Tillage Strategy and Nitrogen Fertilization Methods Influences on Selected Soil Quality Indicators and Spring Wheat Yield under Semi-Arid Environmental Conditions of the Loess Plateau, China

Jianyu Yuan,Guang Li,Mahran Sadiq,Guorong Xu,Nasir Rahim,Jiangqi Wu,Lijuan Yan

doi:10.3390/app12031101

Jianyu Yuan, Guang Li + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031101

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Abstract

The influence of tillage and nitrogen fertilization methods on soil quality attributes and crop agronomic characteristics has been studied broadly under different agroclimatic conditions. Nevertheless, the interactive effect of tillage and fertilization approaches on soil properties on different soil depths and yield is rarely addressed, particularly on the Loess Plateau belt, and requires more exploration. Thus, this research was conducted in order to evaluate the interactive impact of tillage and nitrogen fertilization methods on soil properties and wheat productivity. The treatments included conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT) with different fertilization approaches (no fertilization: CK, chemical nitrogen fertilizer: N, organic fertilizer: M, combined application of nitrogen fertilizer and organic fertilizer: NM) and were explored in a split plot arrangement under a randomized complete block design replicated thrice on soil properties (SWC, SOC, TN, TP, NO3−-N, NH4+-N, and stoichiometric ratio) and wheat yield. The results showed that sole no-tillage and NT in association with nitrogen fertilization (inorganic and organic) significantly increased the soil water content, SOC, TN, NH4+-N, C/P, and N/P ratios and wheat productivity but did not significantly yield TP, whilst it reduced the NO3−-N and C/N ratio compared with sole CT and CT together with nitrogen fertilization (organic and inorganic). Overall, NT in association with the joint application of inorganic and organic N fertilization are the best techniques to improve soil water status and nutrient status under the wheat mono-cropping system conditions and yield.

Highlights

The capacity of soil to supply crucial nutrients to plants is known as soil fertility and is a chief concern for scientists [1]
The highest soil water content (SWC) was noted in the NTNM treatment, and lowest the SWC was associated with conventional tillage (CT) practice, but there were no significant differences within the 60–100 cm soil layer (p < 0.05)
Our results showed that the SWC of the NT, NTN, NTM, and NTNM no-tilled treatments were higher than CT, CTN, CTM, and CTNM tilled treatments in the top four soil layers

Summary

Introduction

The capacity of soil to supply crucial nutrients to plants is known as soil fertility and is a chief concern for scientists [1]. In arid and semi-arid regions, in the northwestern Loess Plateau areas of China, the yield of crops in smallholder systems is affected by an inherent poor fertility status of soil and a reduced application of fertilization [2,3]. Water scarcity, and intensive fertilization make these agro-ecosystems vulnerable to the existing global changing climate process and cyclical drought events. The identification and recommendation of strategies that are both climatesmart and yield satisfactory crop productivity in a recent climate change scenario are significant for crop production in Loess Plateau areas in order to fulfill the up-to-date rise in demand for food and fuel globally [8,9,10]

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