Residue Mulching Alleviates Coastal Salt Accumulation and Stimulates Post-Fallow Crop Biomass under a Fallow–Maize ( Zea mays L.) Rotation System

Yifu Zhang, Wei Yuan and Lianjie Han
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Yifu Zhang: School of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
Wei Yuan: School of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
Lianjie Han: School of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: Fallow, a field where living plants are unplanted for a period, is continually implemented to accumulate moisture for the upcoming cultivation. However, there are less studies on the fallow strategies in one-crop-per-annum cropping system for coastal saline soils. In this study, 2-year “fallow + maize ( Zea mays L.)” rotation experiments were carried out from 2016 to 2018 to assess how the mulching determine post-fallow soil moisture, salt distribution, and crop performance. Three treatments were designed, i.e., traditional cultivation without residue retention (TT), traditional tillage with total straw mulching during fallow (TT + SM), and no-till cultivation combined fallow mulching (NT + SM). After 2 years of fallow mulching with maize rotation, TT + SM reduced soil electrical conductivity (EC) and total salt of the upper 30 cm soil profile by 22.9% and 25.4% ( p = 0.05), respectively, compared with the TT treatment. The results also indicate an improvement in volumetric soil water content (SWC) by 10.3%, soil organic matter (SOM) by 17.8%, and ultimately grain yield by 11.3% ( p = 0.05) under the TT + SM treatment. Fallow mulching is recommended as an acceptable way to protect soil health in coastal fresh-starved or rain-fed farming practice.

Keywords: coastal salt-affected soil; one-crop-per-annum cropping; fallow mulching; salt accumulation; crop growing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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