Maize straw application as an interlayer improves organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations in the soil profile: A four-year experiment in a saline soil

Soil salinization is a critical environmental issue restricting agricultural production.Deep return of straw to the soil as an interlayer (at 40 cm depth) has been a popular practice to alleviate salt stress.However,the legacy effects of straw added as an interlayer at different rates on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in saline soils still remain inconclusive.Therefore,a four-year (2015–2018) field experiment was conducted with four levels (i.e.,0,6,12and 18 Mg ha~(–1)) of straw returned as an interlayer.Compared with no straw interlayer (CK),straw addition increased SOC concentration by 14–32 and 11–57%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively.The increases in soil TN concentration (8–22 and 6–34%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively) were lower than that for SOC concentration,which led to increased soil C:N ratio in the 20–60 cm soil depth.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations in the 20–60 cm soil layer with straw addition led to a decrease in stratification ratios (0–20 cm:20–60 cm),which promoted uniform distributions of SOC and TN in the soil profile.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations were associated with soil salinity and moisture regulation and improved sunflower yield.Generally,compared with other treatments,the application of 12 Mg ha~(–1) straw had higher SOC,TN and C:N ratio,and lower soil stratification ratio in the2015–2017 period.The results highlighted that legacy effects of straw application as an interlayer were maintained for at least four years,and demonstrated that deep soil straw application had a great potential for improving subsoil fertility in salt-affected soils.

Co-incorporating green manure and crop straw increases crop productivity and improves soil quality with low greenhouse-gas emissions in a crop rotation

In a nine-year field experiment in a wheat-maize-sunflower cropping system in Hetao Irrigation Area,Inner Mongolia,China,organic amendments applied as straw,manure,green manure,and the combination of green manure and straw increased wheat and maize yield,soil aggregate stability,and soil microbial activity in comparison with chemical fertilizer,without changing greenhouse gas emission intensity.

Preparation of activated carbon from sunflower straw through H_(3)PO_(4) activation and its application for acid fuchsin dye adsorption

With the development circular economy, the use of agricultural waste to prepare biomass materials to remove pollutants has become a research hotspot. In this study, sunflower straw activated carbon (SSAC) was prepared by the one-step activation method, with sunflower straw (SS) used as the raw material and H3PO4 used as the activator. Four types of SSAC were prepared with impregnation ratios (weight of SS to weight of H3PO4) of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:5, corresponding to SSAC1, SSAC2, SSAC3, and SSAC4, respectively. The adsorption process of acid fuchsin (AF) in water using the four types of SSAC was studied. The results showed that the impregnation ratio significantly affected the structure of the materials. The increase in the impregnation ratio increased the specific surface area and pore volume of SSAC and improved the adsorption capacity of AF. However, an impregnation ratio that was too large led to a decrease in specific surface area. SSAC3, with an impregnation ratio of 1:3, had the largest specific surface area (1 794.01 m2/g), and SSAC4, with an impregnation ratio of 1:5, exhibited the smallest microporosity (0.052 7 cm3/g) and the largest pore volume (2.549 cm3/g). The adsorption kinetics of AF using the four types of SSAC agreed with the quasi-second-order adsorption kinetic model. The Langmuir isotherm model was suitable to describe SSAC3 and SSAC4, and the Freundlich isotherm model was appropriate to describe SSAC1 and SSAC2. The result of thermodynamics showed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. At 303 K, SSAC4 showed a removal rate of 97.73% for 200-mg/L AF with a maximum adsorption capacity of 2 763.36 mg/g, the highest among the four types of SSAC. This study showed that SAAC prepared by the H3PO4-based one-step activation method is a green and efficient carbon material and has significant application potential for the treatment of dye-containing wastewater.

