang1, 2, Liangqi Ren1, Nanhai Zhang1, 2, Enke Liu3, Shikun Sun4, Xiaolong Ren1, 2, Zhikuan Jia1, 2, Ting Wei1, 2, Peng Zhang1, 2#

1College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China

2 Key Laboratory of Crop Physi-Ecology and Tillage Science in Northwestern Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Afairs, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China

3 Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

4 College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China

Download:  PDF in ScienceDirect  
Export:  BibTeX | EndNote (RIS)      
摘要  

在中国半干旱地区,地膜覆盖已被广泛应用于提高玉米产量。然而,长期地膜覆盖是否有利于该地区的农业可持续性仍存在争议。从2013年开始,采用不同的地膜覆盖方法进行了田间试验,包括对照:传统裸地平作CK)、半膜平覆盖P)、窄沟垄膜集雨S)、全膜双垄沟D)和沟垄根域集雨R),以评价连续9年地膜覆盖对土壤有机碳(SOC)含量、储量、组分和碳库管理指数(CMI)的影响。结果表明,长期地膜覆盖总体而言维持了初始SOC水平。与不覆盖相比,地膜覆盖平均使作物产量、生物量产量和根系生物量分别提高了48.38%、35.06和37.32%,从而提高了土壤有机碳固存。具体而言,地膜覆盖显著改善了CMI,平均增加了13.59%的SOC含量、7.47%的SOC储量和13.78%的易氧化有机碳(EOC)含量,但降低了其他不稳定组分。通过改变地膜覆盖方式,提高了土壤有机碳的固存和CMI,其中S处理效果最好,可作为半干旱地区农业可持续发展的合理地膜覆盖方式。



Abstract  

Plastic film mulching has been widely used to increase maize yield in the semiarid area of China.  However, whether long-term plastic film mulching is conducive to agricultural sustainability in this region remains controversial.  A field experiment was initiated in 2013 with five different film mulching methods: (i) control method, flat planting without mulching (CK), (ii) flat planting with half film mulching (P), (iii) film mulching on ridges and planting in narrow furrows (S), (iv) full film mulching on double ridges (D), and (v) film mulching on ridges and planting in wide furrows (R).  The effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) content, storage, and fractions, and on the carbon management index (CMI) were evaluated after nine consecutive years of plastic film mulching.  The results showed that long-term plastic film mulching generally maintained the initial SOC level.  Compared with no mulching, plastic film mulching increased the average crop yield, biomass yield, and root biomass by 48.38, 35.06, and 37.32%, respectively, which led to the improvement of SOC sequestration.  Specifically, plastic film mulching significantly improved CMI, and increased the SOC content by 13.59%, SOC storage by 7.47% and easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC) by 13.78% on average, but it reduced the other labile fractions.  SOC sequestration and CMI were improved by refining the plastic film mulching methods.  The S treatment had the best effect among the four mulching methods, so it can be used as a reasonable film mulching method for sustainable agricultural development in the semiarid area.

Keywords:  plastic-film mulching        soil organic carbon        labile organic carbon fractions        semiarid area   
Received: 27 February 2023   Accepted: 20 April 2023
Fund: This research was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFE0101302 and 2021YFD1901102) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31801314 and 31901475).
About author:  YANG Jia-lin, E-mail: yangjialin@nwafu.edu.cn; Correspondence ZHANG Peng, Tel: +86-29-87080168 , E-mail: pengzhang121@hotmail.com

Cite this article: 

Jialin Yang, Liangqi Ren, Nanhai Zhang, Enke Liu, Shikun Sun, Xiaolong Ren, Zhikuan Jia, Ting Wei, Peng Zhang. 2024.

Can soil organic carbon sequestration and the carbon management index be improved by changing the film mulching methods in the semiarid region? . Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 23(5): 1541-1556.

Allison S D, Wallenstein M D, Bradford M A. 2010. Soil–carbon response to warming dependent on microbial physiology. Nature Geoscience, 3, 336–340.

An T T, Schaeffer S, Li S Y, Fu S F, Pei J B, Li H, Zhuang J, Radosevich M, Wang J K. 2015. Carbon fluxes from plants to soil and dynamics of microbial immobilization under plastic film mulching and fertilizer application using 13C pulse-labeling. Soil Biology Biochemistry, 80, 53–61.

Bernard L, Basile-Doelsch I, Derrien D, Fanin N, Fontaine S, Guenet B, Karimi B, Marsden C, Maron P A. 2022. Advancing the mechanistic understanding of the priming effect on soil organic matter mineralization. Functional Ecology, 36, 1355–1377.

