Effects Of Straw Mulching Research Articles

Responses of Soil Water, Temperature, and Yield of Apple Orchard to Straw Mulching and Supplemental Irrigation on China’s Loess Plateau

The combination effect of straw mulching and supplemental irrigation on the soil water and heat, and the growth and productivity of mature apple trees on the Loess Plateau of China remains unclear. Field experiments were conducted in 2022 and 2023 to evaluate the combined effect of straw mulching and supplemental irrigation (two irrigation types, ring and double-row drip irrigation, and three irrigation levels: high, medium, and low irrigation level) on the soil water and temperature, growth, yield, and water productivity (WP) of a mature apple orchard. Local rainfed cultivation was used as the control (CK). The results showed that straw mulching increased soil moisture by 2.4–6.5% compared to the CK treatment. Supplemental irrigation significantly increased soil moisture in the 0–60 cm layer by 3.0–8.1%, and its effect increased with an increasing irrigation level. Straw mulching significantly reduced soil temperature by 7.8% compared to the CK treatment. Supplemental irrigation significantly increased the new shoot length and stem thickness of apple trees. Under straw mulching, a medium supplemental irrigation level significantly increased both apple yield and WP compared to the CK treatment. In this study area, it is recommended to choose a combination of straw mulching and a medium supplemental irrigation level.

Effects of straw mulching, liming, and soil texture on ammonia volatilisation: a study of conventional and enhanced efficiency fertilisers

Context In no-tillage agriculture, maintenance of soil cover combined with liming without incorporation increases nitrogen (N) loss via ammonia (NH3) volatilisation, decreasing the efficiency of nitrogen fertilisers. Aims To quantify N losses by NH3 volatilisation from conventional and enhanced efficiency fertilisers applied to a clayey and a sandy loam soil subjected or not to lime (CaCO3) application and straw mulching. Methods Two laboratory experiments were carried out; one using a clayey soil, and the other using a sandy loam soil. Both experiments followed a 4 × 2 × 2 factorial design with four N sources (urea, urea-NBPT, urea-formaldehyde, and ammonium sulfate), absence and presence of liming, and absence and presence of Brachiaria ruziziensis straw mulching. NH3 volatilisation was measured using closed flasks containing filter paper soaked with sulfuric acid and quantified by titration with sodium hydroxide. Key results NH3 volatilisation was up to 62% of the N applied. Losses due to NH3 volatilisation from both soil types decreased in the following order of treatment: liming + straw mulching > straw mulching only > liming only. Urea-formaldehyde and ammonium sulfate were the most efficient in reducing NH3 emissions. However, when ammonium sulfate was applied to a clayey soil after liming, it resulted in higher NH3 emissions than conventional urea. Conclusions Urea-formaldehyde showed better performance in reducing NH3 losses due to greater stability in the presence of straw or liming. Implications Soils with straw and limestone can lead to large NH3 volatilisation losses if urea conventional is broadcast.

Straw mulching alters the composition and loss of dissolved organic matter in farmland surface runoff by inhibiting the fragmentation of soil small macroaggregates

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.

Effect of Straw Mulching and Deep Burial Mode on Water and Salt Transport Regularity in Saline Soils

