Trade-off between soil water maintenance and carbon sequestration during the implementation of ecological restoration programs in semi-arid Loess Plateau

A sustainable management strategy of soil fertility and cropping system is critical to guaranteeing food security. However, little is known about the effects of soil amendment strategies on crop growth via regulating soil moisture and photosynthesis in a ridge and furrow cropping system. Here, field experiments were carried out in 2017 and 2018 in semi-arid areas of Loess Plateau, northwest China to investigate the effects of integrated use of ridge and furrow planting and manure amendment on grain yields of maize. Four treatments were designed: CK (flat planting with 100% chemical fertilizer), RFC (ridge and furrow planting with 100% chemical fertilizer), RFR (ridge and furrow planting with 100% control-released fertilizer), and RFM (ridge and furrow planting with 50% manure fertilizer + 50% N fertilizer). On average, RFM increased photosynthetic rates (Pn) by 74%, followed by RFR by 47%, and RFC by 26%, compared to CK. Also, stomatal conductance (Cd), transpiration rates (Tr), and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) were highest with RFM, followed by RFR and RFC. Averaged across the two years, RFM conserved 10% more soil water storage (SWS) than CK did at harvest, followed by RFR with an increment by 8%. However, RFC consumed more soil water than CK did, with its ETc 8% higher than CK. Consequently, spring maize treated with RFM suffered less drought stress, especially in 2017 when precipitation was insufficient. On average, grain yields and water use efficiency of RFM were increased by 18% and 27%, compared to CK. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that there existed significant positive correlation between SWS in top layers and grain yields, while SWS in deep layers had negative effects on grain yields. In conclusion, the incorporation of manure into ridge and furrow planting system can be an efficient agronomic practice to improve plant photosynthesis, optimize soil moisture, and boost grain yields in semi-arid areas of Loess Plateau, northwest China.

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Conservation agriculture based on crop rotation and tillage in the semi-arid Loess Plateau, China: Effects on crop yield and soil water use

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment ◽

10.1016/j.agee.2017.09.011 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 251 ◽

pp. 67-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Lei Sun ◽

Shulan Wang ◽

Yujiao Zhang ◽

Jun Li ◽

Xiaoli Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Crop Rotation ◽

Water Use ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Crop Yield ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Semi Arid

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Effects of vegetation restoration on soil organic carbon sequestration at multiple scales in semi-arid Loess Plateau, China

CATENA ◽

10.1016/j.catena.2010.12.003 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 85 (1) ◽

pp. 58-66 ◽

Cited By ~ 125

Author(s):

Yafeng Wang ◽

Bojie Fu ◽

Yihe Lü ◽

Liding Chen

Keyword(s):

Carbon Sequestration ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Multiple Scales ◽

Vegetation Restoration ◽

Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration ◽

Organic Carbon Sequestration ◽

Semi Arid

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Change in soil water deficit and soil organic matter consumption over time in rain-fed apricot orchards on the semi-arid Loess Plateau, China

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment ◽

10.1016/j.agee.2021.107381 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 314 ◽

pp. 107381

Author(s):

Kaiqi Yang ◽

Ke Wang ◽

Xiaoyuan Zhang ◽

Xiaofeng Chang ◽

Gangshuan Bai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Soil Water ◽

Water Deficit ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Soil Water Deficit ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Over Time

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Soil Freeze-Thaw and Water Transport Characteristics Under Different Vegetation Types in Seasonal Freeze-Thaw Areas of the Loess Plateau

Frontiers in Earth Science ◽

10.3389/feart.2021.704901 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Lanfeng Bo ◽

Zhanbin Li ◽

Peng Li ◽

Guoche Xu ◽

Lie Xiao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Water Movement ◽

Vegetation Types ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Freezing And Thawing ◽

Freezing Period ◽

Thawing Processes ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Soil Water Movement

In the arid and semi-arid regions of the Loess Plateau, seasonal freezing and thawing influence soil water movement, and water movement directly influences vegetation growth. However, currently, research with regard to freezing and thawing processes under various vegetation types and the mechanism of soil water movement is lacking. Therefore, the present study explored soil water migration characteristics of two typical vegetation types [arbor land (AL) and shrub land (SL)] on the Loess Plateau during seasonal freezing and thawing processes using bare land (BL) as a control. We used field measured data for hourly soil temperature (ST) and soil water content (SWC) at a depth of 100 cm below the soil surface from November 2017 to March 2018. Freezing and thawing process was divided into three stages based on ST change (initial freezing period, stable freezing period, and thawing period). Compared with previous studies in this area, ST is lower than expected, and SWC migration characteristics are also different. The results revealed that: 1) the maximum freezing depth of AL and SL was 60 cm, which was 30 cm less than that of BL. The freezing date of each soil layer in BL was the earliest and average ST value was the lowest. BL had the highest degree of freezing. The freezing of all soil layers in AL occurred at a later date than that of SL. ST and the minimum soil freezing temperatures were higher than those of SL, and the capacity of AL to resist freezing was higher; 2) the SWCs in AL and BL at depths of 0–10 cm and 10–30 cm decreased, whereas SWCs of AL and BL at a depth of 60 cm increased by 152 and 146%, respectively. The SWCs of SL at soil depths of 0–10 cm, 10–30 cm, and 30–60 cm increased by 46.3, 78.4 and 205%, respectively. The amount and distribution of soil moisture in SL were optimum when compared to those of AL and BL. The results of the present study could provide a scientific basis for vegetation restoration in arid and semi-arid areas of the Loess Plateau.

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