Blair G J, Lefory R D B, Lise L. 1995. Soil carbon fractions based on their degree of oxidation and the development of a carbon management index for agricultural system. Australian Journal of Agricultural Reserch, 46, 1459–1466.

Bünemann E K, Bongiorno G, Bai Z, Creamer R E, De Deyn G, de Goede R, Fleskens L, Geissen V, Kuyper T W, M¨ader P, Pulleman M, Sukkel W, van Groenigen J W, Brussaard L. 2018. Soil quality - A critical review. Soil Biology Biochemistry, 120, 105–125.

Cambardella C A, Elliott E T. 1992. Particulate soil organic-matter changes across a grassland cultivation sequence. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 56, 777–783.

Cavalcante D M, De Castro M F, Leonardo C M T, Silva I R D, De Oliveira T S. 2019. Effects of rehabilitation strategies on soil aggregation, C and N distribution and carbon management index in coffee cultivation in mined soil. Ecological Indicators, 107, 105668.1–105668.13.

Chen B Q, Baram S, Dong W Y, He W Q, Liu E K, Yan C R. 2021. Response of carbon footprint to plastic film mulch application in spring maize production and mitigation strategy. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 20, 1933–1943.

Diekow J, Mielniczuk J, Knicker H, Bayer C, Dick D P, Kogel-Knaber I. 2005. Carbon and nitrogen stocks in physical fractions of a subtropical Acrisol as influenced by long-term no-till cropping systems and N fertilization. Plant and Soil, 268, 319–328.

Du Z L, Wu W L, Zhang Q Z, Guo Y B, Meng F Q. 2014. Longterm manure amendments enhance soil aggregation and carbon saturation of stable pools in North China Plain. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 13, 2276–2285.

Gan Y T, Siddique K H M, Turner N C, Li X G, Niu J Y, Yang C, Liu L P, Chai Q. 2013. Ridge-furrow mulching systems - An innovative technique for boosting crop productivity in semiarid rain-fed environments. Advances in Agronomy, 118, 429–476.

Hai L, Li X G, Liu X E, Jiang X J, Guo R Y, Jing G B, Rengel Z, Li F M. 2015. Plastic mulch increase soil nitrogen mineralization in a semiarid environment. Agronomy Journal, 107, 921–930.

Haynes R J. 2005. Labile organic matter fractions as central components of the quality of agricultural soils: An overview. Advances in Agronomy, 85, 221–268.

Heanes D. 1984. Determination of total organic-C in soils by an improved chromic acid digestion and spectrophotometric procedure. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 115, 1191–1213.

Huang W, Wu J F, Pan X H, Tan X M, Zeng Y J, Shi Q H, Liu T J, Zeng Y H. 2021. Effects of long-term straw return on soil organic carbon fractions and enzyme activities in a double-cropped rice paddy in South China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 20, 236–247.

Huo L, Pang H C, Zhao Y G, Wang J, Lu C, Li Y Y. 2017. Buried straw layer plus plastic mulching improves soil organic carbon fractions in an arid saline soil from Northwest China. Soil & Tillage Research, 165, 286–293.

Jenkinson S D, Powlson S D. 1976. The effects of biocidal treatments on metabolism in soil - V: A method for measuring soil biomass. Soil Biology Biochemistry, 8, 209–213.

Kim N, Zabaloy M C, Guan K Y, Villamil M B. 2020. Do cover crops benefit soil microbiome? A meta-analysis of current research. Soil Biology Biochemistry, 142, 107701.

Lee J G, Hwang H Y, Park M H, Kim P J. 2019. Depletion of soil organic carbon stocks are larger under plastic film mulching for maize. European Journal of Soil Science, 70, 807–818.

Li J, Wen Y C, Li X H, Li Y T, Yang X D, Lin Z A, Song Z Z, Cooper J M, Zhao B Q. 2018. Soil labile organic carbon fractions and soil organic carbon stocks as affected by long-term organic and mineral fertilization regimes in the North China Plain. Soil & Tillage Research, 175, 281–290.

Li M F, Wang J, Guo D, Yang R R, Fu H. 2019a. Effect of land management practices on the concentration of dissolved organic matter in soil: A meta-analysis. Geoderma, 344, 74–81.

