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.

Legume green manure can intensify the function of chemical nitrogen fertilizer substitution via increasing nitrogen supply and uptake of wheat

Achieving the green development of agriculture requires the reduction of chemical nitrogen(N)fertilizer input.Previous studies have confirmed that returning green manure to the field is an effective measure to improve crop yields while substituting partial chemical N fertilizer.However,it remains unclear how to further intensify the substituting function of green manure and elucidate its underlying agronomic mechanism.In a split-plot field experiment in spring wheat,different green manures returned to the field under reduced chemical N supply was established in an oasis area since 2018,in order to investigate the effect of green manure and reduced N on grain yield,N uptake,N use efficiency(NUE),N nutrition index,soil organic matter,and soil N of wheat in 2020-2022.Our results showed that mixed sown common vetch and hairy vetch can substitute 40%of chemical N fertilizer without reducing grain yield or N accumulation.Noteworthily,mixed sown common vetch and hairy vetch under reduced N by 20%showed the highest N agronomy efficiency and recovery efficiency,which were 92.0%and 46.0%higher than fallow after wheat harvest and conventional N application rate,respectively.The increase in NUE of wheat was mainly attributed to mixed sown common vetch and hairy vetch,which increased N transportation quantity and transportation rate at pre-anthesis,enhanced N harvest index,optimized N nutrition index,and increased activities of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase of leaf,respectively.Meanwhile,mixed sown common vetch and hairy vetch under reduced N by 20%improved soil organic matter and N contents.Therefore,mixed sown common vetch and hairy vetch can substitute 40%of chemical N fertilizer while maintaining grain yield and N accumulation,and it combined with reduced chemical N by 20%or 40%improved NUE of wheat via enhancing N supply and uptake.

Legume Green Manure and Intercropping for High Biomass Sorghum Production

Before the advent of cheap, synthetic fertilizers, legumes were commonly used as green manure crops for their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen (N). A three-year study at Overton, TX examined legume integration into high-biomass sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) production systems on a Lilbert loamy fine sand recently cultivated after a fertilized bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] pasture. In this split-split plot design, ‘Dixie’ crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) and ‘Iron and Clay’ cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) were integrated into a high-biomass sorghum production system to evaluate impacts on N concentration, C concentration, and yield of high-biomass sorghum and their impacts on soil total N and soil organic carbon (SOC). Main plots were split into crimson clover green manure (CLGM) and winter fallow (FALL) followed by three sub-plots split into warm-season crop rotations: cowpea green manure (CPGM), cowpea-sorghum intercrop (CPSR), and sorghum monocrop (SORG). Three N fertilizer treatments (0, 45, 90 kg N∙ha−1) were randomized and applied as sub-sub plots. The CLGM increased (P sorghum biomass yield (16.5 t DM∙ha−1) 28% in year three but had no effect in the first two years. The CPSR treatment reduced sorghum yield up to 62% compared to SORG;whereas CPGM increased sorghum yield 56% and 18% the two years following cowpea incorporation. Rate of N fertilizer had no effect on sorghum biomass yield. Decrease in SOC and soil N over time indicated mineralization of organic N and may explain why no N fertilizer response was observed in sorghum biomass yield. Cowpea showed strong potential as a green manure crop but proved to be too competitive for successful intercropping in high-biomass sorghum production systems.

Impact on Soil Organic C and Total Soil N from Cool- and Warm-Season Legumes Used in a Green Manure-Forage Cropping System

