Virtual Issue

农业生态环境-土壤微科学Agro-ecosystem & Environment—Soil Science

Default Latest Most Read

Please wait a minute... For Selected: Download Citations EndNote Ris BibTeX Toggle Thumbnails Select The effects of co-utilizing green manure and rice straw on soil aggregates and soil carbon stability in a paddy soil in southern China ZHANG Zi-han, NIE Jun, LIANG Hai, WEI Cui-lan, WANG Yun, LIAO Yu-lin, LU Yan-hong, ZHOU Guo-peng, GAO Song-juan, CAO Wei-dong 2023, 22 (5): 1529-1545.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.09.025 Abstract （270）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The co-utilization of green manure (GM) and rice straw (RS) in paddy fields has been widely applied as an effective practice in southern China. However, its effects on soil aggregate and soil organic carbon (SOC) stability remain unclear. In the present study, the effect of GM, RS, and co-utilization of GM and RS on particle size distribution of soil aggregates and SOC density fractions were measured in a field experiment. The experiment included six treatments, i.e., winter fallow (WF) without RS return (Ctrl), WF with 50% RS return (1/2RS), WF with 100% RS return (RS), GM without RS return (GM), GM with 50% RS return (GM1/2RS) and GM with 100% RS return (GMRS). The results showed that the proportion of small macro-aggregates (0.25–2 mm) and the mean weight diameter (MWD) of aggregates in the GMRS treatment was greater (by 18.9 and 3.41%, respectively) than in the RS treatment, while the proportion of silt+clay particles (<0.053 mm) was lower (by 14.4%). The concentration of SOC in microaggregates (0.053–0.25 mm) and silt+clay particles was higher in the GMRS treatment than in GM and RS treatments individually. The concentration and proportion of free light organic carbon (fLOC) in aggregates of various particle sizes and bulk soil was greater in the GMRS treatment than the RS treatment, whereas the concentration and proportion of mineral-associated organic carbon in small macroaggregates, microaggregates, and bulk was lower in the GMRS treatment than in the RS treatment. The proportion of intra-aggregate particulate organic carbon (iPOC) was greater in the GMRS treatment than in GM treatment. The GMRS treatment had strong positive effects on iPOC in small macroaggregates, suggesting that SOC was transferred from fLOC to iPOC. In conclusion, co-utilizing green manure and rice straw cultivated the SOC pool by increasing the concentration of fLOC and improved soil carbon stability by promoting the sequestration of organic carbon in iPOC as a form of physical protection. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select 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-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, 22 (6): 1870-1882.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.02.025 Abstract （223）      PDF in ScienceDirect       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. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Effects of residual plastic film on crop yield and soil fertility in a dryland farming system WANG Dong, XI Yue, SHI Xiao-yan, GUO Chao-li, ZHONG Yu-jie, SONG Chao, GUAN Yu, HUANG Lu, YANG Qi-feng, LI Feng-min 2023, 22 (12): 3783-3791.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.04.026 Abstract （165）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Plastic film mulch in agricultural production becomes essential to maintaining crop yields in arid and semiarid areas. However, the presence of residual film in farmland soil has also drawn much attention. In this study, three experiments were conducted. The first two experimental designs included 0, 450, 1 350, and 2 700 kg ha–1 of residual film pieces of approximately 5 cm side length added to field soil (0–20 cm soil depth) for seven years and added to pots for four years. In the third experiment, 1 350 kg ha–1 of the residual film with different side lengths (2–5, 5–10, 10–15, and 15–20 cm) was added to field soil for six years to explore the effect of residual film fragment size on soil nutrients, soil microorganisms, crop growth and yields. The residual film had little effect on the soil moisture at a field depth of 0–2 (or 0–1.8) m. There were no significant effects on organic carbon, total nitrogen, inorganic nitrogen, total phosphorus or available phosphorus in the 0–20 cm soil layer. The presence of residual film decreased the richness and diversity of the bacterial community of the surface soil of the residual film, but it had no significant effect on the microbial community of the non-surface soil. The emergence rates of wheat and lentils occasionally decreased significantly with different amounts of residue fragments added to the field. At 450–2 700 kg ha–1, the residual film reduced the plant height and stem diameter of maize and significantly reduced the shoot biomass of harvested maize by 11–19%. The average yields of maize and potato over the seven years decreased, but there were almost no significant statistical differences among the treatments. These results provide important data for a comprehensive scientific understanding of the effects of residual film on soil and crops in dryland farming systems. Related Articles | Metrics Select Straw return increases crop production by improving soil organic carbon sequestration and soil aggregation in a long-term wheat–cotton cropping system Changqin Yang, Xiaojing Wang, Jianan Li, Guowei Zhang, Hongmei Shu, Wei Hu, Huanyong Han, Ruixian Liu, Zichun Guo 2024, 23 (2): 669-679.