Long-Term Minimum Tillage and Straw Retention Promote Macroaggregate Formation, Carbon and Nitrogen Sequestration under Wheat-Maize Rotation in Northern China

Zhijie Ren, Xiaojie Han, Zhidong Han, Wenzhong Tian, Junhong Li, Junjie Lv, Yuanxin Shen, Yingxin Xie, Geng Ma, Gezi Li, Yanan Zhao () and Chenyang Wang ()
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Zhijie Ren: College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
Xiaojie Han: National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Zhengzhou 450002, China
Zhidong Han: National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Zhengzhou 450002, China
Wenzhong Tian: Luoyang Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Luoyang 471023, China
Junhong Li: Luoyang Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Luoyang 471023, China
Junjie Lv: Luoyang Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Luoyang 471023, China
Yuanxin Shen: College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
Yingxin Xie: National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Zhengzhou 450002, China
Geng Ma: National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Zhengzhou 450002, China
Gezi Li: National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Zhengzhou 450002, China
Yanan Zhao: College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
Chenyang Wang: National Engineering Research Center for Wheat, Zhengzhou 450002, China

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: Conservation tillage is believed to promote soil aggregate stability, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) sequestration, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, soil samples from an 18-year experiment including conventional tillage with straw removal (CT), deep scarification with straw mulching (DS), and no-tillage with straw mulching (NT) were used to obtain different fractions based on a comprehensive wet-sieving method of aggregate and particle size. The results showed that NT and DS increased soil organic carbon (SOC) and N by 9.3–16.4% and 10.8–25.8%, respectively, in addition to increasing the weight proportion of macroaggregates and the contribution of macroaggregate-associated C and N to total SOC and N. The C change in the total POM accounted for 77.4% and 79.9% of the total SOC increase by NT and DS, while the MAOM only accounted for 29.2% and 25.2%, respectively. Meanwhile, microaggregates-within-macroaggregates accounted for 96.9% and 90.5% of the SOC increase by NT and DS, respectively. The total SOC and N were positively correlated with the C and N of the macroaggregates and subfractions. In conclusion, the formation of macroaggregates drives soil C and N sequestration under conservation tillage, and POM and mM were important functional pools in this process.

Keywords: carbon sequestration mechanism; conservation tillage; straw mulching; aggregate-associated C and N; mineral-associated organic matter (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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