Annual forage legumes are important components of livestock production systems in East Texas and the southeastern US. Forage legumes contribute nitrogen (N) to cropping systems through biological N fixation, and their seasonal biomass production can be managed to complement forage grasses. Our research objectives were to evaluate both warm- and cool-season annual forage legumes as green manure for biomass, N content, ability to enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil N, and impact on post season forage grass crops. Nine warm-season forage legumes (WSL) were spring planted and incorporated as green manure in the fall. Forage rye (Secale cereale L.) was planted following the incorporation of WSL treatments. Eight cool-season forage legumes (CSL) were fall planted in previously fallow plots and incorporated as green manure in late spring. Sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor x Sorghum bicolor var. sudanense) was planted over all treatments in early summer after forage rye harvest and incorporation of CSL treatments. Sorghum-sudangrass was harvested in June, August and September, and treatments were evaluated for dry matter and N concentration. Soil cores were taken from each plot, split into depths of 0 to 15, 15 to 30 and 30 to 60 cm, and soil C and N were measured using combustion analysis. Nylon mesh bags containing plant samples were buried at 15 cm and used to evaluate decomposition rate of above ground legume biomass, including change in C and N concentrations. Mungbean (Vigna radiata L. [Wilczek]) had the highest shoot biomass yield (6.24 t DM ha-1) and contributed the most total N (167 kg∙ha-1) and total C (3043 kg∙ha-1) of the WSL tested. Decomposition rate of WSL biomass was rapid in the first 10 weeks and very slow afterward. Winter pea (Pisum sativum L. spp. sativum), arrow leaf clover (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi.), and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) were the most productive CSL in this trial. Austrian winter pea produced 8.41 t DM ha-1 with a total N yield of 319 kg N ha-1 and total C production of 3835 kg C ha-1. The WSL treatments had only small effects on rye forage yield and N concentration, possibly due to mineralization of N from a large SOC pool already in place. The CSL treatments also had only minimal effects on sorghum-sudangrass forage production. Winter pea, arrow leaf and crimson clover were productive cool season legumes and could be useful as green manure crops. Mungbean and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) were highly productive warm season legumes but may include more production risk in green manure systems due to soil moisture competition.

The potential of green manure to increase soil carbon sequestration and reduce the yield-scaled carbon footprint of rice production in southern China

Green manure(GM)has been used to support rice production in southern China for thousands of years.However,the effects of GM on soil carbon sequestration(CS)and the carbon footprint(CF)at a regional scale remain unclear.Therefore,we combined the datasets from long-term multisite experiments with a meta-analysis approach to quantify the potential of GM to increase the CS and reduce the CF of paddy soils in southern China.Compared with the fallow-rice practice,the GM-rice practice increased the soil C stock at a rate of 1.62 Mg CO_(2)-eq ha^(-1) yr^(-1) and reduced chemical N application by 40%with no loss in the rice yield.The total CF varied from 7.51 to 13.66 Mg CO_(2)-eq ha^(-1) yr^(-1) and was dominated by CH_(4) emissions(60.7-81.3%).GM decreased the indirect CF by 31.4%but increased the direct CH_(4) emissions by 19.6%.In the low and high CH_(4) emission scenarios,the CH_(4) emission factors of GM(EF_(gc))were 5.58 and 21.31%,respectively.The greater soil CS offset the increase in GM-derived CF in the low CH_(4) scenario,but it could not offset the CF increase in the high CH_(4) scenario.A trade-off analysis also showed that GM can simultaneously increase the CS and reduce the total CF of the rice production system when the EF_(gc) was less than 9.20%.The variation in EF_(gc) was mainly regulated by the GM application rates and water management patterns.Determining the appropriate GM application rate and drainage pattern warrant further investigation to optimize the potential of the GM-rice system to increase the CS and reduce the total CF in China.

Effects of Green Manure Rotation on Rice Growth Dynamics and Nitrogen Uptake and Utilization

This study aimed to comprehensive evaluation of different winter green manure on characterization of nitrogen uptake and utilization, to provide the basis for N fertilizer reasonable operation and characteristics improvement of nitrogen nutrition in rice high-yield cultivation. This experiment was set to compare milk vetch, rapeseed,ryegrass and mixed of green manure on rice yield, rice growth dynamics and nitrogen uptake and utilization in rice. The results showed that among 4 different winter green manure, the treatment of MV-R-R（milk vetch-rice-rice） for the early rice yield was the most than others treatments. Compared with RG-R-R（ryegrass-rice-rice）, RPR-R（rapeseed-rice-rice）, MS-R-R（mixed green manure-rice-rice）, the treatment of MVR-R inceased by 6.61%, 3.29%, 0.78%, respectively. The treatment of MV-R-R in N content in plant of rice was maximized in the tillering, booting, heading and maturity periods, respectively higher than the average of other treatments 9.68%, 19.72%,6.23% and 8.66%. At tillering, booting, heading and maturity, the treatment of MV-R-R were the highest in N uptake, RP-R-R minimum. The N periodic accumulation for MV-R-R were higher than other treatments in the tillering to booting, booting to heading and heading to maturity periods. The rates respectively were 21.81%, 68.73% and286.5%. In addition, N periodic accumulation and its ratio to total in the heading to maturity was minimum, maximum before tillering under green manure rotation system.So the cropping system of milk vetch-rice-rice could increase nitrogen use efficiency and improve N cycling.