To examine the impacts of various straw mulching techniques, this study used the indoor soil column test as the primary research method and the field test as the validation test on the salinity dynamics of saline and alkaline soils. The experiment in this study was designed with five treatments: SC means for straw covered on the soil surface; DB means for straw buried 40 cm below the soil surface; S1D1, S2D1, and S1D2 represent the ratio of soil surface cover to the amount of straw buried 40 cm below the soil surface as 1:1, 2:1, and 1:2, respectively. The results of the indoor soil column test showed that all kinds of straw mulching techniques could effectively reduce soil moisture evaporation, and the straw mulching and deep burial mode was more effective: after 45 days of evaporation, compared with that of CK, the cumulative evaporation of soil moisture were reduced by 29.61%, 27.49%, 37.87%, 65.85%, and 54.58% for SC, DB, S1D1, S2D1, and S1D2, respectively; the straw mulching and deep burial mode could reduce the soil evaporation intensity more effectively than the single-layer straw mulching mode: the mean soil evaporation rates of CK, SC, DB, S1D1, S2D1 and S1D2 after 45 days of evaporation were 1.27 mm/day, 0.90 mm/day, 0.92 mm/day, 0.80 mm/day, 0.43 mm/day, and 0.58 mm/day; various straw mulching techniques could inhibit the accumulation of salts in the surface soil and effectively regulate the distribution of salts in the soil profile, among which the straw mulching and deep burial mode had the best effect of salinity suppression: after 30 days of evaporation, the re-salinization levels of the 0–40 cm soil layer of SC, DB, S1D1, S2D1, and S1D2 were reduced by 66.78%, 43.08%, 33.95%, 92.04% and 45.94% compared with that in the CK, respectively; there was a significant positive correlation between cumulative evaporation of soil moisture and cumulative soil salinity, which implied that cumulative soil salinity increased with the increase in cumulative evaporation of soil moisture. The results of the field experiment justified the results of the indoor soil column test: after four months of evaporation, the field moisture contents of CK, SC, DB, S1D1, S2D1, and S1D2 in the 0–20 cm soil layer were 14.77%, 3.51%, 15.10%, 15.26%, 18.73%, and 2.94%, respectively; during the experimental period, the salt inhibition rate of SC, DB, S1D1, S2D1 and S1D2 in 0–20 cm soil layer were 35.46%, 44.76%, 50.98%, 54.80% and 37.30%, respectively. Therefore, in a comprehensive view, S2D1 treatment had the best effect of salt and vapor suppression on saline soil. This study is of great significance for the resource utilization of straw waste, the improvement of water utilization and efficiency, and the management of soil salinization.

Straw Mulching Combined with Phosphorus Fertilizer Increases Fertile Florets of Wheat by Enhancing Leaf Photosynthesis and Assimilate Utilization

Lack of soil moisture and phosphorus deficiency limits wheat grain yield in dryland areas. However, the moisture-conserving effect of straw mulching combined with phosphor fertilization on fertile florets per spike (FFS) and grain yield remains unclear. During the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 growing seasons, we investigated the combined effects of straw mulching (0 and 8000 kg ha−1) and phosphorus fertilization (0, 75, and 120 kg P2O5 ha−1) on spike development, assimilates’ availability, and the photosynthetic properties of flag leaves by conducting a field experiment. Compared with no straw mulch control, straw mulching increased fertile spike, grain number per spike (15.6%), and grain yield (22.6%), and grain number per spike was the most important contribution to increasing wheat grain yield (46%). An increase in grain number per spike is associated with FFS. Compared with no straw mulch control, straw mulching increased FFS by 19.5%, and it increased with increasing phosphorus fertilization levels. Moreover, straw mulching combined with phosphorus fertilization promoted the light compensation point (LCP), light saturation point (LSP), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), Chl b, and the maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) of flag leaves to produce carbohydrates. Our study has shown that the primary factor for the divergence in FFS under straw mulching and phosphorus application was the efficiency of assimilate utilization in the spike, which ultimately led to increased grain number per spike and grain yield.

Effects of Straw Mulching on Soil Properties and Enzyme Activities of Camellia oleifera-Cassia Intercropping Agroforestry Systems.

