Effect of conservation tillage on crop yield and soil organic carbon in Northeast China: A meta-analysis

Northeast China, the important grain-producing region in China, is under threat from soil degradation because of long-term conventional tillage (CT). The adoption of conservation tillage is anticipated to restore soil fertility, maintain crop yields and enhance sustainability. However, the integrated effects of conservation tillage practice on crop yields and soil organic carbon (SOC) remain unclear. In this meta-analysis of peer-reviewed studies conducted in the Northeast China region, we assess crop yields and SOC values under no-till, ridge tillage and subsoiling tillage practices. The results indicate that in areas with mean annual temperatures (MAT) below 3°C, crop yields were significantly (p < .05) higher under ridge tillage (0.8%) and subsoiling tillage (13.1%) compared with CT, whereas yields reduced under no-till (−3.7%). Ridge tillage generally had a similar effect on crop yield as no-till, without the negative impact in colder regions. We also report that no-till practice increased SOC concentrations by 24.1%, 43.9% and 17.4% in areas of higher temperature (MAT > 6°C), low mean annual precipitation (MAP) (<500 mm) and continuous cropping conditions, respectively. Ridge tillage and subsoiling tillage also had positive effects on SOC concentrations (to a lesser degree than no-till), indicating that conservation tillage can enhance SOC in Northeast China. Overall, the implementation of different conservation tillage measures in Northeast China was found to enhance crop yields and sequester carbon. We recommend that ridge tillage is used in colder areas and that subsoiling tillage is used in rotation with other tillage measures to maintain crop yields.     

The effects of minimal tillage and contour cultivation on surface runoff, soil loss and crop yield in the long-term Woburn Erosion Reference Experiment on sandy soil at Woburn, England

Abstract. Over a 10-year period, runoff and soil erosion on the plots of the Woburn Erosion Reference Experiment were concentrated in periods with sparse vegetation cover: in winter after the late planting of cereals; in spring after the planting of beets; or when soils were bare after harvest. The mean event runoff of 1.32 mm from plots cultivated up-and-downslope was significantly greater ( P <0.05) than that from plots cultivated across-slope (0.82 mm). However, mean event soil loss was not significantly different between the two cultivation directions. No significant differences were found between minimal and standard cultivations. Mean event runoff from the across-slope/minimal tillage treatment combination (0.58 mm) was significantly less ( P <0.01) than from the up-and-downslope/minimal tillage (1.41 mm), up-and-downslope/standard tillage (1.24 mm), and across-slope/standard tillage (1.07 mm) treatment combinations. Runoff from the across-slope/standard treatment combination was significantly ( P <0.05) less than from the up-and-downslope/minimal tillage treatment. The across-slope/minimal tillage treatment combination had a significantly smaller ( P <0.05) event soil loss (67 kg ha⁻¹) than the up-and-downslope/standard tillage (278 kg ha⁻¹) and up-and-downslope/minimal tillage (245 kg ha⁻¹) combinations. Crop yields were significantly ( P <0.05) higher on across-slope plots in 1988, 1996 and 1997 than on up-and-downslope plots, and were also higher (but not significantly) on the across-slope plots in 7 of the 8 remaining years. Minimal cultivation decreased yield compared with standard cultivation in one year only. We recommend that across-slope cultivation combined with minimal tillage be investigated at field scale to assess its suitability for incorporation into UK farming systems.     

Effects of rotational tillage practices on soil structure,organic carbon concentration and crop yields in semi‐arid areas of northwest China

Continuous conventional tillage can cause serious soil degradation in rain‐fed agriculture, which reduces crop productivity. Adopting suitable tillage practices is very important for improving the soil and increasing crop productivity. Between 2007 and 2010, a 3‐year field study was conducted in semi‐arid areas of southern Ningxia, China, to determine the effects of rotational tillage practices on bulk density, soil aggregate, organic carbon concentration and crop yields. Three tillage treatments were tested: no‐tillage the first and third year and subsoiling the second year (NT/ST/NT); subsoiling the first and third year and no‐tillage the second year (ST/NT/ST); and conventional tillage each year (CT). A conventional tillage treatment was used as the control. Under the rotational tillage treatments, the mean soil bulk density at a depth of 0–60 cm was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased by 4.9% compared with CT, and with the best effect under ST/NT/ST. The soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration and aggregate size fractions and stability at 0–40 cm depth were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in rotational tillage treatments when compared with the conventional tillage, and the ST/NT/ST treatment produced the highest increases. Significant differences were detected in the SOC concentration in 2 to 0.25–mm size fractions at 0–30 cm depth between rotational tillage treatments and conventional tillage. Biomass and grain yield with the rotational tillage practices were significantly positively influenced over 3 years, and ST/NT/ST produced the highest average crop yields among the three treatments. Therefore, it was concluded that the application of rotational tillage with subsoiling every 2 years and no‐tillage every other year (ST/NT/ST) should be of benefit in promoting the development of dryland farming in semi‐arid areas of northwest China.     

