Please wait a minute...
Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2023, Vol. 22 Issue (6): 1870-1882    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.02.025
Special Issue: 农业生态环境-土壤微科学Agro-ecosystem & Environment—Soil Science
Agro-ecosystem & Environment Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
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
CHANG Fang-di1*, WANG Xi-quan1*, SONG Jia-shen1, ZHANG Hong-yuan1, YU Ru1, WANG Jing1, LIU Jian2, WANG Shang3, JI Hong-jie1, LI Yu-yi1#

1 Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R.China

2 The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), As 1431, Norway

3 Department of Soil and Plant Microbiome, Institute of Phytopathology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel 24118, Germany

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

土壤盐渍化是限制干旱区农业生产的一个重要环境问题。将秸秆深还田至地表下40 cm处形成生物质隔层是抑制土壤返盐的有效措施之一,然而,不同用量的秸秆隔层对盐碱土壤剖面有机碳(SOC)和总氮(TN)的遗留效应的影响尚不明确。因此,本研究基于四年(2015-2018年)的不同用量(即0、6、12和18 Mg·ha-1)秸秆隔层处理田间定位试验,分析了秸秆隔层措施对盐碱土壤剖面中有机碳和全氮含量的影响。结果表明:与无秸秆隔层(CK)相比,秸秆隔层处理的20-40 cm和40-60 cm土层SOC含量分别增加了14-32%和11-57%,TN含量分别增加了8-22%和6-34%,SOC含量的增幅高于TN含量,从而20-60 cm土层的C:N比增加。与CK相比,秸秆隔层处理的20-60 cm土层SOC和TN含量的显著增加,导致了土壤层化率(0-20: 20-60 cm)的下降,促进了SOC和TN在土壤剖面上的均匀分布。此外,SOC和TN含量均随秸秆隔层用量的增加而增加,同时秸秆隔层处理有效的水盐调控效果显著提升向日葵产量。综合比较,12 Mg·ha-1的秸秆隔层处理SOC、TN和C:N比相对较高,土壤层化比率较低。以上结果表明,秸秆隔层措施在改善盐碱地底层土壤肥力方面有很大潜力,其遗留效应至少能维持4年



Abstract  

Soil salinization is a critical environmental issue restricting agricultural production.  Deep return of straw to the soil as an interlayer (at 40 cm depth) has been a popular practice to alleviate salt stress.  However, the legacy effects of straw added as an interlayer at different rates on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in saline soils still remain inconclusive.  Therefore, a four-year (2015–2018) field experiment was conducted with four levels (i.e., 0, 6, 12 and 18 Mg ha–1) of straw returned as an interlayer.  Compared with no straw interlayer (CK), straw addition increased SOC concentration by 14–32 and 11–57% in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers, respectively.  The increases in soil TN concentration (8–22 and 6–34% in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers, respectively) were lower than that for SOC concentration, which led to increased soil C:N ratio in the 20–60 cm soil depth.  Increases in SOC and TN concentrations in the 20–60 cm soil layer with straw addition led to a decrease in stratification ratios (0–20 cm:20–60 cm), which promoted uniform distributions of SOC and TN in the soil profile.  Increases in SOC and TN concentrations were associated with soil salinity and moisture regulation and improved sunflower yield.  Generally, compared with other treatments, the application of 12 Mg ha–1 straw had higher SOC, TN and C:N ratio, and lower soil stratification ratio in the 2015–2017 period.  The results highlighted that legacy effects of straw application as an interlayer were maintained for at least four years, and demonstrated that deep soil straw application had a great potential for improving subsoil fertility in salt-affected soils.

Keywords:  straw addition        interlayer        soil organic carbon        soil nitrogen        C:N ratio        saline soil  
Received: 02 September 2022   Accepted: 22 December 2022 Online: 25 February 2023  
Fund: 

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31871584), the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS-ZDRW202201), the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Non-profit Scientific Institution, China (1610132020011), the “Open the list” in charge of the Science and Technology Project of Ordos, Center for Agro-pastoral Ecology and Resource Conservation of Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, China (JBGS-2021-001), and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Research Project (2021EEDSCXSFQZD011).