In order to explore the influences of rice straw mulching on soil fertility in agroforestry systems, the soil C and N contents and enzyme activities were investigated in a C. oleifera-cassia intercropping ecosystem in Central Southern China. Three straw mulching application treatments were set up in this study, in 2021, namely, straw powder mulching (SPM), straw segment mulching (SSM), and non-straw mulching as the control (CK). Soil samples were collected from three soil depths (0-10 cm,10-20 cm, and 20-40 cm) in each treatment on the 90th-day after the treatments. The soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), microbial carbon (MBC), soil enzyme activities (including acid phosphatase (ACP), urease (UE), cellulase (CL), and peroxidase (POD)), and soil water content (SWC) were determined. The results showed that the SOC significantly increased due to the mulching application in SPM and SSM, in the topsoil of 0-10 cm when compared to the CK. The SWC, SOC, TN, and MBC increased by 0.8 and 56.5, 3.5 and 37.5, 21.3 and 61.6, and 5.8% and 76.8% in the SPM and SSM treatments compared to the CK, respectively. The soil enzyme activities of ACP, UE, CE, and POD increased significantly due to straw mulching compared with CK throughout all soil layers. The soil enzyme activities of CL and POD were significantly higher in SSM than in SPM across the soil depth except for ACP. The enzyme activities of ACP were 14,190, 12,732, and 6490 U/g in SSM, SPM, and control, respectively. This indicated that mulching application enhanced the enzyme activity of ACP. Mulching had no significant effects on UE and CL, while the POD decreased significantly in the order of SPM > SSM > CK across all soil layers, being, on average, 6.64% and 3.14% higher in SSM and SPM, respectively, compared to the CK plots. The SOC and MBC were the key nutrient factors affecting the soil enzyme activities at the study site. The results from this study provided Important scientific insights for improving soil physicochemical properties during the management of the C. oleifera intercropping system and for the development of the C. oleifera industry.

Straw Mulch Induced Indoleamines Alleviate Reproductive Depression in Cold Sensitive Hazelnut Cultivars.

Climate change is forcing physiological changes, especially in temperate trees, in which the reproduction phase has been affected harshly, eventually resulting in poor performance. Erratic fluctuations during the flowering periods, predominantly in cold-sensitive, yet industry-desired (sourced), hazelnut cultivars have been causing at least a 10-fold decline in the nut yield. Indoleamines have been noted to provide protection during such abiotic stress conditions. In this study, we investigated the potential involvement of the indoleamine pathway in countering reproductive depression in cold-sensitive hazelnuts by blanketing the ground with wheat straw mulch. The female flower ratio; titers of tryptophan, serotonin, and melatonin; and indoleamine pathway gene regulation were the endpoints for assessing the effects of straw mulch. In the preceding year, we noted that the occurrence of phenological events through the modulation of indoleamines was necessitated via percolation of snowmelt into the rootzone. Otherwise, reproductive depression was noted, especially in harsh conditions, such as 'no snow' or when the rootzone was covered with a plastic sheet to disallow water percolation. When cold-sensitive hazelnut cultivars that were subjected to such deleterious treatments in the preceding years' experiments were treated with straw mulch, the female flower ratio was unaffected and remained on par with that of the cold-hardy locally adapted cultivars. Tryptophan accumulation improved in the (cold-sensitive) sourced cultivars treated with straw mulch and was available as serotonin to counter the cold stress. Lower titers of melatonin explained the slight improvement in female ratio in the sourced cultivars blanketed with straw mulch. ASMT gene regulation via straw mulch treatment emphasized its role in abiotic stress mitigation. A negative trend was noted when improved flowering was compared to the decreased expression of the ASMT gene. Horticultural changes, such as mulch, should provide mitigating solutions to relieve reproductive depression in cold-sensitive hazelnuts, alongside implications in other horticultural crops. The indoleamine toolkit (cellular markers) developed in this study provides insights into the mechanisms of cold sensitivity (abiotic stress) and plausible solutions, such as exogenous application of indoleamines, to propagate climate resilient plant materials with an enhanced capacity to mitigate abiotic stress conditions.

Soil enzyme activities, soil physical properties, photosynthetic physical characteristics and water use of winter wheat after long-term straw mulch and organic fertilizer application.