Li W W, Zhuang Q L, Wu W, Wen X X, Han J, Liao Y C. 2019b. Effects of ridge–furrow mulching on soil CO2 efflux in a maize field in the Chinese Loess Plateau. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 264, 200–212.

Li Y, Li Z, Cui S, Liang G P, Zhang Q P. 2021. Microbial-derived carbon components are critical for enhancing soil organic carbon in no-tillage croplands: A global perspective. Soil & Tillage Research, 205, 104758.

Lin W, Liu W Z. 2016. Establishment and application of spring maize yield to evapotranspiration boundary function in the Loess Plateau of China. Agricultural Water Management, 178, 345–349.

Liu E K, Yan C R, Mei X R, Zhang Y Q, Fan T L. 2013. Long-term effect of manure and fertilizer on soil organic carbon pools in dryland farming in Northwest China. PLoS ONE, 8, e56536.

Liu E K, Teclemariam S G, Yan C R, Yu J M, Gu R S, Liu S, He W Q, Liu Q. 2014. Long-term effects of no-tillage management practice on soil organic carbon and its fractions in the northern China. Geoderma, 213, 379–384.

Liu J L, Li S Q, Yue S C, Tian J Q, Chen H, Jiang H B, Siddique K H M, Zhan A, Fang Q X, Yu Q. 2021. Soil microbial community and network changes after long-term use of plastic mulch and nitrogen fertilization on semiarid farmland. Geoderma, 396, 115086.

Liu K L, Huang J, Li D M, Yu X C, Ye H C, Hu H W, Hu Z H, Huang Q H, Zhang H M. 2019. Comparison of carbon sequestration efficiency in soil aggregates between upland and paddy soils in a red soil region of China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 18, 1348–1359.

Liu X E, Li X G, Hai L, Wang Y P, Fu T T, Turner N C, Li F M. 2014. Film mulched ridge–furrow management increases maize productivity and sustains soil organic carbon in a dryland cropping system. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 78, 1434–1441.

Liu X T, Li Q, Tan S W, Wu X P, Song X J, Gao H Z, Han Z X, Jia A Y, Liang G P, Li S P. 2022. Evaluation of carbon mineralization and its temperature sensitivity in different soil aggregates and moisture regimes: A 21-year tillage experiment. Science of the Total Environment, 837, 155566.

Ma Q J, Zhang Q, Niu J B, Li X G. 2020. Plastic-film mulch cropping increases mineral-associated organic carbon accumulation in maize cropped soils as revealed by natural 13C/12C ratio signature. Geoderma, 370, 114350.

Mo F, Han J, Wen X X, Wang X K, Li P F, Vinay N, Jia Z K, Xiong Y C, Liao Y C. 2020. Quantifying regional effects of plastic mulch on soil nitrogen pools, cycles, and fluxes in rain-fed agroecosystems of the loess plateau. Land Degradation and Development, 31, 1675–1687.

Qiu S J, Gao H J, Zhu P, Hou Y P, Zhao S C, Rong X M, Zhang Y P, He P, Christie P, Zhou W. 2016. Changes in soil carbon and nitrogen pools in a Mollisol after long-term fallow or application of chemical fertilizers, straw or manures. Soil & Tillage Research, 163, 255–265.

Ridgeway J R, Morrissey E M, Brzostek E R. 2022. Plant litter traits control microbial decomposition and drive soil carbon stabilization. Soil Biology Biochemistry, 175, 108857.

Vance E D, Brookes P C, Jenkinson D S. 1987. An extraction method for measuring soil microbial biomass C. Soil Biology Biochemistry, 19, 703–707.

Walkley A, Black I A. 1934. An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter, and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Science, 37, 29–38.

Wang B, Zhang G H, Yang Y F, Li P P, Liu J X. 2018. Response of soil detachment capacity to plant root and soil properties in typical grasslands on the Loess Plateau. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 266, 68–75.

Wang J Z, Wang X J, Xu M G, Feng G, Zhang W J, Lu C A. 2015. Crop yield and soil organic matter after long-term straw return to soil in China. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 102, 371–381.

Wang L, Li X G, Guan Z H, Jia B, Turner N C, Li F M. 2018. The effects of plastic-film mulch on the grain yield and root biomass of maize vary with cultivar in a cold semiarid environment. Field Crops Research, 216, 89–99.

Wang R J, Song J S, Feng Y T, Zhou J X, Xie J Y, Khan A, Che Z X, Zhang S L, Yang X Y. 2021. Changes in soil organic carbon pools following long-term fertilization under a rain-fed cropping system in the Loess Plateau, China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 20, 2512–2525.