About author:  CHANG Fang-di, E-mail: cfd1229@163.com; WANG Xi-quan, E-mail: wangxiquan@caas.cn; #Correspondence LI Yu-yi, Tel: +86-10-82105057, Fax: +86-10-82106225, E-mail: liyuyi@caas.cn * These authors contributed equally to this study.

Cite this article: 

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. 2023. 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. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 22(6): 1870-1882.

Andruschkewitsch R, Geisseler D, Koch H J, Ludwig B. 2013. Effects of tillage on contents of organic carbon, nitrogen, water-stable aggregates and light fraction for four different long-term trials. Geoderma, 192, 368–377.

Bao S D. 2007. Soil and Agricultural Chemistry Analysis. 3rd ed. China Agriculture Press, Beijing. pp. 30–34. (in Chinese)

Berhane M, Xu M, Liang Z Y, Shi J L, Wei G H, Tian X H. 2020. Effects of long-term straw return on soil organic carbon storage and sequestration rate in North China upland crops: A meta-analysis. Global Change Biology, 26, 2686–2701.

Button E S, Pett-Ridge J, Murphy D V, Kuzyakov Y, Chadwick D R, Jones D L. 2022. Deep-C storage: Biological, chemical and physical strategies to enhance carbon stocks in agricultural subsoils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 170, 108697.

Cai M, Dong Y J, Chen Z J, Kalbitz K, Zhou J B. 2015. Effects of nitrogen fertilizer on the composition of maize roots and their decomposition at different soil depths. European Journal of Soil Biology, 67, 43–50.

Cai T Y, Huang H J, Huang Y W, Lu W T, Jia Z K, Yang B P. 2012. Effects of different rates of straw mulching and returning to field on soil labile organic carbon and carbon pool management index. Journal of Natural Resources, 27, 964–974. (in Chinese)

Cong P, Li Y Y, Wang J, Gao Z J, Pang H C, Zhang L, Liu N, Dong J X. 2019. Increasing straw incorporation rates improves subsoil fertility and crop yield in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, 66, 1–15.

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 and Tillage Research, 144, 110–118.

Franzluebbers A J. 2002. Soil organic matter stratification ratio as an indicator of soil quality. Soil and Tillage Research, 66, 95–106.

Gao L, Li W, Ashraf U, Lu W J, Li Y L, Li C Y, Li G Y, Li G K, Hu J G. 2020. Nitrogen fertilizer management and maize straw return modulate yield and nitrogen balance in sweet corn. Agronomy, 10, 362.

Haichar F E Z, Santaella C, Heulin T, Achouak W. 2014. Root exudates mediated interactions belowground. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 77, 69–80.

Hao X X, Han X Z, Wang S Y, Li L J. 2022. Dynamics and composition of soil organic carbon in response to 15 years of straw return in a Mollisol. Soil and Tillage Research, 215, 105221.

He W, Wang H, Ye W H, Tian Y L, Hu G Q, Lou Y H, Pan H, Yang Q G, Zhuge Y P. 2022. Distinct stabilization characteristics of organic carbon in coastal salt-affected soils with different salinity under straw return management. Land Degradation & Development, 33, 2246–2257.

Hopmans J W, Qureshi A S, Kisekka I, Munns R, Grattan S R, Rengasamy P, Ben-Gal A, Assouline S, Javaux M, Minhas P S, Raats P A C, Skaggs T H, Wang G, De Jong van Lier Q, Jiao H, Lavado R S, Lazarovitch N, Li B, Taleisnik E. 2021. Critical knowledge gaps and research priorities in global soil salinity. Advances in Agronomy, 169, 1–191.

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 and Tillage Research, 165, 286–293.