Investigates of substrate mingling ratio and organic loading rate of KOH pretreated corn stover and pig manure in batch and semi-continuous system:Anaerobic digestion performance and microbial characteristics

The effects of substrate mingling ratio(SMR)(1:1,1:2,1:3,3:1,and 2:1)and organic loading rate(OLR)(50-90 g total solids per liter per day)on anaerobic co-digestion performance and microbial characteristics were investigated for pig manure(PM)and pretreated/untreated corn stover in batch and semicontinuous anaerobic digestion(AD)system.The results showed that SMR and pretreatment affected co-digestion performance.The maximum cumulative methane yield of 428.5 ml·g^(-1)(based on volatile solids(VS))was obtained for PCP13,which was 35.7%and 40.0%higher than that of CSU and PM.In the first 5 days,the maximum methane yield improvement rate was 378.1%for PCP13.The daily methane yield per gram VS of PCP13 was 11.4%-18.5%higher than that of PC_(U)13.Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1,DMER64,and Bacteroides and Methanosaeta,Methanobacterium,and Methanospirillum had higher relative abundance at the genus level.Therefore,SMR and OLR are important factor affecting the AD process,and OLR can affect methane production through volatile fatty acids.

Effects of Regulation of C/N Ratio Wheat Straw Application on Nitrogen,Phosphorus and Potassium Uptake in Tobacco

[Objective]The aim was to study the effects of regulation of C/N ratio wheat straw application on tobacco nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium uptake. [Method]Effects of regulation C/N ratio wheat straw application on the flue-cured tobacco yield,output value,nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium content and cumulative uptake of the upper,middle and bottom leaf were studied by using the field plot experiments at Banqiao town,Qujing city,Yunnan Province during the 2008-2009 summer growing seasons. [Result]The results showed that the application of wheat straw alone or after C/N regulation,could significantly increase tobacco production,potassium content,the potassium and nitrogen accumulation amount of leaf,and was more conducive to the potassium uptake of tobacco leaf with wheat straw application after C/N regulation. Compared with non-straw application,the yield of tobacco increased by 6.59%,3.58%,5.98%,8.80% with application of wheat straw alone,wheat straw and vetch,wheat straw and oilseed cake,wheat straw and urea nitrogen,the potassium content in tobacco leaf increased by 3.85%,7.76%,8.82%,11.21%,respectively,the total potassium cumulative amount of leaf increased by 10.71%,11.62%,15.32% ,21.01% and the total nitrogen cumulative amount increased by 9.76%,1.22%,8.14%,14.00%. However,the differences of tobacco leaf nitrogen content among the different treatments were not significant,the phosphorus uptake of tobacco leaf decreased. [Conclusion]application of high C/N ratio wheat straw in flue-cured tobacco production,which should be concerned not only to adjust C/N ratio by adding nitrogen,but also considering additional phosphorus application.

Biohydrogen Production from Synthetic Waste Co-digested with Liquid Dairy Cow Manure： Effect of Temperature and Mixing Ratio

Biohydrogen production from synthetic waste, SW （model organic fraction of municipal solid waste） co-digested with liquid dairy manure （M） was tested in batch reactions to assess the effect of temperature and mixing ratio of the substrates. A 5 × 2 factorial design experiment was conducted. Synthetic waste： manure mixtures of 1：1, 2：1, 3：1, 1：0, 0：1 （volatile solids, VS, basis） were tested at 37 （T37） and 55 ℃ （T55） using thirty 1 L laboratory scale digesters. Total VS of each mixture was 50 g/L except SW：M 0：I treatment, where total VS was 27.4 g/L. Gas samples were taken daily to determine hydrogen production, and slurry samples taken before and after experimentation, were analyzed for volatile fatty acid （VFA） concentration, volatile solid （VS） degradation, ammonium nitrogen （NH4＋-N） and pH. Hydrogen production （mL/g-VS fed） showed a significant two-factor interaction between incubation temperature and SW：M ratio （P 〈 0.001）. Maximum production of 15.8 mL/g-VS （fed） was achieved in SW：M ratio of 3：1 at 55 ℃. Generally, hydrogen productions at thermophilic temperature （T55） were significantly higher than at mesophilic （T37） temperature for all treatments （P 〈 0.001） except for SW：M 1：0 and SW：M 0：1 treatments （P 〉 0.05）. This study indicates that hydrogen production from co-digestion of synthetic waste and manure is dependent on incubation temperature and relative contribution of wastes in the mixture.

