Cultivation effects on soil texture and fertility in an arid desert region of northwestern China

In arid desert regions of northwestern China, reclamation and subsequent irrigated cultivation have become effective ways to prevent desertification, expand arable croplands, and develop sustainable agricultural production. Improvement in soil texture and fertility is crucial to high soil quality and stable crop yield. However, knowledge on the long-term effects of the conversion of desert lands into arable croplands is very limited. To address this problem, we conducted this study in an arid desert region of northwestern China to understand the changes in soil physical-chemical properties after 0, 2, 5, 10, 17, and 24 years of cultivation. Our results showed that silt and clay contents at the 17-year-old sites increased 17.5 and 152.3 folds, respectively, compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The soil aggregate size fraction and its stability exhibited an exponential growth trend with increasing cultivation ages, but no significant change was found for the proportion of soil macroaggregates (>5.00 mm) during the 17 years of cultivation. The soil organic carbon (SOC) content at the 24-year-old sites was 6.86 g/kg and increased 8.8 folds compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The total (or available) nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents showed significant increasing trends and reached higher values after 17 (or 24) years of cultivation. Changes in soil physical-chemical properties successively experienced slow, rapid, and stable development stages, but some key properties (such as soil aggregate stability and SOC) were still too low to meet the sustainable agricultural production. The results of this long-term study indicated that reasonable agricultural management, such as expanding no-tillage land area, returning straw to the fields, applying organic fertilizer, reducing chemical fertilizer application, and carrying out soil testing for formula fertilization, is urgently needed in arid desert regions.     

Soil aggregate formation and stability induced by starch and cellulose

Soil aggregate (SA) can be formed and stabilized when soil organic matter (SOM) is decomposed in the soil. However, the relationships between the SA dynamics and SOM with different decomposition rates have not been clarified. Therefore, this study examined the effects of the addition of polysaccharides to soil on SA formation and stability. A Japanese tropical soil was incubated for 99 d at 30 °C in a dark environment following the addition of 0.5% (w/w) starch or cellulose. The decomposition rates of the amendments, and SA formation and stability were evaluated by measuring soil respiration rates, and distribution fractions of soil aggregate sizes and mean weight diameter (MWD) of SA, respectively. The cumulative soil respirations with all treatments rapidly increased until Day 12 of the incubation. The initial slope of the cumulative soil respiration in the soil with starch was significantly higher than that in the soil with cellulose. In either soil with starch or cellulose, the fractions of macro-aggregates (>1000 μm in diameter) significantly increased, respectively, compared with control soil. However, the fractions of meso-aggregates (250–1000 μm) and nano-aggregate (<20 μm) in the soil with starch significantly decreased, while those fractions in the soil with cellulose fluctuated until Day 6. The MWDs reached the maximum on Day 6, indicating the SA formation in the soils with starch or cellulose. The increasing rate of the SA formation in the starch-amended soil was greatly higher than that in the cellulose-amended soil. After Day 6, the MWDs in the soils with either polysaccharide decreased with similar trends with no significant differences between treatments, indicating similar stability of the SA in both treatments. This study showed that the different decomposability of the organic amendments might influence the SA formation differently, but not the SA stability.     

施用有机肥对土壤团聚体稳定性的影响

施用有机肥是循环农业的典型措施,能够净化环境、保证食品安全、加强土壤的可持续利用。本文以中国农业大学曲周试验站长期设施蔬菜地为研究对象,试验已进行6年,共设单施有机肥、有机无机配施与无机肥3种施肥处理。结果表明:施用有机肥处理的土壤有机C含量显著高于有机无机配施和无机肥处理107.02%、171.71%;干筛分析表明有机肥处理下的土壤非水稳性团聚体的平均重量直径(WMD)和几何平均直径(GMD)值均显著高于有机无机配施与无机肥65.68%、4.18%和16.80%、8.26%;湿筛结果也表明有机肥处理下的土壤水稳性团聚体WMD、GMD值显著高于有机无机配施与无机肥41.12%、34.78%和77.78%、63.16%;0~20 cm耕层有机肥处理增加了土壤分散系数,而20~40 cm耕层有机肥处理显著降低了土壤分散系数。在蔬菜有机栽培中单施有机肥可增加土壤有机C、非水稳性团聚体、水稳性团聚体及耕层下微团聚体含量,是改良土壤结构的有效措施。     