Inappropriate residue and nutrient management leads to soil degradation and the decline of soil quality and water storage capacity. An ongoing field experiment has been conducted since 2011 to investigate the effects of straw mulching (SM), and straw mulching combined with organic fertilizer (SM+O), on winter wheat yield, including a control treatment (CK, no straw). We studied the effects of these treatments on soil microbial biomass nitrogen and carbon, soil enzyme activity in 2019, photosynthetic parameters, evapotranspiration (ET), water use efficiency (WUE), and yields over five consecutive years (2015-2019). We also analyzed the soil organic carbon, soil structure, field capacity, and saturated hydraulic conductivity in 2015 and 2019. Results indicate that compared with CK, SM and SM+O treatments increased the proportion of >0.25mm aggregates, soil organic carbon, field capacity, and saturated hydraulic conductivity, but decreased the soil bulk density. In addition, the SM and SM+O treatments also increased soil microbial biomass nitrogen and carbon, the activity of soil enzymes, and decreased the carbon-nitrogen ratio of microbial biomass. Therefore, SM and SM+O treatments both increased the leaf water use efficiency (LWUE) and photosynthetic rate (Pn), and improved the yields and water use efficiency (WUE) of winter wheat. The combination SM (4.5 t/ha)+O (0.75 t/ha) was more effective than SM alone, and both treatments were superior to the control. Based on the results of this study, SM+O is recommended as the most effective cultivation practice.

The role of straw mulching in shaping rills and stabilizing rill network under simulated extreme rainfall

Straw mulching has been widely demonstrated as a useful practice for soil and water conservation, but its effectiveness in controlling rill erosion has rarely been systematically studied. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of straw mulching on rill development and rill network evolution. A cinnamon soil was mulched with corn straw segments at five different rates of 0, 2.1, 4.2, 6.3 and 8.4 t ha−1, to attain the surface coverages of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%, respectively, and received four 30-min simulated rainfalls at the intensity of 90 mm h−1. The structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry was applied to measure soil surface elevation changes upon each rainfall. Straw mulching was found to retard runoff initiation, but decreased soil losses were typically acquired at the mulched treatments with 20% or more straw coverages. Nevertheless, this conservation effect did not monotonically increase with mulching rate, because a larger number of straw segments were more likely to induce rill erosion via surface flow convergence, thereby increasing total soil loss. Straw mulching also changed the course of rill development. Head retreat dominated rill erosion at the control without mulching throughout the entire experiment, suggesting an early stage of rill erosion. With the straw segments around and at the bottom, the initially equivalent contributions by headcutting, bed scouring and sideward erosion quickly shifted to the predominance of bed incision and then to sidewall expansion, successively. The rapid transition of rill erosion subprocess in this way, together with the dendritic and stabilized networks, indicate a mature stage of rill development by the end of the experiment. The rill depths and main channel widths, as a consequence, were typically smaller at the mulched treatments. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of adequate straw mulching in stabilizing rill network in addition to reducing soil erosion at the plot scale, and hold important implications for agricultural management in slope farming systems.

Maize straw mulching with no-tillage increases fertile spike and grain yield of dryland wheat by regulating root-soil interaction and nitrogen nutrition

Straw mulching increases soil water availability, but the influence of tillage practices with straw mulching on soil water, soil nitrogen, root distribution, and the physiological response of wheat plants is poorly understood. Field experiments (2013–2017) were conducted to determine the combined effects of straw mulching (0 and 8,000 kg ha−1) and tillage methods (no-tillage, rotary tillage, and plow tillage) on soil water, N, root distribution, plant N nutrition, tiller capability, and grain yield of dryland wheat. Straw mulching with no-tillage showed higher soil moisture, mineral N, and Olsen-P content than no-mulch with rotary tillage or plow tillage. These changes increased the total root length and surface area in the 0–20 cm soil layer but not in the 20–40 cm soil layer. Topsoil foraging strategies of root increased total N uptake, wheat return N from straw, and N balance while reducing N surplus, indicating that maize straw harvesting by mulching with no-tillage leads to a more efficient N recycling in the winter wheat–summer maize rotation system. Straw mulching with no-tillage showed greater aboveground plant dry mass and shoot N%, leading to increased plant N nutrition, tillering capability, and grain yield. Our results indicated that maize straw mulch with no-tillage increased fertile spike and grain yield by increasing soil water and N availability and maximizing root-soil interactions among the different combinations studied. Maize straw mulching with no-tillage could hence be recommended to dryland farming communities to transition from rotary tillage to a no-tillage conservation system and to increase soil and crop productivity in the maize-wheat rotation system.

