Long-Term Impacts of Different Cropping Patterns on Soil Physico-Chemical Properties and Enzyme Activities in the Low Land Plain of North China

Abstract

Various cropping patterns are extensively used on the North China Plain, which greatly alter various soil properties. Although these soil properties respond differently to the different cropping patterns, little is known about the possible effects of cropping patterns on desalinized soils. To assess the effects of the different cropping patterns on soil properties and enzyme activities, a long-term field experiment was conducted at the Nanpi Agro-Ecological Station in Hebei Province, China. The cropping patterns under study were the single-cropping patterns of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), spring maize (Zea mays), and spring cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), and the double-cropping pattern of winter wheat–summer maize (WW–SM), which is the predominant cropping pattern on the North China Plain. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 0–100 cm, depending on the soil properties. Our results indicated that soil available phosphorous (P) and available potassium (K) concentrations at 0–20 cm were greater than those of the subsurfaces. Soil organic matter declined with depth, and WW–SM had the highest amount in the deep levels. The WW–SM cropping pattern also generally showed greater levels of enzyme activities than did the single-cropping patterns, proving that diverse crops can enhance enzyme activities. Soil pH generally increased with depth despite there being no significant differences between the cropping patterns. No significant effects were observed on soil electrical conductivity (EC). However, EC generally increased with depth in spring cotton and winter wheat and declined in spring maize and WW–SM. Winter wheat had a significant aggregate size (<0.053 mm) at 20–40 cm depth and generally showed the lowest amount of nutrients. This study suggests that a fallow period allows the soil to regenerate its structure, whereas WW–SM enhances high soil organic matter in the deep soil layers and promotes increased soil enzyme activities. This indicates that crop rotation could sustainably exploit soil resources without reducing fertility over a long period. There is a need to incorporate different soil management practices for single-cropping patterns to increase their productivity, especially in spring maize, whose organic matter declined the most. Our results also show a need to diversify to different crop rotations to utilize their benefits and enhance soil productivity while increasing crop output.

Long-term integrated soil-crop management improves soil microbial community structure to reduce GHG emission and increase yield

“…Soil physicochemical characteristics can evaluate soil quality. The tillage practices ( Coulibaly et al, 2022 ), straw return ( Huang et al, 2021 ), fertilization practices ( Zhao et al, 2021 ), and cropping patterns ( Gikonyo et al, 2022 ) can significantly affect soil physicochemical properties. Increasing the content of effective soil N, P and K can improve crop yield ( Gondwe et al, 2020 ).…”

“…10.3389/fmicb. 2022.1024686 Frontiers in Microbiology 09 frontiersin.org (Huang et al, 2021), fertilization practices (Zhao et al, 2021), and cropping patterns (Gikonyo et al, 2022) can significantly affect soil physicochemical properties. Increasing the content of effective soil N, P and K can improve crop yield (Gondwe et al, 2020).…”

Effect of Previous Crops and Soil Physicochemical Properties on the Population of Verticillium dahliae in the Iberian Peninsula

“…The previous cropping history with the V. dahliae host and non-host affected the ID of the pathogen in the soil not only through its direct influence, but also through its influence on the physicochemical properties of the soil. The Mg exchange values were higher in the fields with the very favourable history than the barely favourable previous cropping history fields in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as in the fields with spring cotton (one of the most common host crops of V. dahliae in the favourable treatment) compared to spring maize single-cropping patterns for ten years in North China [ 26 ]. In addition, the Na exchange increased in the fields when the hosts of V. dahliae were cropped for four out of the five previous years (favourable treatment) in this study and when sugar beet (a host crop of V. dahliae employed in the very favourable cropping history group of this study) was intercropped with maize for five consecutive years in the Dura sub-catchment, northern Ethiopia [ 27 ].…”

Effects of Watermelon Cropping Management on Soil Bacteria and Fungi Biodiversity

“…Different typical and beneficial crop planting patterns have a positive impact on soil properties [31], such as increasing OM content [32,33]. Gikonyo et al (2022) reported that the winter wheatsummer maize planting rotation had higher soil OM than other crop planting patterns [34]. Furthermore, the melon-cowpea intercropped system showed significantly increased TN, AP, and OM levels [35].…”