Effects of long-term application of different green manures on ferric iron reduction in a red paddy soil in Southern China

Dissimilatory Fe（Ⅲ） reduction is an important process in the geochemical cycle of iron in anoxic environment. As the main products of dissimilatory iron reduction, the Fe（Ⅱ） species accumulation could indicate the reduction ability. The effects of different green manures on Fe（Ⅲ） reduction in paddy soil were explored based on a 31-year rice-rice-winter green manure cropping experiment. Four treatments were involved, i.e., rice-rice-milk vetch （RRV）, rice-rice-rape （RRP）, rice-rice-ryegrass （RRG） and rice-rice-winter fallow （RRF）. Soils were sampled at flowering stage of milk vetch and rape （S1）, before transplantation （S2）, at tillering （S3）, jointing （S4）, and mature （S5） stages of the early rice, and after the harvest of the late rice （S6）. The contents of TFeHa （HCI-extractable total Fe）, Fe（Ⅱ）HCI （HCI-extractable Fe（Ⅱ） species） and Fe（Ⅲ）HCI （HCI- extractable Fe（Ⅲ） species） were measured. The correlations among those Fe species with selected soil environmental factors and the dynamic characteristics of Fe（Ⅱ）HCI accumulation were investigated. The results showed that TFeHc~ in RRF was significantly higher than those in the green manure treatments at most of the sampling stages. Fe（II）Ha increased rapidly after the incorporation of green manures in all treatments and kept rising with the growth of early rice. Fe（Ⅱ）Ha in RRG was quite different from those in other treatments, i.e., it reached the highest at the S2 stage, then increased slowly and became the lowest one at the S4 and S5 stages. Fe（Ⅲ）Ha showed oppositely, and Fe（Ⅱ）HCI/Fe（Ⅲ）HCI performed similarly to Fe（Ⅱ）HCI The maximum accumulation potential of Fe（Ⅱ）HCI was significantly higher in RRF, while the highest maximum reaction rate of Fe（Ⅱ）Ha accumulation appeared in RRG. Significant correlations were found between the indexes of Fe（Ⅱ）HCI accumulation and soil pH, oxidation-reduction potential （Eh） and total organic acids, respectively. In together, we found that long-term application of green manures decreased the TFeHa in red paddy soils, but promoted the ability of Fe（lll） reduction, especially the ryegrass; Fe（Ⅱ）Ha increased along with the growth of rice and was affected by soil conditions and environmental factors, especially the water and redox ability.

Effects of Green Manure Mixed Cropping Patterns on Physical and Chemical Properties of Soil and Economic Characters of Flue-cured Tobacco

[Objective] The aim was to clear the suitable green manure cropping pat- terns in Xiangxi tobacco-planting areas. [Method] 8 treatments were set to study the effects of the monoculture and mixed cropping of common vetch （Vicia gigantea Bge.）, perennial ryegrass （Lofium） and rapeseed （Brassica campestris L.） on physi- cal and chemical properties of soil and economic characters of flue-cured tobacco. [Result] （1） Green manure turnover can reduce soil bulk density by 1.08%-8.62%, and the effect of green manure mixed cropping pattern was the best. （2） Green manure turnover also can increase the soil nutrient, soil organic matter, total nitro- gen （N）, total phosphorus （P）, total potassium （K）, alkali-hydrolyzale N, rapidly available P and rapidly available K by 1.44%-6.10%, 0.01-0.12 g/kg, 1.89%- 11.32%, 0.12%-3.56%, 1.06%-11.76%, 0.04%-18.93% and 0.98%-23.12%, respec- tively, and the effect of the monoculture of common vetch was the best.（3） The overall change of soil pH was not obvious.（4）Green manure turnover can increase the yield and output of flue-cured tobacco, and the effect of the monoculture of common vetch was the best. [Conclusion] The monoculture of common vetch can be generalized in the dry land of Xiangxi tobacco-planting areas.