Effects of straw mulching on soil nutrient content and microbial community on the gentle slope arable land in dryland farming

ABSTRACT Straw mulching (SM) is recognized as an effective management practice to alter soil nutrient translocation on the gentle slope arable land. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of straw mulching on soil nutrient content and microbial community. The two-year experiment involved six treatments: experiment slopes (3, 6, and 9°, 20 m long) and mulching (i.e. only maize straw (1.65 kg m−2) was mulched, and no mulch). Straw mulching treatments increased the levels of soil available nitrogen (AN), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), and total phosphorus (TP) at three different soil slopes. The AN content for 9° slopes straw mulching (NS) was 69.4% higher than 9° slopes no straw mulching (N), and also enhanced bacterial richness and diversity. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes for NS were 48.3% and 76.7% larger than N treatment, respectively. Ascomycota was higher in 6° slopes straw mulching (55.3%) followed by NS (53.5%). In all, our findings showed that the application of straw mulching was a better approach for the restoration of slopy arable land (especially in arable land with high slope) fertility based on enhancing soil nutrient and microbial community.

Effects of Straw Mulching on Soil Temperature and Maize Growth in Northeast China

Effects of Straw Mulching on Soil Temperature and Maize Growth in Northeast China

Effects of straw mulching and phosphorus application on forms and availability of soil phosphorus in hilly dryland of Sichuan, China

We conducted a two-factor split-plot experiment to examine the alteration of soil inorganic phosphorus forms and phosphorus availability under straw mulching and phosphorus fertilizer rates. The main factor was straw mulching and non-mulching, while the sub-factor was phosphorus supply rates, including 0, 75, and 120 kg·hm-2. We analyzed the characteristics of phosphorus adsorption-desorption, the content of inorganic phosphorus components and their relationship with available phosphorus in hilly upland purple soil in Sichuan. Results showed that compared with the non-mulching, the maximum phosphorus adsorption capacity of straw mulching was notably decreased by 7.7% and 7.4% in the two experimental years from 2018 to 2020. The degree of phosphorus saturation and readily desorbable phosphorus of straw mulching were remarkably increased by 35.4% and 21.6% in 2019 and 18.6% and 35.2% in 2020, respectively. The maximum buffer capacity of phosphorus was not different between straw mulching and non-mulching. The maximum phosphorus adsorption capacity and maximum buffer capacity of phosphorus were significantly lower, and the degree of phosphorus saturation was notably higher in the phosphorus application treatment than that under no phosphorus treatment. The readily desorbable phosphorus increased with the increases of phosphorus rates. The contents of dicalcium phosphate (Ca2-P), octa-calcium phosphate (Ca8-P) and iron phosphorus (Fe-P) in straw mulching treatment were notably higher than those in non-mulching treatment, whereas the content of aluminum phosphorus (Al-P) significantly lower under the straw mulching. Meanwhile, the contents of occluded phosphate (O-P) and apatite (Ca10-P) tended to decrease in the straw mulching compared with that under the non-mulching. Phosphorus application increased the content of different inorganic phosphorus components. Compared with the non-mulching, soil available phosphorus content and the phosphorus activation coefficient of straw mulching remarkably increased by 23.2% and 21.3% in 2019, and 9.6% and 8.9% in 2020, respectively. Soil available phosphorus content and phosphorus activation coefficient increased with the increases of phosphorus rate. Results of regression analysis showed that the contribution of inorganic phosphorus components to the availability of available phosphorus in purple soil was Ca2-P > Fe-P > Al-P > Ca8-P > Ca10-P > O-P. Therefore, straw mulching combined with a reasonable phosphorus fertilizer rate could promote the decomposition and transformation of insoluble soil phosphorus to moderately active or easily absorbed phosphorus forms, reduce soil phosphorus adsorption, stimulate soil phosphorus desorption, and improve soil phosphorus availability. Based on the economic benefits, phosphate fertilizer application at the rate of 75 kg·hm-2 combined with straw mulching was recommended in Sichuan hilly dryland, which would be more beneficial in improving soil phosphorus availability.

