Wheat straw mulching offset soil moisture deficient for improving physiological and growth performance of summer sown soybean

Kashif Akhtar, Weiyu Wang, Ahmad Khan, Guangxin Ren, Muhammad Zahir Afridi, Yongzhong Feng and Gaihe Yang

Agricultural Water Management, 2019, vol. 211, issue C, 16-25

Abstract: In North-west china, the soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) is grown in June, when the climate is dry, and soil has limited moisture contents. Moisture deficiency limits the soybean biomass. We studied the effects of wheat straw mulching and nitrogen on soybean growth, physiology and soil properties in three-year field experiments. The treatments included three straw mulching i.e. S1 (0 kg ha−1), S2 (3000 kg ha−1) and S3 (6000 kg ha−1), and three nitrogen rates i.e. N1 (0 kg N ha−1), N2 (21.6 kg N ha−1), and N3 (27 kg N ha−1). Full mulching (S3) significantly increased moisture retention (7.4%) and decrease soil temperature (3.0%) in 0–20 cm soil depth, increased photosynthesis, SPAD-value, leaf area, leaf area index, growth, and soybean grain yield (20.8%) over no-mulching (S1). The S3 improved the roots mass, nodules number and weight than S1. The application of 27 kg N ha−1 or 100% N fertilizer (N3) had significantly increased photosynthesis, SPAD-value, growth, and biomass and seed yield of soybean over no-N application (N1). It was concluded that using straw mulching (6 Mg ha−1) can change the soil hydrothermal regime for provision of favorable condition for soybean growth when 27 kg N ha−1 was used in semi-arid condition of North-west China.

Keywords: Crop physiology; Soil moisture; Crop yield; Soybean (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:211:y:2019:i:c:p:16-25

DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2018.09.031

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