Traffic and tillage effects on wheat production on the Loess Plateau of China: 1. Crop yield and SOM
Hao Chen A E , Yuhua Bai B E , Qingjie Wang A , Fu Chen B , Hongwen Li A F , J. N. Tullberg C , J. R. Murray C , Huanwen Gao A and Yuanshi Gong DA College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, PO Box 46, Beijing 100083, China.
B College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China.
C University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.
D College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China.
E These authors contributed equally to the work.
F Corresponding author. Email: lhwen@cau.edu.cn
Australian Journal of Soil Research 46(8) 645-651 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR07106
Submitted: 24 July 2007 Accepted: 25 January 2008 Published: 2 December 2008
Abstract
Challenges for dryland farming on the Loess Plateau of China are continuous nutrient loss, low soil organic matter and crop yield, and soil degradation. Controlled traffic, combined with zero or minimum tillage and residue cover, has been proposed to improve soil structure and crop yield. From 1998 to 2006, we conducted a field experiment comparing soil organic matter and wheat productivity between controlled traffic and conventional tillage farming systems. The field experiment was conducted using 2 controlled traffic treatments (zero tillage with residue cover and no compaction, shallow tillage with residue cover and no compaction) and a conventional tillage treatment. Results showed that controlled traffic treatments significantly increased soil organic matter and microbial biomass in the 0–0.30 m soil profile. Controlled traffic with zero tillage significantly increased total N in the 0–0.05 m soil profile. The mean yield over 8 years of controlled traffic treatments was >10% greater than that of conventional tillage. Controlled traffic farming appears to be a solution to the cropping problems faced on the Loess Plateau of China.
Additional keywords: controlled traffic, soil organic matter, wheat yield.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), under project 96143. Thanks to the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, and Shanxi Provincial Government, for guidance and funding. Thanks to Dr Jeff Tullberg and Mr Ross Murray for their work in implementing the ACIAR project in China. Also thanks to the staff working in Conservation Tillage Research Center, MOA.
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