Influence of former lynchets on soil cover structure and soil organic carbon storage in agricultural land,Central Czechia

Lynchets represent a traditional landscape element in agricultural landscapes having multiple functions in soil material redistribution, water retention, biodiversity and landscape character. They act as a barrier to translocated soil matter, and they can store a significant amount of soil material and soil organic carbon. Lynchets developed in many regions during formation of agriculture landscape as field boundaries or path networks. Further management led to unleveling of the fields and development of lynchets. During the 20th century, a large number of lynchets disappeared in Central and Western Europe due to land consolidation, intensification and industrialization of agriculture. This study was performed at a large agricultural study plot with dissected relief (Central Czechia) with the aim of assessing the influence of former but now completely levelled lynchets on actual soil stratigraphy, depth, soil organic carbon stocks and structure of soil units. The soil profiles in 20‐m‐long transects perpendicular to former lynchets were analysed, and statistical relationships between the positions above, in and below the former lynchets were assessed. The results showed high variability of studied soil characteristics in the areas of former lynchets. Statistically significant greater A horizon thickness (50–100 cm) and SOC stock (12.7 kg/m²) were observed in the location of a former lynchet, where colluvial soils were identified. Other areas of accumulation were identified below a lynchet, at the former break‐in‐slope. The strip above a lynchet was identified as a sediment delivery area, having a partly truncated soil profile. SOC concentration and SOC stock in A horizon did not differ significantly in the positions in, above or below a lynchet.     

Influence of tillage on crop residue cover, soil properties and yield components of cowpea in derived savannah ectones of Nigeria

The effects of five tillage treatments: no tillage (NT), disc harrowing (DH), mouldboard ploughing followed by disc harrowing (MPH), disc ploughing followed by disc harrowing (DPH), and disc ploughing followed by two passes of disc harrowing (DPHH) on crop residue cover, soil properties and some yield parameters of cowpea were investigated for a derived savannah ectone soil. The residue left on the soil surface for NT, DH, and MPH is not significantly different. The NT left 32.1 and 44.3% more residue on the soil surface than the DPH and DPHH treatments, respectively. The NT treatment had least average value of soil bulk density of 1.01 g/cm³. The mean soil bulk densities for the DH, MPH, DPH and DPHH vary between 1.20 and 1.35 g/cm³. The soil moisture content decreased with increasing soil depth. At the soil depth of 10–30 cm, the cone penetration resistance at NT was 1.18 MPa compared with 0.92 MPa for the DH treatment, although these were not significant (p≤0.05). The tillage treatments had a significant effect on grain yield, mass of leaves and stems, root length density, and number of pods per plant of cowpea except on the germination count. DH and NT treatments gave different grain yield and number of pods per plant but these values were not statistically different and represent the highest grain yield and number of pods per plant among the other treatments were considered. The root zone exploration revealed highest root density at shallow depths with the DH and MPH treatments.     

Effects of alternative tillage systems on soil quality and yield of spring cereals on silty clay loam and sandy loam soils in the cool, wet climate of central Norway

Tillage trials were established on a poorly drained silty loam overlying silty clay loam and on a freely drained sandy loam overlying medium sand, in 1988 and 1989, respectively. Autumn and spring ploughing and two ploughless systems were compared for 12–13 years, with three replications at each site. The ploughless treatments comprised deep versus shallow spring harrowing until 1999, and thereafter autumn plus spring harrowing versus spring harrowing only. In 6 years, treatments with and without fungal spraying of the cereal crops were included. In other years, fungicides were not used. Perennial weeds were controlled by herbicides as necessary, on nine occasions up until 2001. Average spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and spring oat (Avena sativa L.) yields were similar with spring ploughing as with autumn ploughing at both sites. In treatments without ploughing, average yields on the silty loam over clay were 93% of those obtained with ploughing, and on the sandy loam over sand they were 81%. Smaller and non-significant yield differences were found between spring harrowing versus deep spring harrowing, and between autumn plus spring harrowing versus spring harrowing only. Fungal spraying increased yields markedly at both sites (25%), but there was no significant interaction between this treatment and tillage system. Oat was compared with barley in 2 years, with oat performing better under ploughless tillage. At both sites increases in penetrometer resistance occurred in the topsoil of unploughed treatments. These were considered particularly limiting on the sandy loam. On the silty loam there was an increase in surface horizon porosity in the absence of ploughing, which was associated with an increase in topsoil organic matter content. On this soil there was also a tendency toward lower penetrometer resistance at >30 cm depth on autumn plus spring harrowed soil than on ploughed soil, indicating that the plough pan may have diminished. This was supported by observations of greater earthworm activity on unploughed soil. Soil chemical analyses revealed that mineral N and plant-available P and K accumulated in the upper horizon under ploughless tillage. The percentage yields obtained in individual years with autumn as opposed to spring ploughing, were positively correlated with air temperature during 0–4 weeks after planting on the silty loam, and with precipitation during 0–12 weeks after planting on the sandy loam. In the case of yields obtained with spring harrowing only, relative to spring ploughing, positive correlations were found with 0–4 week temperature on both soil types, suggesting that low early season temperatures may limit yields under ploughless tillage.     