Study on Environmental and Economic Benefits of Rice and Wheat Rotation with Swine Manure-Straw Returning

[Objective] The aim was to investigate the application effect of swine manure-straw returning and to determine the best mode. [Method] A field experiment under rice and wheat rotation with different swine manure-straw treatments was con- ducted to study the growth characters and output of rice and wheat, calculate the economic benefit and carbon dioxide emission reduction, and analyze the best mode of swine manure applying-straw returning. [Result] The swine manure-straw returning was conducive to the growth of crop, the highest outputs of rice and wheat were on the treatment of ＂30% swine manure and 20% straw and 50% chemical fertiliz- er＂, they were 7 874.57 and 6 427.00 kg/hm^2, and saved cost about 5 146.35 Yuan/hm^2, increased input 5 312.56 and 3 931.93 Yuan/hm^2, the greenhouse gas e- mission reduction was 1.30 t/hm^2 （calculated according to carbon dioxide on a dry basis）. [Conclusion] The treatment of ＂30% swine manure and 20% straw and 50% chemical fertilizer＂ was the best mode of swine manure-straw returning.

Effects of the combined application of organic and chemical nitrogen fertilizer on soil aggregate carbon and nitrogen:A 30-year study

To understand the long-term effects of combined organic and chemical nitrogen fertilization on soil organic C(SOC) and total N(TN), we conducted a 30-year field experiment with a wheat–maize rotation system on the Huang-HuaiHai Plain during 1990–2019. The experimental treatments consisted of five fertilizer regimes: no fertilizer(control), chemical fertilizer only(NPK), chemical fertilizer with straw(NPKS), chemical fertilizer with manure(NPKM), and 1.5 times the rate of NPKM(1.5NPKM). The NPK, NPKS, and NPKM treatments had equal N inputs. The crop yields were measured over the whole experimental duration. Soil samples were collected from the topsoil(0–10 and 10–20 cm) and subsoil(20–40 cm) layers for assessing soil aggregates and taking SOC and TN measurements. Compared with the NPK treatment, the SOC and TN contents increased significantly in both the topsoil(24.1–44.4% for SOC and 22.8–47.7% for TN) and subsoil layers(22.0–47.9% for SOC and 19.8–41.8% for TN) for the organically amended treatments(NPKS, NPKM and 1.5NPKM) after 30 years, while no significant differences were found for the average annual crop yields over the 30 years of the experiment. The 0–10 cm layer of the NPKS treatment and the 20–40 cm layer of the NPKM treatment had significantly higher macroaggregate fraction mass proportions(19.8 and 27.0%) than the NPK treatment. However, the 0–10 and 20–40 cm layers of the 1.5NPKM treatment had significantly lower macroaggregate fraction mass proportions(–19.2 and –29.1%) than the control. The analysis showed that the higher SOC and TN in the soil of organically amended treatments compared to the NPK treatment were related to the increases in SOC and TN protected in the stable fractions(i.e., free microaggregates and microaggregates within macroaggregates), in which the contributions of the stable fractions were 81.1–91.7% of the increase in SOC and 83.3–94.0% of the increase in TN, respectively. The relationships between average C inputs and both stable SOC and TN stocks were significantly positive with R2 values of 0.74 and 0.72(P<0.01) for the whole 40 cm soil profile, which indicates the importance of N for soil C storage. The results of our study provide key evidence that long-term combined organic and chemical nitrogen fertilization, while maintaining reasonable total N inputs, benefited soil C and N storage in both the topsoil and subsoil layers.

Effect of Interplanting with Zero Tillage and Straw Manure on Rice Growth and Rice Quality

