Abstract
This 2-year field experiment investigated the effects of full straw incorporation on soil fertility and crop yield in a rice-wheat (Oryza sativa L.–Triticum aestivum L.) rotation on sandy, loamy soil. Two treatments were tested: (i) straw removal (CK) and (ii) straw incorporation (STR). The STR significantly increased the wheat yield by an average of 58% compared with CK; however, no significant difference was found in the rice yield. Soil available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the 0–20 cm soil layer increased by more than 15% with STR compared to CK. The soil cation exchange capacity and organic carbon in the 0–20 cm soil layer increased by 8% and 22%, for STR compared to CK, respectively. Straw incorporation significantly elevated the soil saturated water content but decreased the soil bulk density compared with CK. Soil aggregates >2 mm were significantly increased after straw return. STR also notably increased the soil urease, invertase, and catalase activities in the 0–15 cm soil layer by 11.4%, 41.0%, and 12.9%, respectively, and the soil microbial carbon and nitrogen contents in the 0–20 cm soil layer by 59% and 54%. Therefore, full straw incorporation could significantly improve soil fertility and maintain crop yields for the study area.
Highlights
The world population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 [1], which means greater future demand for grain production
The district is located in the Yangtze River Delta
The soil total K content did not differ between the two treatments
Summary
The world population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 [1], which means greater future demand for grain production. The limited arable land and stagnant crop yields have made the task more challenging [2]. Intensive farming systems with short fallow periods and high fertilizer inputs have been used to achieve higher crop yields. This farming pattern has led to marked pollution [3,4,5] and soil degradation [2,6]. As a result, maintaining and improving the fertility of arable land is vital for future agriculture. Many measures have been taken to improve soil fertility and productivity. The most effective measure is increasing the organic input, such as with the application of organic manure or compost [7,8]
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