有机肥替代部分无机肥对华北农田土壤理化特性、酶活性及作物产量的影响

以华北平原农田土壤为研究对象,2012~2015年连续4年研究了有机肥替代部分无机肥对土壤中养分含量、土壤酶活性和作物产量的影响。结果表明：1)0.3M处理(70％无机肥＋3000 kg/hm2有机肥)和0.5 M处理(50％无机肥＋6000 kg/hm2有机肥)与NPK处理(单施无机肥)相比都提高了土壤中全氮、有效磷、速效钾含量,且0.5 M高于0.3 M,说明有机肥替代无机肥的比例越高,土壤中全氮、有效磷、速效钾含量就越高。2)土壤中脲酶活性大小顺序NPK>0.3 M>0.5 M>CK,蔗糖酶活性和过氧化氢酶活性为0.5 M>0.3 M>NPK,说明有机肥可以显著提高蔗糖酶和过氧化氢酶活性。3)小麦4年累计产量0.3 M处理比NPK处理提高5.95％,0.5 M处理比NPK处理降低0.94％,;玉米4年累计产量则是0.3 M比NPK处理降低1.27％,0.5 M处理比NPK处理降低2.00％。综上所述,本研究表明,有机肥替代30％无机肥处理能够保证粮食产量,有机肥替代50％无机肥处理更能提高土壤肥力。     

Long‐term effects of tillage,nutrient application and crop rotation on soil organic matter quality assessed by NMR spectroscopy

Crop and land management practices affect both the quality and quantity of soil organic matter (SOM) and hence are driving forces for soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. The objective of this study was to assess the long‐term effects of tillage, fertilizer application and crop rotation on SOC in an agricultural area of southern Norway, where a soil fertility and crop rotation experiment was initiated in 1953 and a second experiment on tillage practices was initiated in 1983. The first experiment comprised 6‐yr crop rotations with cereals only and 2‐yr cereal and 4‐yr grass rotations with recommended (base) and more than the recommended (above base) fertilizer application rates; the second experiment dealt with autumn‐ploughed (conventional‐till) plots and direct‐drilled plots (no‐till). Soil samples at 0–10 and 10–30 cm depths were collected in autumn 2009 and analysed for their C and N contents. The quality of SOM in the top layer was determined by ¹³C solid‐state NMR spectroscopy. The SOC stock did not differ significantly because of rotation or fertilizer application types, even after 56 yr. However, the no‐till system showed a significantly higher SOC stock than the conventional‐till system at the 0–10 cm depth after the 26 yr of experiment, but it was not significantly different at the 10–30 cm depth. In terms of quality, SOM was found to differ by tillage type, rate of fertilizer application and crop rotation. The no‐till system showed an abundance of O‐alkyl C, while conventional‐till system indicated an apparently indirect enrichment in alkyl C, suggesting a more advanced stage of SOM decomposition. The long‐term quantitative and qualitative effects on SOM suggest that adopting a no‐tillage system and including grass in crop rotation and farmyard manure in fertilizer application may contribute to preserve soil fertility and mitigate climate change.     

