Effects of controlled traffic no-till system on soil chemical properties and crop yield in annual double-cropping area of the North China Plain
Caiyun Lu A B , Hongwen Li A E , Jin He A , Qingjie Wang A , Khokan Kumer Sarker A , Wenying Li A , Zhanyuan Lu C , Rabi G. Rasaily A , Hui Li A and Guangnan Chen DA Beijing Key Laboratory of Optimised Design for Modern Agricultural Equipment, College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China.
B Beijing Research Center of Intelligent Equipment for Agriculture, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China.
C Inner Mongolia Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Huhhot 010031, China.
D Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Qld 4350, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: lhwen@cau.edu.cn
Soil Research 54(6) 760-766 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR15123
Submitted: 29 August 2012 Accepted: 27 October 2015 Published: 12 July 2016
Abstract
A controlled traffic no-till system is a cropping system that has a significant potential to improve soil health, sustainability and crop yield. A pilot experiment was conducted to compare soil chemical properties and crop yields between controlled traffic no-till and random traffic in an annual double-cropping area of the North China Plain from 2005 to 2010. The experiment was performed using three treatments: (1) controlled traffic no-till (NTCT); (2) random traffic no-till (NTRT); and (3) conventional tillage (CT). The NTCT treatment significantly improved soil organic matter and total N compared with both NTRT and CT treatments and remarkably increased available P compared with CT treatment in the surface soil layer (0–10 cm), but no significant differences were found in soil pH compared with both NTRT and CT treatments. However, in the 10–20- and 20–30-cm soil profiles, soil organic matter, total N and available P were reduced after NTCT treatment when compared with those obtained after CT treatment. At 0–10 cm soil depths, soil bulk density under NTCT and NTRT was higher than in CT, whereas the opposite was true at soil depths of 10–30 cm. Overall, it was found that the 6-year mean maize yield of NTCT and NTRT treatments was 10.9% and 1.1% higher respectively than the CT treatment, whereas the winter wheat yield was 1.1% and 3.0% higher respectively compared with the CT treatment. NTCT appears to be an improvement over current farming systems in an annual double-cropping area of the North China Plain.
Additional keywords: available P, bulk density, C/N ratio, conventional tillage, pH, soil organic matter, total nitrogen.
References
Alexandra B, José B (2005) The importance of soil organic matter. FAO Soils Bulletin 80, 1–3.Black CA (1965a) ‘Methods of soil analysis. Part 1.’ (American Society of Agronomy, Inc.: Madison, WI, USA)
Black CA (1965b) ‘Methods of soil analysis. Part 2.’ (American Society of Agronomy, Inc.: Madison, WI, USA)
Brevik E, Fenton T, Moran L (2002) Effect of soil compaction on organic carbon amounts and distribution, south-central Iowa. Environmental Pollution 116, S137–S141.
| Effect of soil compaction on organic carbon amounts and distribution, south-central Iowa.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XhsFCg&md5=3cab94beb5801dcbcd5faf168f563276CAS |
Bronick CJ, Lal R (2005) Soil structure and management: a review. Geoderma 124, 3–22.
| Soil structure and management: a review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXhtVOru7jP&md5=617508ca4ca9c89ad77df2978181ac2eCAS |
Chen H (2008) Study on controlled traffic conservation tillage and matched no-till planter in annual two crops region of Beijing. PhD Thesis, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. [In Chinese]
Chen H, Bai YH, Chen WQJ, Li F, Tullberg HW, Murray JN, Gao HW, Gong YS (2008a) Traffic and tillage effects on wheat production on the Loess Plateau of China: 1. Crop yield and SOM. Australian Journal of Soil Research 46, 645–651.
| Traffic and tillage effects on wheat production on the Loess Plateau of China: 1. Crop yield and SOM.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Chen H, Li HW, Gao HW, Wang XY, He J, Li WY, Wang QJ (2008b) Effect of long-term controlled traffic conservation tillage on soil structure. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering 24, 122–125. [In Chinese]
Chen HQ, Marhan S, Billen N, Stahr K (2009) Soil organic-carbon and total nitrogen stocks as affected by different land uses in Baden-Wurttemberg (southwest Germany). Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 172, 32–42.
| Soil organic-carbon and total nitrogen stocks as affected by different land uses in Baden-Wurttemberg (southwest Germany).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1MXivVaksL0%3D&md5=2ace9bd7e07a0deb0cf2295d95e75ee4CAS |
Conyers M, Newton P, Condon J, Poile G, Mele P, Ash G (2012) Three long-term trials end with a quasi-equilibrium between soil C, N, and PH: an implication for C sequestration. Soil Research 50, 527–535.
| Three long-term trials end with a quasi-equilibrium between soil C, N, and PH: an implication for C sequestration.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC38Xhs12jsrvK&md5=b10d106958d12cd50940c014fdab6930CAS |
Dong WX, Hu CS, Chen Su Y, Zhang YM (2009) Tillage and residue management effects on soil carbon and CO2 emission in a wheat–corn double-cropping system. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 83, 27–37.
| Tillage and residue management effects on soil carbon and CO2 emission in a wheat–corn double-cropping system.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXhsVCks73F&md5=0da402a789b72ba366d04e503611af62CAS |
Doran JW, Sarrantonio M, Lieig MA (1996) Soil health and sustainability. Advances in Agronomy 56, 1–54.
| Soil health and sustainability.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK28Xkt1ertrk%3D&md5=a0b5e400528571a89ec39fdd27d5bf7cCAS |
Fan TL, Stewart BA, Wang Y, Luo JJ, Zhou GY (2005) Long-term fertilization effects on grain yield, water-use efficiency and soil fertility in the dryland of Loess Plateau in China. Soil & Tillage Research 106, 313–329.
