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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 47(6)

Soil organic carbon and physical quality as influenced by long-term application of residue and mineral fertiliser in the North China Plain

Zhangliu Du A , Shufu Liu A , Kejiang Li B and Tusheng Ren A C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.

B Dryland Farming Institute, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Hengshui 053000, China.

C Corresponding author. Email: tsren@cau.edu.cn

Australian Journal of Soil Research 47(6) 585-591 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR09010
Submitted: 12 January 2009  Accepted: 16 June 2009   Published: 30 September 2009

Abstract

The influences of long-term residue and fertiliser management on soil organic carbon (SOC) and related physical properties were investigated in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–corn (Zea mays L.) double-cropping system in the North China Plain. The experiment was initiated in 1981, including 4 treatments: control (no fertiliser); mineral N and P fertilisers; low residue rate plus N and P fertilisers; and high residue rate plus N and P fertilisers. In June 2006, soil samples were taken from the 0–0.05, 0.05–0.10, and 0.10–0.20 m layers to determinate bulk density (ρb), water-stable aggregates, bulk SOC, and aggregate-associated C concentrations. Soil water retention curves and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) were measured using samples collected from the 0–0.05 and 0.05–0.10 m layers. The results indicated that residue incorporation significantly increased (i.e. improved) bulk SOC and aggregate-associated C concentration, aggregation, Ks, soil matrix and structural porosities, and water retention capacity. The improvements in soil physical properties by mineral N and P fertilisers alone were limited.

Residue input significantly (P < 0.05) increased the value of S, an index of soil physical quality. A high correlation existed between S and SOC concentration, and the key soil physical parameters, suggesting that S was an effective parameter for evaluation of soil physical quality. Our study concluded that a combination of residue with mineral N and P fertilisers improved SOC concentration, and consequent soil physical quality under the wheat–corn double cropping system.

Additional keywords: crop residue, mineral fertiliser, soil organic carbon, soil aggregation, soil physical quality.


Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Science and Technology Supporting Programs of China under Grants no 2006BAD02A15 and 2006BAD15B02. The authors would like to express their sincere thanks to an anonymous reviewer for insightful comments.


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