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.06.009 Abstract （178）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Straw return is a promising strategy for managing soil organic carbon (SOC) and improving yield stability.  However, the optimal straw return strategy for sustainable crop production in the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cropping system remains uncertain.  The objective of this study was to quantify the long-term (10 years) impact of carbon (C) input on SOC sequestration, soil aggregation and crop yields in a wheat–cotton cropping system in the Yangtze River Valley, China.  Five treatments were arranged with a single-factor randomized design as follows: no straw return (Control), return of wheat straw only (Wt), return of cotton straw only (Ct), return of 50% wheat and 50% cotton straw (Wh-Ch) and return of 100% wheat and 100% cotton straw (Wt-Ct).  In comparison to the Control, the SOC content increased by 8.4 to 20.2% under straw return.  A significant linear positive correlation between SOC sequestration and C input (1.42–7.19 Mg ha−1 yr−1) (P<0.05) was detected.  The percentages of aggregates of sizes >2 and 1–2 mm at the 0–20 cm soil depth were also significantly elevated under straw return, with the greatest increase of the aggregate stability in the Wt-Ct treatment (28.1%).  The average wheat yields increased by 12.4–36.0% and cotton yields increased by 29.4–73.7%, and significantly linear positive correlations were also detected between C input and the yields of wheat and cotton.  The average sustainable yield index (SYI) reached a maximum value of 0.69 when the C input was 7.08 Mg ha−1 yr−1, which was close to the maximum value (SYI of 0.69, C input of 7.19 Mg ha−1 yr–1) in the Wt-Ct treatment.  Overall, the return of both wheat and cotton straw was the best strategy for improving SOC sequestration, soil aggregation, yields and their sustainability in the wheat–cotton rotation system. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Subsoil tillage enhances wheat productivity, soil organic carbon and available nutrient status in dryland fields Qiuyan Yan, Linjia Wu, Fei Dong, Shuangdui Yan, Feng Li, Yaqin Jia, Jiancheng Zhang, Ruifu Zhang, Xiao Huang 2024, 23 (1): 251-266.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.06.011 Abstract （137）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Tillage practices during the fallow period benefit water storage and yield in dryland wheat crops.  However, there is currently no clarity on the responses of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and available nutrients to tillage practices within the growing season.  This study evaluated the effects of three tillage practices (NT, no tillage; SS, subsoil tillage; DT, deep tillage) over five years on soil physicochemical properties.  Soil samples at harvest stage from the fifth year were analyzed to determine the soil aggregate and aggregate-associated C and N fractions.  The results indicated that SS and DT improved grain yield, straw biomass and straw carbon return of wheat compared with NT.  In contrast to DT and NT, SS favored SOC and TN concentrations and stocks by increasing the soil organic carbon sequestration rate (SOCSR) and soil nitrogen sequestration rate (TNSR) in the 0–40 cm layer.  Higher SOC levels under SS and NT were associated with greater aggregate-associated C fractions, while TN was positively associated with soluble organic nitrogen (SON).  Compared with DT, the NT and SS treatments improved soil available nutrients in the 0–20 cm layer.  These findings suggest that SS is an excellent practice for increasing soil carbon, nitrogen and nutrient availability in dryland wheat fields in North China. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Calcium carbonate promotes the formation and stability of soil macroaggregates in mining areas of China Junyu Xie, Jianyong Gao, Hanbing Cao, Jiahui Li, Xiang Wang, Jie Zhang, Huisheng Meng, Jianping Hong, Tingliang Li, Minggang Xu 2024, 23 (3): 1034-1047.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.09.015 Abstract （146）      PDF in ScienceDirect       We studied changes in the concentrations of aggregate-cementing agents after different reclamation times and with different fertilization regimes, as well as the formation mechanism of aggregates in reclaimed soil, to provide a theoretical basis for rapid reclamation of soil fertility in the subsidence area of coal mines in Shanxi Province, China.  In this study, soil samples of 0–20 cm depth were collected from four fertilization treatments of a long-term experiment started in 2008: no fertilizer (CK), inorganic fertilizer (NPK), chicken manure compost (M), and 50% inorganic fertilizer plus 50% chicken manure compost (MNPK).  The concentrations of cementing agents and changes in soil aggregate size distribution and stability were analysed.  The results showed that the formation of >2 mm aggregates, the aggregate mean weight diameter (MWD), and the proportion of >0.25 mm water-stable aggregates (WR0.25) increased significantly after 6 and 11 years of reclamation.  