Effects of Long-Term Winter Planted Green Manure on Distribution and Storage of Organic Carbon and Nitrogen in Water-Stable Aggregates of Reddish Paddy Soil Under a Double-Rice Cropping System

In agricultural systems, maintenance of soil organic matter has long been recognized as a strategy to reduce soil degradation. Manure amendments and green manures are management practices that can increase some nutrient contents and improve soil aggregation. We investigated the effects of 28 yr of winter planted green manure on soil aggregate-size distribution and aggregateassociated carbon（C） and nitrogen（N）. The study was a randomized completed block design with three replicates. The treatments included rice-rice-fallow, rice-rice-rape, rice-rice-Chinese milk vetch and rice-rice-ryegrass. The experiment was established in 1982 on a silty light clayey paddy soil derived from Quaternary red clay（classified as Fe-Accumuli-Stagnic Anthrosols） with continuous early and late rice. In 2009, soil samples were collected（0-15 cm depth） from the field treatment plots and separated into water-stable aggregates of different sizes（i.e., 〉5, 2-5, 1-2, 0.5-1, 0.25-0.5 and 〈0.25 mm） by wet sieving. The long-term winter planted green manure significantly increased total C and N, and the formation of the 2-5-mm water-stable aggregate fraction. Compared with rice-rice-rape, rice-rice-Chinese milk vetch and rice-rice-ryegrass, the rice-rice-fallow significantly reduced 2-5-mm water-stable aggregates, with a significant redistribution of aggregates into micro-aggregates. Long-term winter planted green manure obviously improved C/N ratio and macro-aggregate-associated C and N. The highest contribution to soil fertility was from macro-aggregates of 2-5 mm in most cases.

Effects of Long-Term Winter Planted Green Manure on Physical Properties of Reddish Paddy Soil Under a Double-Rice Cropping System

Soil physical properties are important indicators of the potential for agricultural production.Our objective was to evaluate the effects of long-term inputs of green manures on physical properties of a reddish paddy soil（Fe-Typic Hapli-Stagnic Anthrosols） under a double cropping system.The common cropping pattern before the study was early-late rice-fallow（winter）.The field treatments included rice-rice-fallow（R-R-WF）,rice-rice-rape（R-R-RP）,rice-rice-Chinese milk vetch（RR-MV）,and rice-rice-ryegrass（R-R-RG）.The rape,Chinese milk vetch and ryegrass were all incorporated as green manures 15 d before early rice transplanting during the following year.The soil bulk density in all green manure treatments was significantly reduced compared with the winter fallow treatment.Soil porosity with green manure applications was significantly higher than that under the winter fallow.The green manure treatments had higher 0.25-5 mm water stable aggregates and aggregates stabilities in the plow layer（0-15 cm depth） compared with the fallow treatment.The mean weight diameter（MWD） and normalized mean weight diameter（NMWD） of aggregates in the green manure treatment were larger than that with the winter fallow.Soil given green manure retained both a higher water holding capacity in the plow layer soil,and a larger volume of moisture at all matric potentials（-10,-33 and-100 kPa）.We conclude that the management of double-rice fields in southern central China should be encouraged to use green manures along with chemical fertilizers to increase SOC content,improve soil physical properties and soil fertility.