Effects of Straw Mulching on Near-Surface Hydrological Process and Soil Loss in Slope Farmland of Red Soil

Slope farmland is prone to soil erosion, especially in sub/tropical regions. However, our understanding of near-surface hydrology characteristics and their controlled factors in red soil sloping farmland remains limited. Here, we conducted simulated rainfall experiments to assess the impact of rainfall pattern, straw mulching, and soil structure on near-surface hydrological processes of red soil sloping farmland of southern China. Results showed that: (1) short duration-high intensity rain caused greater surface runoff and sediment production than did long duration-low intensity rain, whereas the variation pattern of subsurface flow exhibited the opposite trend; (2) tillage behavior could weaken the surface runoff intensity and promote the development of subsurface flow; (3) straw mulching increased the water infiltration rate and associated subsurface flow production (increased by 1.33~12.71 times), and thus reduced the surface runoff production (reduced by 99.68~100%). These findings highlight the crucial roles of rainfall pattern and straw mulching in regulating the spatial distribution pattern of rainwater and suggest that straw mulching can effectively reduce soil erosion via accelerating water infiltration and subsurface flow form in slope farmland of soil erosion in southern China.

Effects of Straw Mulching Thickness on the Soil Health in a Temperate Organic Vineyard

Soil mulching is one of the common measures applied in organic agricultural production which could replace plastic films and protect the environment. In order to fully evaluate the effects of different straw mulching thicknesses on soil health, maize straw was mulched with the thicknesses of 0 cm (CK), 2 cm, 4 cm and 6 cm on soil surface to assess the effects on soil temperature (ST) and moisture (SM), soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), C/N, soil aggregates and soil bulk density (SBD) in a temperate organic vineyard. We found that straw mulching had a significant regulating effect, with soil moisture being elevated with increasing mulching thickness by 5.8%, 9.0% and 11.1% compared with CK. The soil SOC content increased by 3.0%, 2.4% and 2.3%. Although soil pH and C/N significantly (p &lt; 0.05) increased, they fluctuated with increasing mulch thickness. Straw mulching also increased the content of &gt;2 mm soil particle size and elevated the mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD). The increasing mulching thickness prolonged the effect on the stability of soil aggregates. The 4 cm maize straw mulching thickness has the best effect for ecologically and environmentally managing warm-temperate organic vineyards so it may have a great application prospect on a global scale.

PENGARUH DOSIS MULSA JERAMI DAN PUPUK ORGANIK PLUS TERHADAP PRODUKSI TANAMAN KEDELAI (Glycine max L)