山地丘陵区不同土地利用方式对空心村整治还田土壤团聚体特征的影响

以探明不同土地利用方式对土壤团聚体的影响为目的,为提高山地丘陵区空心村整治还田土壤稳定性及生产性能提供科学依据。在陕西澄县山地丘陵区空心村整治还田后,设置5种不同的土地利用方式,开展为期1年的种植试验,分别为玉米(C处理)、小麦(W处理)、蔬菜(V处理)、药材(M处理)及对照(未种:CK处理)。测定分析干筛法和湿筛法0—40cm土层土壤团聚体分布、平均质量直径(WMD)、几何平均直径(GMD)、团聚体破坏率(PAD)、不稳定团粒数(ELT)和分形维数(D)。结果表明:(1)各处理在0—40cm各土层土壤团聚体数量及大小均显著优于CK处理,各处理干筛下0—40cm土层0.25mm团聚体含量(DR0.25)和湿筛下该含量(WR0.25)随着土壤土层深度的增加呈现相反的趋势;(2)干筛法和湿筛法0—40cm土层各处理土壤平均重量直径(MWD)平均值和几何平均直径(GMD)平均值大小顺序均呈现W处理C处理M处理V处理CK处理,C处理有助于增加表层土壤大团聚体含量,W处理则有助于增加下层土壤大团聚体含量;(3)湿筛法分析表明,各处理土壤团聚体破坏率(PAD)和不稳定团粒指数(ELT)在0—40cm土层内均表现出近似"Z"字形趋势,各处理显著低于CK;(4)各处理的分形维数(D)在0—40cm土层平均值大小顺序为C处理W处理M处理V处理CK处理。土壤分形维数(D)与干筛法和湿筛法下0—40cm土层0.25mm团聚体含量之间存在良好的线性关系,分别为R2=0.74和R2=0.67。空心村整治还田后种植玉米和小麦有利于提高0—40cm土层大团聚体含量,增加土层稳定性,改善土壤结构。     

轮耕对冬春休闲旱地土壤结构及团聚体稳定性的影响

为了探索半干旱区合理的耕作制度,改善旱地土壤结构,提高农田生产力,于2007—2010年在宁南旱区进行了冬闲期免耕/深松/深松(N/S/S)、深松/免耕/免耕(S/N/N)、连年免耕(NT)及连年翻耕(CT)4种不同耕作模式试验,研究了轮耕对土壤孔隙度、团聚体结构组成及其稳定性的影响。结果表明,N/S/S轮耕处理较CT和NT显著降低了冬春休闲旱作农田0~20 cm土层的土壤容重和土壤孔隙度,降低幅度2.5%~3.1%,较S/N/N轮耕处理20~40 cm土层土壤孔隙度提高了2.8%(P0.05);NT处理与S/N/N轮耕处理0~40 cm土层0.25 mm机械稳定性与水稳性团聚体含量、平均重量直径(MWD)和几何平均直径(GMD)均高于翻耕处理。连续两年以上免耕处理(NT和S/N/N)能够促进旱作农田土壤团聚体的形成,增加了土壤团聚体平均重量直径和几何平均直径,降低了土壤团聚体的破坏率,提高了土壤的结构稳定性。     