Effects of long-term green manure application on the content and structure of dissolved organic matter in red paddy soil

Dissolved organic matter(DOM) plays important roles in soil biogeochemistry activity and nutrients transportation in soils, but studies regarding the long-term effects of green manures on the content and structure of DOM in red paddy soil have not been reported yet. A long-term green manure experiment established in 1982 was utilized to test the DOM contents in different treatments, and the spectral characteristics of DOM were investigated by using ultraviolet-visible(UV-Vis) spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectrometry. The experiment included four cropping systems: ricerice-milk vetch(RRV), rice-rice-rape(RRP), rice-rice-ryegrass(RRG) and rice-rice-winter fallow(RRF), among them, milk vetch, rape, and ryegrass are popular winter green manure species in southern China. The results showed that the content of dissolved organic carbon(DOC), which is widely used to estimate the concentration of DOM, was significantly promoted after the incorporation of green manures compared with the other sampling stages. The contents of aromatic groups and the degree of humification of DOM increased in RRV and RRP, suggesting more complex compositions of the soil DOM after long-term application of milk vetch and rape. The contents of phenol, alcohol and carboxylic acid group at the mature stage of early rice were significantly higher than those at the stage of after green manures turned over, especially for the RRV treatment. The absorption ratio of FTIR indicated that winter plantation of rape increased the aromatic-C/aliphatic-C ratio, and ryegrass increased the aromatic-C/carboxyl-C ratio. In conclusion, long-term planting of milk vetch and rape as green manures increased the degree of aromaticity, humification and average molecular weight of DOM, and made the DOM more stable in red paddy soil.

Effects of Green Manure Rape Returned to Field on Rice Yield and Soil Fertility

To determine the fertilization effect of the rapeseed green manure Youfei1, we assessed soil physical and chemical properties and the yield of succeeding crop before and after planting Youfei 1. Compared with basal soil samples and controls,improvements were observed in the soil content of available N, P, K, and organic matter. The content of available K and organic matter increased significantly by17.99% and 25.45%. The soil pH did not change noticeably, but the soil bulk density decreased significantly by 22.55%. After planting Youfei 1, the yield of a succeeding rice crop increased significantly by 6.62% in two years. We conclude that planting Youfei 1 can help maintain and improve soil fertility and significantly increase the yield of succeeding crop.

Long-term rice-rice-green manure rotation changing the microbial communities in typical red paddy soil in South China

On the basis of a long-term（30 years） field experiment that involved four rotation systems, rice-rice-winter fallow（RRF）, rice-rice-ryegrass（RRG）, rice-rice-rape（RRP）, and rice-rice-milk vetch（RRV）, this study described the effects of green manure on the microbial communities in the red paddy soils using 454 pyrosequencing for the 16 S r RNA gene. The Chao1 richness and non-parametric Shannon＇s index increased in all soil samples that received green manure treatments. The communities＇ structures with the green manure applications were significantly dissimilar from that under the winter fallow. Using Metastats tests, many genera in the RRG, RRP and RRV soils were significantly different from those in the RRF soil, including a number of genera that functioned in the nitrogen and sulfur cycles. Analyses of the genera with these functions revealed the shifts in microbial ecosystem functions after long-term green manuring. Changes in the microbial communities increased the ammonium supply and decreased the soil acidification in green-manure-amended soils. Together, these data suggested powerful effects of green manure on both the microbial communities and the biogeochemical cycle driven by the shifts in bacterial functional groups.

Spatial distribution prediction and benefits assessment of green manure in the Pinggu District,Beijing,based on the CLUE-S model