The interplanting with zero-tillage of rice, i.e. direct sowing rice 10-20 days before wheat harvesting, and remaining about 30-cm high stubble after cutting wheat or rice with no tillage, is a new cultivation technology in wheat-rice rotation system. To study the effects of interplanting with zero tillage and straw manure on rice growth and quality, an experiment was conducted in a wheat-rotation rotation system. Four treatments, i.e. ZIS （Zero-tillage, straw manure and rice interplanting）, Zt （Zero-tillage, no straw manure and rice interplanting）, PTS （Plowing tillage, straw manure and rice transplanting）, and PT （Plowing tillage, no straw manure and rice transplanting）, were used. ZtS reduced plant height, leaf area per plant and the biomass of rice plants, but the biomass accumulation of rice at the late stage was quicker than that under conventional transplanting cultivation. In the first year （2002）, there was no significant difference in rice yield among the four treatments. However, rice yield decreased in interplanting with zero-tillage in the second year （2003）. Compared with the transplanting treatments, the number of filled grains per panicle decreased but l000-grain weight increased in interplanting with zero-tillage, which were the main factors resulting in higher yield, tnterplanting with zero-tillage improved the milling and appearance qualities of rice. The rates of milled and head rice increased while chalky rice rate and chalkiness decreased in interplanting with zero-tillage. Zero-tillage and interplanting also affected rice nutritional and cooking qualities. In 2002, ZIS showed raised protein content, decreased amylose content, softer gel consistency, resulting in improved rice quality. In 2003, zero-tillage and interplanting decreased protein content and showed similar amylose content as compared with transplanting treatments. Moreover, protein content in PTS was obviously increased in comparison with the other three treatments. The rice in interplanting with zero-tillage treatments had higher peak viscosity and breakdown, lower setback, showing better rice taste quality. The straw manure had no significant effect on rice viscosity under interplanting with zero-tillage, but had the negative influence on the rice taste quality under transplanting with plowing tillage.

Organic Amendments with Poultry Manure and Cow Dung Influence the Yield and Status of Nutrient Uptake in Wheat (Triticum aestivum)

The field experiment cultivating wheat during the winter season from November 2014 to March 2015 was conducted in the “North Eastern Barind Tract Soils” at Kushadaha, Nawabganj, Dinajpur in Bangladesh. The wheat variety BARI Gom 26 was selected in focusing to evaluate the effects of organic amendments using poultry manure (PM) and cow dung (CD) on the growth, yield and nutrient uptake by the plant. The texture of the field soil was clay with acidic nature (pH 5.61). The trials comprise three treatments following a randomized complete block design (RCBD) replicated thrice. Results showed that significantly greater plant height, number of tillers per hill and straw yield were 98.10 cm, 3.66 and 5425 kg/ha respectively in receiving the treatment T2 than T3 (95.66 cm, 3.38 and 4483 kg/ha) and T1 (control). Spike length, 1000 grain weight and grain yield were 9.23 cm, 39.81 kg/ha and 3100 kg/ha respectively also higher in T2 treatment than T3 (8.76 cm, 38.51 kg/ha, 3091 kg/ha) with no statistical differences among them. Therefore, the treatment T2 (PM) comprised of poultry manure and NPK exhibited as the best treatment for producing the highest in all growth and yield parameters of wheat. In wheat grain, the content of N, P, K, S, Mg, Zn and B ranged from 1.080% to 1.380% N, 0.390% to 0.398% P, 0.780% to 0.840% K, 0.079% to 0.111% S, 0.181% to 0.187% Mg, 25.56 to 29.77 ppm Zn and 10.12 to 12.54 ppm B. Similarly in straw, nutrients content ranged from 0.220 to 0.300% N, 0.045% to 0.074% P, 0.970% to 1.250% K, 0.152% to 0.191% S, 0.097% to 0.101% Mg, 10.78 to 13.23 ppm Zn and 27.98 to 2989 ppm B. Therefore, organic amendment with 5-ton cow dung (CD) ha-1 with a recommended dose of NPK significantly increased the content of N, S, Mg, Zn and B in the grain and straw of wheat. Alternatively, the poultry manure treatment with NPK significantly increased the content of P and K in the grain and straw of wheat. However, results revealed that the treatments T2 and T3 comprising a recommended dose of NPK with poultry manure and cow dung respectively could increase the content of N, P, K, S, Mg, Zn and B in wheat. The overall results expressed that the poultry manure treatment with NPK (T2) exposed as superior for producing the top growth and yield attributes of wheat in the studied area.