Islam M U, Guo Z C, Jiang F H, Peng X H. 2022. Does straw return increase crop yield in the wheat–maize cropping system in China? A meta-analysis. Field Crops Research, 279, 108447.

Jin Z Q, Shah T, Zhang L, Liu H Y, Peng S B, Nie L X. 2020. Effect of straw returning on soil organic carbon in rice–wheat rotation system: A review. Food and Energy Security, 9, e200.

Laird D A, Chang C W. 2013. Long-term impacts of residue harvesting on soil quality. Soil and Tillage Research, 134, 33–40.

Latifmanesh H, Deng A X, Li L, Chen Z J, Zheng Y T, Bao X T, Zheng C Y, Zhang W J. 2020. How incorporation depth of corn straw affects straw decomposition rate and C&N release in the wheat–corn cropping system. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 300, 107000.

Li S, Chen J, Shi J L, Tian X H, Li X S, Li Y B, Zhao H L. 2017. Impact of straw return on soil carbon indices, enzyme activity, and grain production. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 81, 1475–1485.

Li Y Y, Pang H C, Han X F, Yan S W, Zhao Y G, Wang J, Zhai Z, Zhang J L. 2016. Buried straw layer and plastic mulching increase microflora diversity in salinized soil. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 15, 1602–1611.

Liu C, Lu M, Cui J, Li B, Fang C M. 2014. Effects of straw carbon input on carbon dynamics in agricultural soils: A meta-analysis. Global Change Biology, 20, 1366–1381.

Liu N, Li Y Y, Cong P, Wang J, Guo W, Pang H C, Zhang L. 2021. Depth of straw incorporation significantly alters crop yield, soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in the North China Plain. Soil and Tillage Research, 205, 104772.

Liu X Y, Rashti M R, Dougall A, Esfandbod M, Zwieten L V, Chen C R. 2018. Subsoil application of compost improved sugarcane yield through enhanced supply and cycling of soil labile organic carbon and nitrogen in an acidic soil at tropical Australia. Soil and Tillage Research, 180, 73–81.

Lou Y L, Xu M G, Wang W, Sun X L, Zhao K. 2011. Return rate of straw residue affects soil organic C sequestration by chemical fertilization. Soil and Tillage Research, 113, 70–73.

Rezapour S, Kalashypour E, Asadzadeh F. 2017. Assessment of the quality of salt-affected soils after irrigation and cultivation in semi-arid condition. International Journal of Environmental Research, 11, 301–313.

Sahab S, Suhani I, Srivastava V, Chauhan P S, Singh R P, Prasad V. 2020. Potential risk assessment of soil salinity to agroecosystem sustainability: Current status and management strategies. Science of the Total Environment, 764, 144164.

Setia R, Smith P, Marschner P, Baldock J, Chittleborough D, Smith J. 2011. Introducing a decomposition rate modifier in the Rothamsted Carbon Model to predict soil organic carbon stocks in saline soils. Environmental Science & Technology, 45, 6396–6403.

Shahbaz M, Kuzyakov Y, Heitkamp F. 2017. Decrease of soil organic matter stabilization with increasing inputs: Mechanisms and controls. Geoderma, 304, 76–82.

Tian P, Lian H L, Wang Z Y, Jiang Y, Li C F, Sui P X, Qi H. 2020. Effects of deep and shallow tillage with straw incorporation on soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and enzyme activities in northeast China. Sustainability, 12, 8679.

Wang S C, Lu C A, Huai S C, Yan Z H, Wang J Y, Sun J Y, Raza S. 2021. Straw burial depth and manure application affect the straw-C and N sequestration: Evidence from 13C and 15N-tracing. Soil and Tillage Research, 208, 104884.

Wang X H, Yang H S, Liu J, Wu J S, Chen W P, Wu J, Zhu L Q, Bian X M. 2015. Effects of ditch-buried straw return on soil organic carbon and rice yields in a rice–wheat rotation system. Catena, 127, 56–63.