Hao XH, Liu SL, Wu JS (2008) Effect of long-term application of inorganic fertilizer and organic amendments on soil organic matter and microbial biomass in three subtropical paddy soils. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 81, 17–24.
| Effect of long-term application of inorganic fertilizer and organic amendments on soil organic matter and microbial biomass in three subtropical paddy soils.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hedley MJ, Stewar JB (1982) Method to measure microbial phosphate in soils. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 14, 377–385.
| Method to measure microbial phosphate in soils.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaL28XoslGntQ%3D%3D&md5=4082846355776931b1da1e5c4472372eCAS |
Kang H, Zhu BA, Hong LH, Dong CJ (2001) The effect of no-tillage with straw cover on soil fertility and wheat yield. Shaanxi Journal of Agricultural Sciences 9, 1–3. [In Chinese]
Kingwell R, Fuchsbichler A (2011) The whole-farm benefit of controlled traffic farming: an Australian appraisal. Agricultural Systems 104, 513–521.
| The whole-farm benefit of controlled traffic farming: an Australian appraisal.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Li HW, Gao HW, Chen JD, Li WY, Li RX (2000) Study on controlled traffic with conservative tillage. Transactions of Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering 16, 73–77. [In Chinese]
Lu YL, Bai YL, Wang L, Wang H, Yang LP (2010) Determination for total nitrogen content in black soil using hyperspectral data. Transactions of Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering 26, 256–261. [In Chinese]
Mahdi M, Yin XH, Mark A (2004) Soil carbon and nitrogen changes as influenced by tillage and cropping systems in some Iowa soils. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 105, 635–647.
Mou SJ, He MH, Zang FY, Ma JX, Huang MQ (1999) Study on the coordinative techniques of no-tillage, mulch, deep loosening and the farming mode. Journal of Tianjin Agricultural College 6, 22–26. [In Chinese]
Nangia V, Gowda PH, Mulla DJ, Sands GR (2008) Water quality modelling of fertilizer management impacts on nitrate losses in tile drains at the field scale. Journal of Environmental Quality 37, 296–307.
| Water quality modelling of fertilizer management impacts on nitrate losses in tile drains at the field scale.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXjsVWksL4%3D&md5=0443a25f242b1759c1f9817a5b28bab9CAS | 18268291PubMed |
Nangia V, Gowda PH, Mulla DJ, Sands GR (2010) Modeling impacts of tile drain spacing and depth on nitrate-nitrogen losses. Vadose Zone Journal 9, 61–72.
| Modeling impacts of tile drain spacing and depth on nitrate-nitrogen losses.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXhtl2js7rK&md5=48f0e33868df85e77b38e7babeb0bbe1CAS |
Nyamadzawo G, Chikowo R, Nyamugafata P, Nyamangara J, Giller KE (2008) Soil organic carbon dynamics of improved fallow–maize rotation systems under conventional and no-tillage in central Zimbabwe. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 81, 85–93.
| Soil organic carbon dynamics of improved fallow–maize rotation systems under conventional and no-tillage in central Zimbabwe.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXkvFyjurw%3D&md5=455ed4dc04779869cc5d23909a0a2becCAS |
Piper CS (1950) ‘Soil and plant analysis.’ (Adelaide University Hassel Press: Australia).
Rasaily RG, Li HW, He J, Wang QJ, Lu CY (2012) Influence of no tillage controlled traffic system on soil physical properties in double cropping area of North China plain. African Journal of Biotechnology 11, 856–864.
Thomas GA, Dalal RC, Standley J (2007) No-till effects on organic matter, pH, cation exchange capacity and nutrient distribution in a Luvisol in the semi-arid subtropics. Soil & Tillage Research 94, 295–304.
| No-till effects on organic matter, pH, cation exchange capacity and nutrient distribution in a Luvisol in the semi-arid subtropics.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Tullberg JN (2000) Traffic effects on tillage energy. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research 75, 375–382.
| Traffic effects on tillage energy.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Tullberg JN, Yule DF, McGarry D (2007) Controlled traffic farming: from research to adoption in Australia. Soil & Tillage Research 97, 272–281.
| Controlled traffic farming: from research to adoption in Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Urioste AM, Hevia GG, Hepper EN, Anton LE, Bono AA, Buschiazzo DE (2006) Cultivation effects on the distribution of organic carbon, total nitrogen and phosphorus in soils of the semiarid region of Argentinian Pampas. Geoderma 136, 621–630.
| Cultivation effects on the distribution of organic carbon, total nitrogen and phosphorus in soils of the semiarid region of Argentinian Pampas.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD28Xhtlaktr%2FN&md5=56776132c16481eb8293ca87a868d713CAS |
Wang QJ, Bai YH, Gao HW, He J, Chen H, Chesney RC, Kuhn NJ, Li HW (2008) Soil chemical properties and microbial biomass after 16 years of no-tillage farming on the Loess Plateau, China. Geoderma 144, 502–508.
| Soil chemical properties and microbial biomass after 16 years of no-tillage farming on the Loess Plateau, China.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXjvVehtLc%3D&md5=7ecad95f0345fa9fa27f44fa7eb7cfedCAS |
Yang R, Huang GB (2009) Effects of controlled traffic tillage on soil properties. Chinese Journal of Ecology 28, 1567–1571.