Chemical and Biological Evaluation of Maturity of Pig Manure Compost at Different C/N Ratios

Aerobic static pile composting (mechanical turning every 3 days) of pig manure was prepared at & m3 windrow heaps. Sawdust was used as the bulking agent to provide additional carbon and to increase the porosity of the substrate. Two treatments at initial C/N ratios of 30 and 15, respectively, were designed in the study. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), soluble NH+4-N, C/N ratios in solid and aqueous phases, E4/E6 ratios, and seed germination index (GI) were determined to evaluate the maturity of the co-composts. Seed germination index, a biological parameter, was suggested as one of the most reliable maturity indicators for organic compost. The results showed that the treatment at the initial C/N ratio of 30 reached maturity after 49 days of composting; however, the treatment at the initial C/N ratio of 15 should require composting time of longer than 63 days to obtain maturation. Chemical multi-indicator evaluation was necessary, and the GI measurement was the recommended approach for maturity evaluation in the study.

Effects of straw addition on increased greenhouse vegetable yield and reduced antibiotic residue in fluvo-aquic soil

Organic manure application is an important measure for high yield and good quality vegetable production, whereas organic manure is also a main source of residual antibiotic in soils. A 3-yr experiment was conducted on a fluvo-aguic soil in Tianjin of northern China. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different fertilization patterns on yield of six-sea- son vegetables with celery and tomato rotation, and dynamic change of tetracyclines residues in the soil during the sixth growing season （tomato season）. The field experiment comprised six treatments depending on the proportion of nitrogen of each type of fertilizer： 4/4 CN （CN, nitrogen in chemical fertilizer）, 3/4 CN＋1/4 MN （MN, nitrogen in pig manure）, 2/4 CN＋2/4 MN, 1/4 CN＋3/4 MN, 2/4 CN＋1/4 MN＋I/4 SN （SN, nitrogen in corn straw）, and CF （conventional fertilization, the amounts of nitrogen application were 943 and 912 kg N ha-1 for celery and tomato season, respectively）. In addition to CF treatment, the amount of nitrogen application in other treatments was greatly reduced and equal （450 and 450 kg N ha-1 for celery and tomato season, respectively）. Results showed that the combined application of 3/4 CN＋1/4 MN achieved the highest yield and economic benefit in the first four seasons, but addition of straw （2/4 CN＋1/4 MN＋I/4 SN treatment） performed better in the subsequent two seasons, and the average yields of 2/4 CN＋1/4 MN＋I/4 SN treatment were respectively higher by 9.9 and 12.8% than those of 4/4 CN treatment, and by 5.6 and 10.5% than those of CF treatment. The residual chlortet- racycline （CTC） in manure-amended soil for three consecutive years increased along with the increase of applied amount of pig manure. Under the same amount of pig manure application, content of CTC in straw-amended soil was obviously decreased compared with no straw-amended soil （3/4 CN＋1/4 MN treatment）, and averagely decreased by 41.9% for four sampling periods in the sixth season. Addition of crop straw facilitated the degradation of CTC in manure-amended soil. As a whole, the conventional fertilization was not the desirable pattern based on yield, economic benefit and environment, the optimal fertilization pattern with the highest yield and profit and the least soil chlortetracycline residue was the treatment of 2/4 CN＋1/4 MN＋I/4 SN under this experimental condition.

Ground cover management and farmyard manure effects on soil nitrogen dynamics, productivity and economics of organically grown lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. subsp, secalina)