The concentration of organic cementing agents tended to increase with reclamation time, whereas free iron oxide (Fed) and free aluminium oxide (Ald) concentrations initially increased but then decreased.  In general, the MNPK treatment significantly increased the concentrations of organic cementing agents and CaCO3, and CaCO3 increased by 60.4% at 11 years after reclamation.  Additionally, CaCO3 had the greatest effect on the stability of aggregates, promoting the formation of >0.25 mm aggregates and accounting for 54.4% of the variance in the proportion and stability of the aggregates.  It was concluded that long-term reclamation is beneficial for improving soil structure.  The MNPK treatment was the most effective measure for increasing maize grain yield and concentration of organic cementing agents and CaCO3. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Straw mulching alters the composition and loss of dissolved organic matter in farmland surface runoff by inhibiting the fragmentation of soil small macroaggregates Shanshan Cai, Lei Sun, Wei Wang, Yan Li, Jianli Ding, Liang Jin, Yumei Li , Jiuming Zhang, Jingkuan Wang, Dan Wei 2024, 23 (5): 1703-1717.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.10.001 Abstract （139）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Straw mulching is a widespread practice for reducing the soil carbon loss caused by erosion.  However, the effects of straw mulching on dissolved organic matter (DOM) runoff loss from black soil are not well studied.  How straw mulching affects the composition and loss of runoff DOM by changing soil aggregates remains largely unclear.  Here, a straw mulching treatment was compared to a no mulching treatment (as a control) on sloping farmland with black soil erosion in Northeast China.  We divided the soil into large macroaggregates (>2 mm), small macroaggregates (0.25–2 mm), and microaggregates (<0.25 mm).  After five rain events, the effects of straw mulching on the concentration (characterized by dissolved organic carbon (DOC)) and composition (analyzed by fluorescence spectroscopy) of runoff and soil aggregate DOM were studied.  The results showed that straw mulching reduced the runoff amount by 54.7%.  Therefore, although straw mulching increased the average DOC concentration in runoff, it reduced the total runoff DOM loss by 48.3%.  The composition of runoff DOM is similar to that of soil, as both contain humic-like acid and protein-like components.  With straw mulching treatment, the protein-like components in small macroaggregates accumulated and the protein-like components in runoff declined with rain events.  Fluorescence spectroscopy technology may help in understanding the hydrological paths of rain events by capturing the dynamic changes of runoff and soil DOM characteristics.  A variation partitioning analysis (VPA) indicated that the DOM concentration and composition of microaggregates explained 68.2% of the change in runoff DOM from no mulching plots, while the change in runoff DOM from straw mulching plots was dominated by small macroaggregates at a rate of 55.1%.  Taken together, our results demonstrated that straw mulching reduces the fragmentation of small macroaggregates and the loss of microaggregates, thus effecting DOM compositions in soil and reducing the DOM loss in runoff.  These results provide a theoretical basis for reducing carbon loss in sloping farmland. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Plastic mulch increases dryland wheat yield and water-use productivity, while straw mulch increases soil water storage Hubing Zhao, Guanfei Liu, Yingxia Dou, Huimin Yang, Tao Wang, Zhaohui Wang, Sukhdev Malhi, Adnan Anwar Khan 2024, 23 (9): 3174-3185.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.01.008 Abstract （89）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Amplifying drought stress and high precipitation variability impair dryland wheat production.  These problems can potentially be minimized by using plastic mulch (PM) or straw mulch (SM).  Therefore, wheat grain yield, soil water storage, soil temperature and water-use productivity of PM and SM treatments were compared with no mulch (CK) treatment on dryland wheat over a period of eight seasons.  Compared to the CK treatment, PM and SM treatments on average significantly increased grain yield by 12.6 and 10.5%, respectively.  Compared to the CK treatment, SM treatment significantly decreased soil daily temperature by 0.57, 0.60 and 0.48°C for the whole seasons, growing periods and summer fallow periods, respectively.  In contrast, compared to the CK treatment, PM treatment increased soil daily temperature by 0.44, 0.51 and 0.27°C for the whole seasons, growing periods and summer fallow periods, respectively.  Lower soil temperature under SM allowed greater soil water storage than under PM.  Soil water storage pre-seeding was 17% greater under the SM than under the PM treatment.  Soil water storage post-harvest was similar for the PM and SM treatments, but evapotranspiration was 4.5% higher in the SM than in the PM treatment.  Consequently, water-use productivity was 6.6% greater under PM than under the SM treatment.  Therefore, PM treatment increased dryland wheat yield and water-use productivity, while straw mulch increased soil water storage. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics