Crop Residue Return Rather Than Organic Manure Increases Soil Aggregate Stability under Corn–Soybean Rotation in Surface Mollisols

Yang Xiao, Meng Zhou, Yansheng Li, Xingyi Zhang, Guanghua Wang, Jian Jin, Guangwei Ding, Xiannan Zeng and Xiaobing Liu
Additional contact information
Yang Xiao: College of Resources and Environment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Meng Zhou: College of Resources and Environment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Yansheng Li: Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, China
Xingyi Zhang: Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, China
Guanghua Wang: Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, China
Jian Jin: Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, China
Guangwei Ding: Chemistry Department, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 57401, USA
Xiannan Zeng: Institute of Crop Cultivation and Tillage, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150023, China
Xiaobing Liu: College of Resources and Environment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-16

Abstract: Fertilization practices change soil organic carbon content and distribution, which is relevant to crop rotation and soil aggregates. However, how fertilization management under corn–soybean rotation affects soil organic carbon and aggregate stability at different soil depths in Mollisols is unclear. The effects of 6–yr fertilization under corn–soybean rotation on aggregate stability, soil organic carbon content and storage, and size distribution in soil aggregates were investigated. Five different fertilization practices were carried out in 2013: corn and soybean without fertilizer; corn with chemical fertilizer, soybean without fertilizer; corn with chemical fertilizer, soybean without fertilizer, returning the corn and soybean residues; corn and soybean with chemical fertilizer; and corn with chemical fertilizer, soybean with farmyard manure. Compared with corn and soybean without fertilizer, returning the corn and soybean residues increased bulk SOC content, and enhanced mean weight diameter and geometric mean diameter values at 0–10 cm because of increased water–stable aggregates (WSA) larger than 2 mm proportion and decreased WSA <0.053mm proportion. Simultaneously, corn with chemical fertilizer and soybean with farmyard manure increased bulk soil organic carbon content but reduced mean weight diameter and geometric mean diameter values at 0–20 cm due to increased WSA <0.053mm proportion and decreased WSA >2mm proportion. Altogether, the application of consecutive returning crop residues and chemical fertilizer in alternate years is the most favorable approach for soil organic carbon accumulation and aggregate stability at 0–10 cm under corn–soybean rotation in Mollisols.

Keywords: crop residue return; manure; aggregate stability; soil organic carbon; Mollisols (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
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/2/265/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/2/265/ (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:12:y:2022:i:2:p:265-:d:748393

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 ().