Ground cover management and farmyard manure （FYM） management have important roles in organic lettuce production. However, there is not enough information about their combined effects. In order to assess the effects of individual and combined ground cover and FYM management on soil mineral N （NH4-N and NO3-N） dynamics, lettuce yield and economics in organic farming, a two-year field experiment was conducted on a certified organic farm in Kisa6 （Vojvodina, Serbia）. The experiment had a two-factorial split-plot completely randomized block design. FYM was applied on the half of the experimental field as a whole-plot factor, while ground cover management included the following four treatments： （I） control, without ground cover management （0）; （11） hoeing （H）; （111） agrotextile cover; （IV） straw mulch （SM）, which were applied on split plots. The applied SM and AT increased soil moisture by 12.83 and 3.73%, respectively, compared to the control treatment. FYM increased soil mineral N concentration, the lettuce fresh matter （FM） yield and nitrate concentration in lettuce. However, nitrate concentration in lettuce in all treatments was below the limit required by the European Commission （EC） （2001）. The highest lettuce yield was obtained by AT （39 122 kg）, followed by SM （33 925 kg）, and it was higher with FYM application by 16.85%. Hoeing did not positively affect the yield, probably due to its negative effect on soil moisture. Additional profit was higher with FYM, showing the following decreasing order： AT〉H〉SM〉Ф. However, value/cost ratio （VCR） was in the order Ф〉H〉SM〉AT on FYM fertilized plots. FYM application led to higher lettuce yield and higher profit and VCR. In case a farm does not have FYM, SM is the best alternative due to its positive effect on the yield and low investment costs. Keywords： hoeing, agrotextile cover, straw mulch, farmyard manure, FYM, mulch

Current Situation and Countermeasures of Utilization of Crop Straw as Feed in Sichuan Province

Utilizing straw as feed and applying cattle and sheep manure fertilizer to the field plays an important role in solving the shortage of feed raw material resources,alleviating the conflict between human beings and livestock,and realizing the full utilization of straw as a resource and green and low-carbon circular development.We carried out an investigation on the feed utilization of crop straw in Sichuan Province,comprehensively grasped the crop straw resources and its utilization as feed in this province,deeply analyzed the existing problems,and put forward countermeasures and suggestions according to the actual situation in Sichuan,which plays an important role in accelerating the process of straw feed utilization,promoting green development,implementing the rural revitalization strategy,and building a beautiful Sichuan.

Effects of Elemental Sulphur and Farmyard Manure on pH and Salinity of Calcareous Sandy Loam Soil and Some Nutrient Elements in Tomato Plant

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of elemental sulphur （S） and farmyard manure on soil pH, EC and N, S, P concentrations of tomato grown in a calcareous sandy loam soil. For this purpose, a pot experiment was conducted in greenhouse conditions. Sulphur was applied at 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 400 mg kg~ and farmyard manure at 0, 3 ton da^-1 to the soil. Three weeks after applications, tomato seedlings were planted and 8 weeks later, the plants were harvested to determine N, S, P concentrations and dry matter yield. Soil pH and EC were determined in the soil samples taken at 3 different periods. Effects of sulphur and farmyard manure applications were not significant on N, P concentrations and dry matter yield of tomato plant. S concentration of tomato plant was increased by sulphur alone. Soil pH was decreased and soil EC was increased in both 2^nd and 3^rd soil sampling period by the sulphur applications. As a result of farmyard manure application, soil pH decreased in the 2^nd soil sampling period but increased in the 3^rd soil sampling period. Also, soil EC was significantly increased in 1^st and 3^rd soil sampling period. Farmyard manure had no significant effect on S supply to tomato plant. The N：S ratio of tomato plant was decreased by sulphur alone. However, the sulphur with farmyard manure applications decreased N：S ratio in lesser extend compared to the S applications.

Mixing Alfalfa Straw and Maize Straw to Enhance Nitrogen Mineralization, Microbial Biomass and Enzyme Activity: A Laboratory Study

The quality of straw affects N release after straw retention. As straw with high C： N ratio could result in N immobilization, additional N is needed to compensate N demand of crops. However, more and more N fertilizers have been applied to the soil to improve crop yields in China, which not only increases production cost but also reduces soil quality. Therefore, reasonable application of N fertilizer becomes a key problem after straw retention. This study aimed to assess the effects of applying maize straw with high quality alfalfa straw on mineral N content, microbial biomass and enzyme activity under controlled conditions. The effect of applying maize straw with alfalfa straw was compared with that of maize straw in combination with N fertilizer under the same C： N ratio （25：1）. The laboratory incubation experiment consisted of four treatments： （1） soil with no addition （CK）; （2） soil amended with maize straw （M）; （3） soil amended with alfalfa straw and maize straw with an adjusted C： N ratio of 25：1 （MM）; （4） soil amended with inorganic nitrogen fertilizer and maize straw with an adjusted C：N ratio of 25：1 （MF）. The results showed that application of maize straw leaded to an N immobilization during the 270 d of incubation. Combined application of alfalfa and maize straw and or mineral N fertilizer alleviates the N immobilization and increase soil mineral N content. Compared to MF treatment, MM treatment prolonged N availability during the incubation. MM and MF treatments increased the soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen contents, and soil invertase and β-glycosidase activities. There was no difference between MM and M treatment in soil urease activity. MF treatment had significantly negative influence on soil urease activity compared with M treatment. The amount of added N significantly affected mineral N content, soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity. The mixture of alfalfa straw and maize straw sustains higher level of mineral N content, microbial biomass and enzyme activity as it had high N input compared to maize straw in combination with N fertilizer. It is concluded that alfalfa straw may be a better N source than N fertilizer in alleviating N immobilization caused by maize straw retention.