Effects of repeated clover undersowing,green manure ley and weed harrowing on weeds and yields in organic cereals

Abstract

Cover crops can be used to reduce leaching and erosion, introduce variability into crop rotation and fix nitrogen (N) for use by the main crops, less is however known about effects on weeds. The effects on weed seed bank, weed growth and grain yield of 4 years of annual undersown clover and ryegrass alone and in combination, and one of the 4 years with clover or clover + grass as green manure, were studied in oat and spring wheat at two experimental sites in south-eastern Norway. These treatments were compared with no undersown crop (control) and with weed harrowing. In contrast to many results in the literature, the undersown clover in this study did not suppress annual weeds, but fertilized the weeds as well as the cereals. Undersown clover resulted in a statistically significant increase of grain yield at the two sites to 116% and 121% of control. During the 4-year period relative seed bank and density of emerged weed (dominated by Spergula arvensis) increased significantly about 4.5 and 10 times respectively in the undersown clover plots at Apelsvoll. At Kise both ryegrass alone and ryegrass mixed with clover significantly suppressed the weed biomass to 70% and 74% of control respectively. It is concluded that fertilization effects of undersown clover may have dominated and overriden the competitive effects. One whole-season clover green manure did not increase the mean yield, but resulted in a significant drop in seed bank size the following year, because of limited weed establishment in an established ley. Only a slight increase in average weed biomass was observed at one of the two experimental sites. The weed seed bank and the weed biomass were essentially kept at steady state during the experimental period in harrowed plots, but harrowing decreased grain yield significantly at both sites.     

耕作方式对豫南雨养区土壤微环境及冬小麦产量的影响

针对豫南雨养农业区降水基本满足作物生长需求但年内和年际间分配不均、土壤耕性差的生态实际,为解决小麦播种期和冬春干旱以及改善耕层水、肥、气、热等因子提供理论依据。于2007—2015年,在豫南雨养农业区进行了连续9a的大田定位试验,研究了不同耕作模式对小麦生长季土壤水分、容重、温度及冬小麦产量的影响。试验共设置6个处理:T1(传统翻耕)、T2(不覆盖/不深松+覆盖/免耕)、T3(覆盖/不深松+不覆盖/免耕)、T4(不覆盖/深松+不覆盖/免耕)、T5(覆盖/深松+覆盖/免耕)以及T6(不覆盖/不深松+还田/旋耕)。结果表明,(覆盖/深松+覆盖/免耕)T5可以有效提高小麦播种期0~40cm土层的含水量,为麦播提供较好的水分基础,不同耕作方式处理对冬小麦越冬期和返青期土壤日平均温度影响较小,不足以对冬小麦发育进程产生影响。(覆盖/深松+覆盖/免耕)T5能够有效降低耕层0~20cm和0~40cm的土壤容重。覆盖/深松+覆盖/免耕处理的前3a,冬小麦产量较对照有所降低,从第4年开始较对照增产,2011—2015年增产幅度分别为2.02%、2.83%、10.93%、5.88%、1.97%。以上结果表明,通过T5(覆盖/深松+覆盖/免耕)的简耕覆盖技术可以有效利用降水资源、培肥地力,提高产量,具有节本增效的作用。     

Influence of municipal compost on temperature, water, nutrient status and the yield of maize in a temperate soil

Abstract. Composted domestic waste was applied either as a mulch or was incorporated into the topsoil. Mulching reduced the seasonal midday soil temperature ranges from between 14 °C and 27.5 °C to between 14 °C and 26 °C, averaging a 0.6 °C fall. However, at sub-optimal temperatures for maize production under the temperate conditions of South East England, the difference may be critical. Compost mulch also improved soil-water conservation in an average year, but not in a very dry year. Compost application increased soil-available N, but increased K uptake was considered to be more important for crop yield than either N additions or the effect on retained soil water. Overall, compost applied as a surface mulch, or incorporated into medium-textured soils in the south and east of England increased crop yield.     

Impact of pig slurry on soil properties, water salinization, nitrate leaching and crop yield in a four-year experiment in Central Spain

Abstract. The repeated application of pig slurry to agricultural soils may result in an accumulation of salts and a risk of aquifer pollution due to nitrate leaching and salinization. Under Mediterranean conditions, a field experiment on a sandy loam soil (Typic Xerofluvent) was performed with maize (Zea mays) in 1998, 1999 and 2001 to study the effects of applying optimal (P1) and excessive rates (P3) of pig slurry on soil salinization, nitrate leaching and groundwater pollution. The rate of pig slurry was established considering the optimal N rate for maize in this soil (170, 162 and 176 kg N ha^?1 for 1998, 1999 and 2001, respectively). Pig slurry treatments were compared to an optimal N rate supplied as urea (U) and a control treatment without N fertilizer (P0). The composition of the slurries showed great variability between years. Mean NO₃^? leaching losses from 1998 to 2001 were 329, 215, 173 and 78 kg N ha^?1 for P3, P1, U and P0 treatments, respectively. The amount of total dissolved salts (TDS) added to the soil in slurry application between 1998 and 2001 was 2019 kg TDS ha^?1 for the P1 treatment and 6058 kg TDS ha^?1 for the P3 treatment. As a consequence, the electrical conductivity (EC) of the slurry‐treated soils was greater than that of the control soil. The EC correlated significantly with the sodium concentration of the soil solution. Over the entire experimental period, 2653, 2202 and 2110 kg Na ha^?1 entered the aquifer from the P3, P1 and P0 treatments, respectively. The P3 treatment did not significantly increase grain production in 1999 and 2001 compared with that achieved with the optimal N rate treatment (P1). This behaviour shows the importance of establishing application guidelines for pig slurry that will reduce the risk of soil and groundwater pollution.     

