Abstract
Field experiments were conducted to assess the effects of straw incorporation (SI) on total organic carbon (TOC) and labile organic C fractions at 0–0.4 m depths and on crop yields in a rice–wheat-cropping system at two sites [Jiangyan (JY) and Guangde (GD)] from 2012 to 2016. Two treatments were established at each site: straw removal (SR) and SI. Soil samples were collected from depths of 0–0.1, 0.1–0.2 and 0.2–0.4 m. Dissolved organic C (DOC), microbial biomass C (MBC), easily oxidizable C (EOC) and particulate organic C (POC) were measured. A C pool management index (CPMI) was also calculated. Straw incorporation increased average rice and wheat grain yields by 11.6 and 11.1%, respectively, at the JY site. However, at the GD site, no significant differences were found in average crop yields between treatments. The TOC at 0–0.2 m was 13.8–22.3% higher under SI than under SR at the JY site, whereas 32.2% higher value was found only at 0–0.1 m at the GD site. DOC, MBC and EOC at 0–0.1 m, and POC at 0–0.2 m were all greater under SI than under SR at both sites. Thus, POC is a more sensitive indicator of changes in TOC induced by SI in topsoil. Straw incorporation led to a 1.4–1.6 times higher CPMI at 0–0.1 m at both sites. We conclude that SI is an effective practice for improving crop productivity and TOC sequestration in a rice–wheat-cropping system, although the site specificity of this practice should be considered before it is adopted.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Plan of China (2016YFD0200804) and the National Basic Research Program of China (2013CB127401). We would like to thank Prof. Stephen Chapmen from The James Hutton Research Institute for his critical reading of this manuscript and Mr. Changzhou Li for supporting the field experiments.
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Chen, Z., Wang, Q., Wang, H. et al. Crop yields and soil organic carbon fractions as influenced by straw incorporation in a rice–wheat cropping system in southeastern China. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 112, 61–73 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-018-9929-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-018-9929-3