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cje ›› 2011, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (09): 1962-1968.

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Soil labile organic carbon and carbon pool management index as affected by different years no-tilling with straw mulching. 

CAI Tai-yi1,2, HUANG Yao-wei3, HUANG Hui-juan1, JIA Zhi-kuan2**, LI Li-ke4, YANG Bao-ping2,HAN Si-ming2   

  1. 1Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454000, Henan, China;2The Chinese Arid Area Research Institute of Water-saving Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China;3Agriculture Department of Henan Province, Zhengzhou 450008, China;4College of Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University; Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
  • Online:2011-09-08 Published:2011-09-08

Abstract: A field experiment (2000-2010) was conducted at the Heyang Dryland Farming Experimental Station in Shaanxi Province of China to study the effects of no-tillage with straw mulching on soil labile organic carbon (LOC) and carbon management index (CMI), and further, to search the appropriate years for no-tillage with straw mulching. Five treatments of different years no-tillage with straw mulching, i.e., 1 year (S1), 3 years (S3), 5 years (S5), 8 years (S8), and 10 years (S10), and two treatments of conventional cultivation (CK) and 10 years no-tillage with zero straw mulch (CK0) were installed. In treatments S1, S3, S5, S8, and S10, the organic carbon (TOC) content in 0-10 cm soil layer increased by 7.6%, 13.5%, 25.4%, 48.6%, and 79.0%, LOC content increased by  40.1%, 51.5%, 102.4%, 78.4%, and 75.3%, and CMI increased by  49.4%, 61.2%, 126.8%, 85.4% and 75.3%,  respectively, compared with CK. The spring maize grain yield, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and available phosphorus had significant correlations with soil LOC and CMI (P <0.01), but less correlation with soil TOC. As compared to soil TOC, soil LOC and CMI could more rapidly and objectively reflect the effects of no-tillage with straw mulching on soil carbon pool and maize grain yield, and be used as the indices to assess the ecological effects of no-tillage with straw mulching. The appropriate years for no-tillage with straw mulching in Weibei dryland area of China could be 5-8 years.

Key words: Paddy soil, Methanogenesis, Iron oxide, Hydrogen, Carbon dioxide