北方土石山区植株密度对坡面流粒径分选的影响

为研究和阐明植株密度对坡面流粒径分选的影响,通过野外10°草地坡面恒流放水冲刷试验,定量研究3种植株密度(0株/m~2,20株/m~2,60株/m~2)在不同流量下(1m~3/h,2m~3/h,3m~3/h)的坡面流粒径分选性规律,从水动力学和侵蚀方式演变角度分析了植株密度对坡面流粒径分选性的影响。试验结果表明:(1)苜蓿草地侵蚀泥沙中细粉粒组分含量最多,其次是粗粉和细砂组分含量,而粗砂和粘粒组分含量最少。固定流量下,随着植株密度的增加,各粒径组分百分比及平均重量粒径(MWD)随时间的波动性增加,在侵蚀泥沙中细颗粒组分(粘粒、细粉粒、粗粉粒,粒径50μm)富集比ER相应增加,而粗颗粒组分(细砂、粗砂,粒径50μm)富集比ER有所减少。固定植株密度条件下,随着流量增加,各粒径组分百分比及MWD随时间的波动性减小,侵蚀泥沙中细颗粒组分富集比ER相应增加,而粗颗粒组分富集比ER增加,细颗粒组分富集比基本大于1,而粗颗粒组分富集比基本小于1。MWD与细颗粒含量呈负相关关系,与粗颗粒含量呈正相关。(2)细沟阶段侵蚀泥沙MWD明显大于片蚀阶段,而粒径分选过程的波动性较小。(3)水流剪切力τ及水流功率ω的增加导致片蚀阶段的缩短和细沟阶段的延长(除植株密度为60株/m~2),水流剪切力τ及水流功率ω的增加导致水流侵蚀力的增加,进而水流分离、输移粗颗粒增加。     

不同种植年限对菜地土壤结构的影响

为了探究不同种植年限对菜地土壤结构的影响情况,为土壤培肥提出切实可行的方法,采用萨维诺夫法分析了重庆市九龙坡区白市驿镇蔬菜基地种植1年、5年、10年的菜地土壤团聚体的组成情况及其差异。结果表明：水稳性团聚体含量以及稳定性在不同种植年限土壤间存在较大差异。对于0~20 cm土层土壤,1~0.25 mm、>3 mm和>5 mm水稳性团聚体含量均表现为1年>5年>10年,20~40 cm土层也存在类似变化。表明随着种植年限的增加,各土层土壤水稳性团聚体含量逐渐降低。对于0~20 cm土层,1年土壤>0.25 mm团聚体平均破坏率为27.78%,5年和10年土壤>0.25 mm团聚体平均破坏率分别高达49.86%、58.74%;对于各种植年限土壤20~40 cm土层也存在相同的趋势。说明随着种植年限的增加,土壤团聚体破坏率增高,土壤结构稳定性降低。相关分析表明,土壤有机质含量与种植年限、平均破坏率呈显著负相关（相关系数分别为-0.880*、-0.897*、n=6）,与>0.25 mm水稳性团聚体含量、>3 mm水稳性团聚体含量、>5 mm水稳性团聚体含量、3~1 mm水稳性团聚体含量、1~0.25 mm水稳性团聚体含量呈显著正相关（相关系数分别为0.897*、0.868*、0.859*、0.835*、0.829*、n=6）,土壤团聚体MWD与>0.25 mm水稳性团聚体含量之间达到极显著正相关（相关系数为0.985**,n=6）。说明随着种植年限增加,土壤有机质含量降低,水稳性团聚体含量增加,平均破坏率逐渐增加。>0.25 mm的水稳性团聚体含量越多,土壤平均重量直径(MWD)值越大,土壤团聚体稳定性越强。有机质含量是影响研究区紫色土土壤水稳性团聚体含量及稳定性的主要因素。     

黄土高原旱地保护性耕作农田土壤团聚体特性变化研究

以春玉米品种沈玉17为材料,设置保护性耕作（NT）、传统耕作＋秸秆还田（TS）和传统耕作（CT）3种耕作方式,通过多年定位试验,研究黄土高原旱塬地保护性耕作农田土壤有机质及团聚体特性的变化。结果表明,NT与TS和CT相比能显著提高土壤有机质含量。干筛法分析结果表明,0-30 cm深度,NT处理粒径〉0.25mm的大团聚体含量、平均重量直径（mean weight diameter,MWD）均显著高于TS和CT处理。湿筛法分析结果表明,水稳性团聚体MWD在0-10 cm深度为NT〉TS〉CT,处理间差异显著（P〈0.05）;0-20 cm深度,NT处理土壤团聚体破坏率均低于CT处理。保护性耕作能促进土壤团聚体的形成,提高团聚体的稳定性,而传统耕作则由于人为扰乱土层结构,降低了土壤团聚体数量和稳定性。