Wang Y P, Li X G, Fu T, Wang L, Turner N, Siddique K, Li F M. 2016. Multi-site assessment of the effects of plastic-film mulch on the soil organic carbon balance in semiarid areas of China. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 228–229, 42–51.

Weil R R, Islam K R, Stine M A, Gruver J B, Samson-Liebig S E. 2003. Estimating active carbon for soil quality assessment: A simplified method for laboratory and field use. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, 18, 3–17.

Yadav G S, Das A, Lal R, Babu S, Meena R S, Saha P, Singh R, Datta M. 2018. Energy budget and carbon footprint in a no-till and mulch based rice-mustard cropping system. Journal of Cleaner Production, 191, 144–157.

Yang J J, Qin R Z, Shi X P, Wei H H, Sun G J, Li F M, Zhang F. 2022. The effects of plastic film mulching and straw mulching on licorice root yield and soil organic carbon content in a dryland farming. Science of the Total Environment, 826, 154113.

Yang J L, Zhou Y D, Ye X, Liu E K, Sun S K, Ren X L, Jia Z K, Wei T, Zhang P. 2023. Continuous ridge-furrow film mulching enhances maize root growth and crop yield by improving soil aggregates characteristics in a semiarid area of China: An eight-year field experiment. Plant and Soil, doi: 10.1007/s11104-023-05953-4.

Zhang B C, Hu H, Guo Z Y, Gong S, Shen S, Liao S H, Wang X, Zhou S L, Zhang Z D. 2023. Plastic-film-side seeding, as an alternative to traditional film mulching, improves yield stability and income in maize production in semi-arid regions. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 22, 1021–1034.

Zhang F, Zhang W J, Li M, Zhang Y, Li F M, Li C B. 2017a. Is crop biomass and soil carbon storage sustainable with long-term application of full plastic film mulching under future climate change? Agricultural Systems, 150, 67–77.

Zhang F, Zhang W J, Li M, Zhang Y S, Li F M. 2017b. Does long-term plastic film mulching really decrease sequestration of organic carbon in soil in the Loess Plateau? European Journal of Agronomy, 89, 53–60.

Zhang F F, Li S Q, Yue S C, Song Q L. 2022. The effect of long-term soil surface mulching on SOC fractions and the carbon management index in a semiarid agroecosystem . Soil & Tillage Research, 216, 105233.

Zhang H Y, Liu Q J, Yu X X, Lv G A, Wu Y Z. 2012. Effects of plastic mulch duration on nitrogen mineralization and leaching in peanut (Arachis hypogaea) cultivated land in the Yimeng Mountainous Area, China. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 158, 164–171.

Zhang P, Wei T, Han Q F, Ren X L, Jia Z K. 2020. Effects of different film mulching methods on soil water productivity and maize yield in a semiarid area of China. Agricultural Water Management, 241, 106382.

Zhang X D, Kamran M, Xue X K, Zhao J, Cai T, Jia Z K, Zhang P, Han Q F. 2019a. Ridge-furrow mulching system drives the efficient utilization of key production resources and the improvement of maize productivity in the Loess Plateau of China. Soil & Tillage Research, 190, 10–21.

Zhang X D, Yang L C, Xue X K, Kamran M, Ahmad I, Dong Z Y, Liu T N, Jia Z K, Zhang P, Han Q F. 2019b. Plastic film mulching stimulates soil wet-dry alternation and stomatal behavior to improve maize yield and resource use efficiency in a semi-arid region. Field Crops Research, 233, 101–113.

Zhao Z H, Gao S F, Lu C Y, Li X Y, Li F, Wang T Y. 2021. Effects of different tillage and fertilization management practices on soil organic carbon and aggregates under the rice–wheat rotation system. Soil & Tillage Research, 212, 105071.

Zou X M, Ruan H H, Fu Y, Yang X D, Sha L Q. 2005. Estimating soil labile organic carbon and potential turnover rates using a sequential fumigation–incubation procedure. Soil Biology Biochemistry, 37, 1923–1928.


[1] CHANG Fang-di, WANG Xi-quan, SONG Jia-shen, ZHANG Hong-yuan, YU Ru, WANG Jing, LIU Jian, WANG Shang, JI Hong-jie, LI Yu-yi. Maize straw application as an interlayer improves organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations in the soil profile: A four-year experiment in a saline soil[J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2023, 22(6): 1870-1882.
No Suggested Reading articles found!