Soybean is a food commodity with economic value that has many benefits. Soybean production can be increased by improving soil fertility through the application of mulch and organic fertilizers. The purpose of the research is to determine the effect of straw mulch and organic plus fertilizer dosage on yield soybean. The research design used was a Split Plot which was arranged in a Randomized Block Design. The main plot was straw mulch consisting of three levels, i.e. without straw mulch (M0), 4 tons/ha (M1) and 8 tons/ha (M2); and Sub-plots were plus organic fertilizer consisting of four levels, namely without plus organic fertilizer (P0); 2.5 tons/ha (P1); 5 tons/ha, (P2); and 7.5 tons/ha (P3). Measured variable is the number of productive branches, weight of seeds per plant, weight of 100 seeds, and yield. The analysis of data using ANOVA, if the analysis results are significant then continue with DMRT test on α=0.05. The results showed that the treatment of straw mulch 8 tons/ha and plus organic fertilizer 7.5 tons/ha resulted in the highest yield i.e 2.24 tons/ha or improve the yield 190.91% compared without straw mulch and plus organic fertilizer.

Mid-Term Changes in Soil Properties after Wildfire, Straw Mulching and Salvage Logging in Pinus halepensis Mill. Forests

The hydrological effects of straw mulching and salvage logging have been widely experimented in the Mediterranean forests affected by wildfires. In contrast, knowledge about the impacts of these post-fire management techniques on the physico-chemical properties of burned soils is poor, especially many years after the fire. In particular, no studies have evaluated the soil changes after the combinations of soil mulching and salvage logging after wildfires in Mediterranean forests. To fill this gap, this study explores the effects of straw mulching and salvage logging, applied individually or in combination to a burnt forest of Pinus halepensis Mill. of central-eastern Spain, on the physico-chemical properties of soil six years after a wildfire. Both the post-fire techniques significantly altered the organic matter, phosphorous, and carbonate contents of the burned soils as well as their C/N (carbon/nitrogen) ratio, while the texture and other chemical properties (pH, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, potassium, cations/anions, and active limestone) of the soils were not significantly affected by these post-fire treatments. Organic matter (OM) and phosphorous (P) contents increased by 57% and 69%, respectively, in mulched soils in comparison to the burned but untreated plots. In logged soils, the OM increased by 27%, while P decreased by 17%. Salvage logging after straw mulching increased OM, albeit less than under the individual soil treatments (+13%), but noticeably reduced P (−39%). The C/N ratio practically underwent the same variation (+15–20%) after the combination of the two treatments. The principal component analysis and the agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis applied to the soil properties measured in the plots under the individual and combined management show that the effects of salvage logging on soil properties appear to be more impactful compared to straw mulching.

Effects of straw mulching combined with nitrogen application on soil organic matter content and atrazine digestion

To explore the response of atrazine (AT) degradation rate, soil organic matter (SOM) distribution and the relationship between them to straw mulching and nitrogen application, field experiments were conducted to study the distribution of SOM content and AT degradation rate under different straw returning modes combined with nitrogen fertilization in 2 years in Hetao Irrigation District. No (N0), low (NL), medium (NM), and high (NH) levels of N fertilization were incorporated into the soil combined with the surface coverage straw (Treatment BN0, BNL, BNM, BNH, respectively) and the deeply buried straw (Treatment SN0, SNL, SNM, SNH, respectively). The traditional cultivation was used as a control treatment (Treatment CK). The results showed that SOM content of Treatment B was accumulated in 0~20 cm soil layer. The largest SOM content of Treatments B in 0~20 cm soil layer was found in BNH treatment, with an average increase of 14.2% and 24.1% significantly when compared with those in CK and SNH (P < 0.05), respectively. The SOM content of Treatments B increased with the increase of nitrogen application and decreased with the deepening of soil depth. The SOM content of Treatment S was accumulated in the soil layer (20~40 cm and 40~60 cm) near the inter-layer. With the increase of nitrogen application and depth of soil layer, the SOM content increased firstly and then decreased. SNM had the largest SOM content in the soil layer of 20~40 cm and 40~60 cm, with an average increase of 82.6% and 67.7% when compared with Treatment CK (P < 0.05). In the soil layer over 60 cm, there was no significant difference in SOM content of different straw returning methods under the same nitrogen level (P > 0.05). Straw returning methods and nitrogen application level significantly affected AT digestion rate and digestion half-life, with significant differences among treatments (P < 0.05). It found that treatment SNM had the highest digestion rate and the shortest half-life of AT. Compared with Treatment CK, the digestion rate of Treatment SNM was increased by 5.3% on average, and the half-life was shortened by 3.9 days on average. Single regression and stepwise regression analysis of the half-life of AT degradation and SOM content in different soil layers (0~20 cm and 20~40 cm) showed that the degradation of AT was greatly affected by SOM content of 20~40 cm soil layer. Based on the comprehensive analysis, the effect of straw deep burial combined with medium nitrogen application rate (Treatment SNM) was best, which could achieve the goal of increasing SOM content and shortening the half-life of AT digestion. The research provided a technical support for straw resource utilization, alleviated AT pollution and improved farmland ecological environment in Hetao Irrigated District.