Wu G, Ling J, Zhao D Q, Xu Y P, Liu Z X, Wen Y. 2022. Deep-injected straw incorporation improves subsoil fertility and crop productivity in a wheat–maize rotation system in the North China Plain. Field Crops Research, 286, 108612.

Xia L L, Lam S K, Wolf B, Kiese R, Chen D L, Butterbach-Bahl K. 2018. Trade-offs between soil carbon sequestration and reactive nitrogen losses under straw return in global agroecosystems. Global Change Biology, 24, 5919–5932.

Yang H S, Yang B, Dai Y J, Xu M M, Koide R T, Wang X H, Liu J, Bian X M. 2015. Soil nitrogen retention is increased by ditch-buried straw return in a rice–wheat rotation system. European Journal of Agronomy, 69, 52–58.

Yang J S, Yao R J, Wang X P, Xie W P, Zhang X, Zhu W, Zhang L, Sun R J. 2022. Research on salt-affected soils in China: History, status quo and prospect. Acta Pedologica Sinica, 59, 10–27. (in Chinese)

Zhai S L, Xu C F, Wu Y C, Liu J, Meng Y L, Yang H S. 2021. Long-term ditch-buried straw return alters soil carbon sequestration, nitrogen availability and grain production in a rice-wheat rotation system. Crop & Pasture Science, 72, 245–254.

Zhang H Y, Pang H C, Lu C, Zhang X, Li Y Y. 2019. Subsurface organic amendment plus plastic mulching promotes salt leaching and yield of sunflower. Agronomy Journal, 111, 457–466.

Zhang H Y, Pang H C, Zhao Y G, Lu C, Liu N, Zhang X L, Li Y Y. 2020. Water and salt exchange flux and mechanism in a dry saline soil amended with buried straw of varying thicknesses. Geoderma, 365, 114213.

Zhang P, Chen X L, Wei T, Yang Z, Jia Z K, Yang B P, Han Q F, Ren X L. 2016. Effects of straw incorporation on the soil nutrient contents, enzyme activities, and crop yield in a semiarid region of China. Soil and Tillage Research, 160, 65–72.

Zhang P, Li H, Jia Z K, Wang W, Lu W T, Zhang H, Yang B P. 2011. Effects of straw returning on soil organic carbon and carbon mineralization in semi-arid areas of southern Ningxia, China. Journal of Agro-Environment Science, 30, 2518–2525. (in Chinese)

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 and 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.

Zhao Y G, Li Y Y, Hu X L, Wang J, Pang H C. 2013a. Effects of plastic mulching and deep burial of straw on dynamics of soil water and salt in micro-plot field cultivation. Acta Pedologica Sinica, 50, 1129–1137. (in Chinese)

Zhao Y G, Li Y Y, Wang J, Pang H C, Li Y Y. 2016. Buried straw layer and plus plastic mulching reduces soil salinity and increases sunflower yield in saline soils. Soil and Tillage Research, 155, 363–370.

Zhao Y G, Wang J, Li Y Y, Pang H C. 2013b. Reducing evaporation from phreatic water and soil resalinization by using straw interlayer and plastic mulch. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 29, 109–117. (in Chinese)

Zheng S, Dou S, Duan H M, Zhang B Y, Bai Y. 2021. Fluorescence spectroscopy and 13C NMR spectroscopy characteristics of HA in black soil at different corn straw returning modes. International Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 6, 1–9.

Zou H T, Ye X H, Li J Q, Lu J, Fan Q F, Yu N, Zhang Y L, Dang X L, Zhang Y L. 2016. Effects of straw return in deep soils with urea addition on the soil organic carbon fractions in a semi-arid temperate cornfield. PLoS ONE, 11, e0153214.

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

Can soil organic carbon sequestration and the carbon management index be improved by changing the film mulching methods in the semiarid region? [J]. >Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2024, 23(5): 1541-1556.

No Suggested Reading articles found!