Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture in China: A Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Straw and Manure on Crop Yield and Soil Fertility

Zhe Zhao, Yali Yang (), Hongtu Xie, Yixin Zhang, Hongbo He, Xudong Zhang and Shijun Sun ()
Additional contact information
Zhe Zhao: Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Yali Yang: Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Hongtu Xie: Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Yixin Zhang: College of Water Conservancy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Hongbo He: Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Xudong Zhang: Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Shijun Sun: College of Water Conservancy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-27

Abstract: As the main organic materials, straw and manure play a critical role in soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and crop yield in China. This meta-analysis evaluated the impact of straw and manure amendments, both individually and combined, on crop yield, SOC, and soil nutrients in China by collecting 173 studies. The findings of this study revealed that straw return and manure application increased crop yields by 14.4% and 70.4%, respectively, overall. Combined straw and manure application gained a better improvement effect than straw alone but was less effective than manure alone. Regarding the straw return results, rice straw and a 3000–6000 kg ha −1 returning quantity improved crop yield, SOC, available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), and total nitrogen (TN) the most; regarding the straw return form, straw incorporated into soil and biochar increased crop yield and SOC more, respectively; and <5 years and ≥5 years of straw return treatment increased crop yield and TN more, respectively. Regarding manure application, pig and chicken manure increased crop yield and TN more, respectively; a 50–80% substitution ratio and 10–20 years of duration were best for improving crop yield, SOC, AP, AK, and TN. This study highlights the importance of optimal organic amendment through straw or manure applications to achieve a win–win between crop yield and soil fertility under the requirement of sustainable agriculture.

Keywords: meta-analysis; organic amendment; China; carbon sequestration; management strategy (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
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/3/480/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/3/480/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:14:y:2024:i:3:p:480-:d:1358180

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().