Effects of Cover Crops on Soil Inorganic Nitrogen and Organic Carbon Dynamics in Paddy Fields

Jun Sugai, Naoya Takashima, Koki Muto, Takatoki Kaku, Honoka Nakayama, Naomi Asagi and Masakazu Komatsuzaki ()
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Jun Sugai: College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University, 3-21-1, Ami 300-0393, Ibaraki, Japan
Naoya Takashima: i-Agri Corp., 2-12, Tsuchiura 300-0015, Ibaraki, Japan
Koki Muto: Nihon Shokken, 3-1, Yakoshinmei, Sakae-machi, Inba-gun 270-1501, Chiba, Japan
Takatoki Kaku: College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University, 3-21-1, Ami 300-0393, Ibaraki, Japan
Honoka Nakayama: College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University, 3-21-1, Ami 300-0393, Ibaraki, Japan
Naomi Asagi: College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University, 3-21-1, Ami 300-0393, Ibaraki, Japan
Masakazu Komatsuzaki: College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University, 3-21-1, Ami 300-0393, Ibaraki, Japan

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-16

Abstract: Rice is a staple food in Asia, and its impact on the environment is considerable, such as chemical input concerns. Organic rice farming represents an alternative approach to reducing environmental concerns throughout rice production. However, the precise nutrient management to optimize organic rice production while recovering soil residual nitrogen (N) for the subsequent crops remains unclear. This study aims to: (1) assess nutrient recovery in soil cultivated with cover crops, including Italian ryegrass and hairy vetch, and (2) investigate the optimization of nutrient management in organic rice farming using cover crops. An experiment was conducted in a paddy field adopting cover crop plots and fallow (FA) plots in four replicates each from 2021 to 2023. In addition, incubation studies were conducted in 2021 and 2022. The incubation study included various treatments: (1) soil from cover crop or FA plots, (2) with or without cover crop residues, (3) with or without weed input (2021). In 2022, fertilizer input replaced weed input. The field study indicated cover crop biomass was larger than that of weeds. Furthermore, it can determine cover crops have more recyclable plant N compared to weeds when incorporated into the soil. In contrast, there was no noticeable difference in soil inorganic N and soil total organic carbon (C) contents between cover crop and FA plots at the 0–90 cm depth. In the incubation study, we found the soil of cover crop plots and cover crop input show less inorganic N than the soil of FA plots and cover crop input during the incubation period. However, the soil of the cover crop plots and cover crop input showed a high inorganic N content after setting the flooded condition. It indicates the soil of cover crop plots, and cover crop input provides N to the soil for a longer period. Overall, our results show that winter cover crop application in paddy fields contributes to N recovery and helps maintain soil fertility. Specifically, the occasional cultivation of a combination of Italian ryegrass and hairy vetch as winter cover crops can contribute to reducing the reliance on chemical fertilizers. This practice also promotes sustainable rice farming in paddy fields.

Keywords: cover crop; paddy fields; soil nitrogen recovery; soil carbon stock; sustainable rice farming (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: 2024
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