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

Abstract

IntroductionInappropriate residue and nutrient management leads to soil degradation and the decline of soil quality and water storage capacity.MethodsAn 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. ResultsResults 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.ConclusionBased on the results of this study, SM+O is recommended as the most effective cultivation practice.

Long‐term combined subsoiling and straw mulching conserves water and improves agricultural soil properties

“…Reducing this mechanical damage prevents the infiltration capacity of the soil from gradually decreasing over time, and prevents deeper soil from drying out due to a lack of percolation. SS is thus beneficial for crop root growth, organic carbon content, and soil organism activity (Li et al, 2018) especially for the combination of subsoiling with organic fertilizer (Yang, Duan, et al, 2022;Yang, Li, et al, 2022; and straw mulching with organic fertilizer (Yang et al, 2023). In addition, compared to CS, SS improved soil pore circularity especially in the uppermost 50 cm of the soil (Figure 3), which allows moisture to be better retained and transported by the soil.…”

“…However, Schneider et al (2017) found that subsoiling could decrease crop yield due to nutrient leaching by high infiltration rates, which may result from differences in soil types. In addition, Yang, Duan, et al (2022), Yang, Li, et al (2022), and Yang et al (2023) found that subsoiling combined with organic fertilizer, and straw mulching coupled with organic fertilizer, both improved soil properties and soil organism activities, which led to increased crop yields. The effects on agricultural soil properties of straw mulching after long-term subsoiling tillage, or after long-term conventional tillage, have not been sufficiently researched.…”

“…The addition of straw to the soil may also increase the fertility, permeability, and moisture retention characteristics of the soil (Xu, 2019) while inhibiting weed growth. Combining straw application with other farming techniques that also improve the soil may lead to overall better soil quality and thereby promote soil sustainability and soil moisture conservation, and increase crop yields and water use efficiency, which helps conserve water (Yang, Duan, et al, 2022;Yang, Li, et al, 2022;Yang et al, 2023;Zhang et al, 2023).…”

Investigating the synergistic effects of biochar, trans-zeatin riboside, and Azospirillum brasilense on soil improvement and enzymatic activity in water-stressed wheat

“…Wheat plant and soil enzymatic activity plays a critical role in determining the overall health and productivity of these essential agricultural components. It’s still unclear how these enzyme activities relate to the way they respond to drought stress [ 9 ]. To better understand how plants withstand dry conditions and develop strategies to mitigate the detrimental effects of water scarcity on agricultural output, we must gain insight into how drought stress affects these enzyme functions [ 10 ].…”

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

“…A study conducted by Zhou et al [15] revealed that straw mulching not only improved soil moisture retention and soil structure but also suppressed weed growth. According to a study written by Yang et al [16] the utilization of 4-6 t/ha of straw mulch has been found to significantly improve soil physical conditions in tropical regions. This includes the protection of the topsoil.…”