Soil CO_2 and N_2O Emissions in Maize Growing Season Under Different Fertilizer Regimes in an Upland Red Soil Region of South China

Upland red soils have been identified as major CO2 and N2O sources induced by human activities such as fertilization. To monitor characteristics of soil surface CO2 and N2O fluxes in cropland ecosystems after continuous fertilizer applications over decades and to separate the respective contributions of root and heterotrophic respiration to the total soil CO2 and N2O fluxes, the measurements of soil surface CO2 and N2O fluxes throughout the maize growing season in 2009 were carried out based on a fertilization experiment （from 1990） through of the maize （Zea mays L.） growing season in red soil in southern China. Five fertilization treatments were chosen from the experiment for study： zero-fertilizer application （CK）, nitrogen-phosphorus- potassium （NPK） fertilizer application only, pig manure （M）, NPK plus pig manure （NPKM） and NPK with straw （NPKS）. Six chambers were installed in each plot. Three of them are in the inter-row soil （NR） and the others are in the soil within the row （R）. Each fertilizer treatment received the same amount of N （300 kg ha-1 yr-1）. Results showed that cumulative soil CO2 fluxes in NR or R were both following the order： NPKS〉M, NPKM〉NPK〉CK. The contributions of root respiration to soil CO2 fluxes was 40, 44, 50, 47 and 35% in CK, NPK, NPKM, M and NPKS treatments, respectively, with the mean value of 43%. Cumulative soil N2O fluxes in NR or R were both following the order： NPKS, NPKM〉M〉NPK〉CK, and soil N2O fluxes in R were 18, 20 and 30% higher than that in NR in NPKM, M and NPKS treatments, respectively, but with no difference between NR and R in NPK treatment. Furthermore, combine with soil temperature at -5 cm depth and soil moisWxe （0-20 cm） together could explain 55-70% and 42-59% of soil CO2 and N2O emissions with root interference and 62- 78% and 44-63% of that without root interference, respectively. In addition, soil CO2 and N2O flUXeS per unit yield in NPKM （0.55 and 0.10 kg C t^-1） and M （0.65 and 0.13 g N t^-1） treatments were lower than those in other treatments. Therefore, manure application could be a preferred fertilization strategy in red soils in South China.

Impact of agricultural intensification on soil organic carbon＂ A study using DNDC in Huantai County, Shandong Province, China

Using the biogeochemical model den itrification/decomposition （DN DC）, the dynamic changes of soil organic carbon （SOC） of farmland from the 1980s to 2030s were investigated in Huantai County, a typical intensive agricultural region in the Huang- Huai-Hai Plain of China. Prior to modelling, validation of the DNDC model against field data sets of SOC from Quzhou Experimental Station in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain was conducted at the site scale. We compared the simulated results with the observed SOC in Huantai County during 1982-2011 under two different classification methods of simulation unit （the first method integrated soil type and land use of Huantai County to form the overlapped modeling units; the second selected the 11 administrative towns as the modeling units）, and achieved a high accuracy in the model simulation with the improvement of the model parameters. Regional SOC （0-20 cm） density and stocks for Huantai County in the years 2012-2031 were predicted under different scenarios of farming management. Compared with current management practices, optimized fertilization （20% decrease of mineral N）, crop straw incorporation （90%） and appropriate animal manure input （40 kg N ha-1 yr-1） could achieve the highest level of SOC density （56.8% higher than 2011） in the period of 2012-2031. The research highlighted the importance of crop straw incorporation, optimized N fertilization and integration of crop production with ani- mal husbandry on the farmland carbon sequestration for maintaining a high land productivity in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain.