深松深度对砂姜黑土耕层特性、作物产量和水分利用效率的影响

研究深松深度对砂姜黑土耕层特性、作物产量和水分利用效率的影响,可为构建砂姜黑土合理耕层的耕作深度指标提供依据。本研究基于多年定位大田试验,采用大区对比设计,设置4个深松深度(30 cm、40 cm、50 cm、60 cm)处理,以旋耕(RT,平均耕作深度为15 cm)作为对照,研究不同深松深度对土壤紧实度、土壤三相比(R)值、作物根系形态、作物产量和水分利用效率的影响。研究结果表明,深松深度增加能显著降低土壤紧实度,使土壤的三相比(R)更加合理,进而促进作物根系生长。不同深松深度中,深松60 cm处理的土壤紧实度和三相比(R)值与对照相比降幅最大,深松40 cm处理的冬小麦根系生物量最大,深松50 cm处理的夏玉米根系生物量最大。深松不仅增加作物产量,还提高作物水分利用效率。深松30 cm处理的周年作物产量最高,比对照增产12.2%,但与深松40 cm处理差异不显著。深松50 cm处理的周年水分利用效率最高,但与深松30 cm和深松40 cm处理差异不显著。深松30 cm、40 cm和50 cm的周年水分利用效率比对照分别增加9.1%、8.8%和12.7%。因此,砂姜黑土适宜的深松深度为30~40 cm。     

Effect of mineral and organic fertilization on crop yield,nitrogen uptake,carbon and nitrogen balances,as well as soil organic carbon content and dynamics: results from 20 European long-term field experiments of the twenty-first century

Assembled results from 20 European long-term experiments (LTE), mainly from the first decade of the twenty-first century, are presented. The included LTEs from 17 sites are the responsibility of institutional members of the International Working Group of Long-term Experiments in the IUSS. Between the sites, average annual temperatures differ between 8.1 and 15.3°C, annual precipitation between 450 and 1400 mm, and soil clay contents between 3 and 31%. On average of 350 yield comparisons, combined mineral and organic fertilization resulted in a 6% yield benefit compared with mineral fertilization alone; in the case of winter wheat, the smallest effect was 3%, the largest effect, seen with potatoes, was 9%. All unfertilized treatments are depleted in soil organic carbon (SOC), varying between 0.36 and 2.06% SOC. The differences in SOC in unfertilized plots compared with the respective plots with combined mineral (NPK) and organic (10 t ha^?1 farmyard manure) fertilization range between 0.11 and 0.72%, with an average of 0.3% (corresponding to ～15 t ha^?1). Consequently, the use of arable soils for carbon sequestration is limited and of low relevance and merely depleted soils can temporarily accumulate carbon up to their optimum C content.     

Effect of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients on yield,economics, and energetics of pepper and soil properties in naturally ventilated polyhouse

A field experiment was conducted during the summer season of 2009 and 2010 at Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Hawalbagh, Almora, Uttarakhand, under the mid-hills of north-western Himalaya, to study the effect of farmyard manure and fertilizers on fruit yield, economics, energetics of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and on soil chemical properties. The highest level of farmyard manure (20 t ha^?1) along with 125% of recommended NPK (125, 27.5, and 52.1 kg N, P and K ha^?1) resulted in significantly higher fruit yield (33.9 t ha^?1) over other combinations. Both farmyard manure and inorganic fertilizers significantly increased fruits/plant, average fruit weight, plant height, fruit length, and fruit diameter. The maximum net returns (4520 $ ha^?1) was achieved at 20 t of FYM along with 125% of recommended NPK. Energy ratio of 1.29 and 1.13 was the highest under 20 t FYM ha^?1 and 125% of recommended NPK, respectively. Available nutrients (N, P, and K) improved the status of the soil significantly due to 20 t ha^?1 of FYM and 125% of recommended NPK over other treatments.