loading page

Soil organic carbon and iron oxides affects soil aggregate stability under straw returning and potassium fertilizer in a rice--rape cropping system
  • +3
  • Bin Xue,
  • Li Huang,
  • Jianwei Lu,
  • Xiaokun Li,
  • Ruili Gao,
  • Kamran Muhammad
Bin Xue
Ningxia University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
Li Huang
Huazhong Agricultural University
Author Profile
Jianwei Lu
Huazhong Agriculture University
Author Profile
Xiaokun Li
Huazhong Agricultural University
Author Profile
Ruili Gao
Ningxia University
Author Profile
Kamran Muhammad
Huazhong Agricultural University
Author Profile

Abstract

Soil organic carbon (SOC) and iron (Fe) oxides are known to affect the formation and stability of soil aggregates. However, the effects of SOC and Fe oxides on soil aggregates stability under straw returning and potassium (K) fertilizer application in paddy–upland rotation systems are less well-studied. This study primarily investigated soil aggregates dynamics and their stability indices (mean weight diameter, MWD; geometric mean diameter, GMD), and soil binders (SOC and iron oxides) after rice and rape harvests under four treatments: F1,mineral nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizer; F2, mineral NPK fertilizer; F3, mineral NP fertilizer with straw returning; F4, mineral NPK fertilizer with straw returning in rice–rape cropping system. Straw returning treatments (F3 and F4) significantly (P <0.05) increased MWD and GMD, but the effect of K is not obvious. The soil aggregates stability was higher after the rape harvest than rice harvest, but SOC content was the opposite. Straw input can increase the contents of SOC, alkane-C and aromatic-C concentrations, especially in >0.25 mm aggregates. Long-term straw incorporation significantly increased the amorphous (Feo) and complex iron oxides (Fep) concentrations. SOC and Fep in bulk soil and >5 mm aggregates were significantly related with MWD, and significant relationship was observed between MWD and Feo in <5 mm fractions. Thus, the high levels of SOC, alkane-C, Feo and Fep in soil after straw returning were responsible for the aggregate stability, but the effect of potassium application is not obvious in a rice–rape cropping system.
03 Jan 2022Submitted to Land Degradation & Development
05 Jan 2022Submission Checks Completed
05 Jan 2022Assigned to Editor
08 Jan 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
31 Jan 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
05 Feb 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Major
03 Mar 20221st Revision Received
04 Mar 2022Submission Checks Completed
04 Mar 2022Assigned to Editor
11 Mar 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
13 Mar 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Major
28 Mar 20222nd Revision Received
29 Mar 2022Submission Checks Completed
29 Mar 2022Assigned to Editor
02 Apr 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
02 Apr 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
09 Apr 20223rd Revision Received
10 Apr 2022Submission Checks Completed
10 Apr 2022Assigned to Editor
15 Apr 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
15 Apr 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
19 Apr 20224th Revision Received
24 Apr 2022Submission Checks Completed
24 Apr 2022Assigned to Editor
30 Apr 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
30 Apr 2022Editorial Decision: Accept