Comparative evaluation of modified neem leaf, neem leaf and woodash extracts on soil fertility improvement, growth and yields of maize (<i>Zea mays</i>L.) and watermelon (<i>Citrullus lanatus</i>) (Sole and Intercrop)

Two field experiments were carried out at Akure (7oN, 5o101E) in the rainforest zone of Nigeria in 2006 and 2007 to determine the effectiveness of neem leaf, woodash and modified neem leaf extracts as fertilizer sources in improving soil fertility, growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L) and watermelon (Citrulus lanatus) sole and intercrop. There were six treatments namely, poultry manure, neem leaf extract (sole), woodash extract, modified neem leaf (neem leaf + woodash), NPK 15-15-15 and a control (no fertilizer nor extract), replicated three times and arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCB). The extracts (neem leaf, wood ash and modified neem leaf) were applied at 1200 litres per hectare each, NPK 15-15-15 at 300 kg/ha and poultry was applied at 6t/ha. The results showed that there were significant increases (P 2O), K, Ca, Mg, Na, O.M, P and N compared to NPK 15-15-15 and neem leaf extract. For instance, modified neem leaf extract increased soil pH (H2O), K, Ca, Mg, Na, O.M, P and N by 12.4%, 32.8%, 25%, 23.7%, 19.32%, 17.24% and 20% respectively compared to neem leaf extract under intercrop plot. The high soil K/Ca, K/Mg and P/Mg ratios in the NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer treatment led to an imbalance in the supply of P, K, Ca and Mg nutrients to maize and watermelon crops. The least values for growth, yield and soil parameters were recorded under the control treatment. In these experiments, modified neem leaf extract (woodash + neem leaf extracts) applied at 1200 litres/ha was the most effective in improving soil fertility, growth and yield of maize and watermelon (sole and intercrop) and could substitute for 6 tons per hectare of poultry manure and 300kg/ha of NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer.

江苏省4类主要秸秆和畜禽粪便空间分布及综合利用潜力研究

为明晰江苏省农业废弃物资源分布格局并进行利用潜力评估,推进农业废弃物资源化利用,助力农业全面绿色转型,本研究借助GIS构建数据批处理模型,测算各区县水稻、小麦、玉米和油菜4种作物的秸秆和猪、牛、羊、家禽4种畜禽的粪便产生量,及其在肥料化、能源化方面的利用潜力理论值,并结合热点分析结果为江苏省农业废弃物综合利用提供政策建议。结果表明:2020年江苏省4种主要作物秸秆可收集总量高达3972.00万t,以水稻和小麦秸秆为主,集中分布在江苏北部和中部。分析其肥料化利用潜力,理论上相当于1511.89万t有机碳、12.04万t N、1.59万t P、24.49万t K,能源化理论上相当于1617.52万t标准煤或6.5×10^(9)m^(3)沼气;江苏省4种主要畜禽粪便产生总量为4560.77万t,家禽粪便与猪粪最多,主要分布在东部边界和西北部地区。分析其肥料化利用潜力,理论计算相当于737.00万t有机碳、31.15万t N、29.86万t P和26.89万t K,能源化利用可折算成1036.95万t标准煤或4.9×10^(9)m^(3)沼气;99%置信度下,江苏省有10个秸秆产生热点县、7个畜禽粪便产生热点县和5个秸秆-畜禽粪便双热点县。秸秆产生热点县应根据主要秸秆种类选择直接还田、制作饲料、生产农副产品和食用菌等合适的利用方向。畜禽粪便产生热点县适于开展以粪污处理为核心的循环利用模式。秸秆-畜禽粪便双热点县则具有利用种养结合构建多层次、多元化、综合化利用格局的重要优势。此外,江苏省应根据资源聚集情况,分层、分类布设资源收集处理中心,并同步优化全省的收储运网络。