Effects of Straw Mulching and Reduced Tillage on Crop Production and Environment: A Review

Taking sustainable agriculture measures is critical to effectively cope with the effect of the increasing population on water shortage. Straw mulching and reduced tillage are the most successful measures adopted in arid and semi-arid regions which affect crop production by changing the crop environment. This review focuses on the effects of tillage and mulching on the soil environment, including soil organic matter, soil moisture, soil temperature, soil microorganisms, soil enzyme activity, soil fertility, soil carbon emissions, pests, weeds, and soil erosion. In addition, water use efficiency and crop production are discussed under different tillage measures. Straw mulching can increase soil organic matter content, adjust soil moisture, and prevent water loss and drought; however, it can also lead to an increase in pests and diseases, and change the structure of the soil microbial community. Straw mulching can significantly enhance WUE (water use effectively) and yield. Reducing tillage maintains soil integrity, which is conducive to soil and water conservation, but could negatively impact crop yield and WUE. Precise field management measures, taken according to crop varieties and local conditions, not only ensure the high yield of crops but also protect the environment.

Synergistic effects of straw and earthworm addition on microbial diversity and microbial nutrient limitation in a subtropical conservation farming system

Conservation farming systems with straw return and no-tillage are recommended as effective methods for soil quality improvement, and they are often accompanied by increases in soil fauna populations. Recently, attempts have been made to improve the soil fertility in conservation agriculture through enhanced bioturbation by adding earthworms to no-till fields. However, the mechanisms associated with the responses in terms of soil functions, such as microbial diversity and microbial nutrient metabolism, to the synergistic effects of biotic and abiotic factors remain unclear. In this study, plow layer and plow pan soils were collected from subtropic cropland, and a full factorial microcosm experiment was conducted to quantify the effects of straw mulching and adding earthworms on the soil nutrient contents, microbial diversity, and extracellular enzymatic activities. The results showed that the single application of straw significantly increased the soil organic carbon (C), the ratio of C to nitrogen (N), and the ratio of C to phosphorus (P) in the plow layer soil (p < 0.05). The combined addition of straw and earthworms significantly increased the microbial diversity (Observed species, Chao 1 and Shannon), C/N/P-acquiring enzymatic activities, and microbial C limitation (p < 0.05), but decreased the microbial P limitation (p < 0.05) in the plow pan soil. Adding straw or earthworms did not affect the soil nutrient content in the plow pan soil (p > 0.05), microbial diversity, C-acquiring enzymatic activities, and microbial C and P limitations in the plow layer soil (p > 0.05). Structural equation models indicated that straw mulching indirectly affected the soil microbial diversity and microbial nutrient limitation through the buffering effects of aggregate stability and the C/P ratio in the plow layer soil. By contrast, the soil microbial activities were directly influenced by straw and earthworm addition in the plow pan soil. These findings indicate that earthworms enhanced soil microbial metabolism when straw was added by improving the substrate availability, and the soil physicochemical properties determined the asynchronous responses of the soil functions to land management. We suggest that the combined addition of organic matter and earthworms can improve the quality of soil in infertile land.