Green manure use in China has declined rapidly since the 1980 s with the extensive use of chemical fertilizers.The deterioration of field environments and the demand for green agricultural products have resulted in more attention to green manure.Human intervention and policy-oriented behaviors likely have large impacts on promoting green manure planting.However,little information is available regarding on where,at what rates,and in which ways（i.e.,intercropping green manure in orchards or rotating green manure in cropland） to develop green manure and what benefits could be gained by incorporating green manure in fields at the county scale.This paper presents the conversion of land use and its effects at small region extent（CLUE-S） model,which is specifically developed for the simulation of land use changes originally,to predict spatial distribution of green manure in cropland and orchards in 2020 in Pinggu District located in Beijing,China.Four types of land use for planting or not planting green manure were classified and the future land use dynamics（mainly croplands and orchards） were considered in the prediction.Two scenarios were used to predict the spatial distribution of green manure based on data from 2011：The promotion of green manure planting in orchards（scenario 1） and the promotion of simultaneous green manure planting in orchards and croplands（scenario 2）.The predictions were generally accurate based on the receiver operating characteristic（ROC） and Kappa indices,which validated the effectiveness of the CLUE-S model in the prediction.In addition,the spatial distribution of the green manure was acquired,which indicated that green manure mainly located in the orchards of the middle and southern regions of Dahuashan,the western and southern regions of Wangxinzhuang,the middle region of Shandongzhuang,the eastern region of Pinggu and the middle region of Xiagezhuang under scenario 1.Green manure planting under scenario 2 occurred in orchards in the middle region of Wangxinzhuang,and croplands in most regions of Daxingzhuang,southern Pinggu,northern Xiagezhuang and most of Mafang.The spatially explicit results allowed for the assessment of the benefits of these changes based on different economic and ecological indicators.The economic and ecological gains of scenarios 1 and 2 were 175691 900 and143000 300 CNY,respectively,which indicated that the first scenario was more beneficial for promoting the same area of green manure.These results can facilitate policies of promoting green manure and guide the extensive use of green manure in local agricultural production in suitable ways.

Transfer characteristics of nitrogen fixed by leguminous green manure crops when intercropped with maize in northwestern China

To ascertain the possibility of cultivating maize using biological nitrogen fixation(BNF)by leguminous green manure crops in maize/leguminous green manure intercropping systems,BNF and nitrogen(N)transfer were studied in Xining and Wuwei,two typical northwestern Chinese cities.The experimental treatments included monocultured maize,monocultured green manures(hairy vetch and common vetch),and their intercropping systems.The proportions of N derived from the atmosphere(%N_(dfa))in intercropping systems were not significantly different from that in monocultured green manure systems at either experimental site,except for that in hairy vetch(HV)in Xining.The amount of N derived from the atmosphere(N_(dfa))of common vetch(CV)significantly decreased from 1.16 and 1.10 g/pot in monoculture to 0.77 and 0.55 g/pot when intercropped with maize,in Xining and Wuwei,respectively,and the N_(dfa) of HV when intercropped significantly decreased from 1.02 to 0.48 g/pot in Xining.In the intercropping systems in Xining and Wuwei,the amounts of N transferred(N_(transfer))from CV to maize were 21.54 and 26.81 mg/pot,accounting for 32.9 and 5.9%respectively of the N accumulation in maize,and the values of N_(transfer) from HV to maize were 39.61 and 46.22 mg/pot,accounting for 37.0 and 23.3%,respectively,of the N accumulation in maize.Path analysis showed that soil nutrient and green manure biomass were mainly related to N_(dfa),and thatδ^(15) N had a primary relationship with N_(transfer).We found that 5.9-37.0%of N accumulation in maize was transferred from green manures,and that the N transfer ability to maize of HV was higher than that of CV.In conclusion,intercropping with leguminous green manures provided a feasible way for maize to effectively utilize biologicallyfixed N.

Explaining farmers'reluctance to adopt green manure cover crops planting for sustainable agriculture in Northwest China

Green manure cover crops(GMCCs)planting has a potential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions(GHG)in agroecosystems and provides important ecosystem services,thereby achieving the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)stipulated by the United Nations.However,the advantages of cultivating GMCCs on arable land are not widely recognized.For example,in the whole of China,the GMCCs planting area is less than 3.5%of total arable land.The aim of this study is to explore reasons for the low adoption rate of GMCCs planting.Using best–worst scaling(BWS)approach,farmers ranked their preferred conservation practices including three types of GMCC cropping systems.Taking Gansu Province in Northwest China as a case study,a survey with 276 farmers was conducted.The findings indicated that three factors are related to the low adoption rate of GMCCs:1)farmers preferred improving farmland irrigation facilities and substituting chemical fertilizers with organic rather than planting GMCCs;2)lack of awareness and understanding of government policy on GMCCs and limited access to training courses;3)financial support and subsidies from the government are insufficient.This study provides insights and strategic implications for policymakers on how to further promote GMCCs in the future.

General Situation of Green Manure Germplasm Resources in China and Research Progress on Decomposition Characteristics and Fertility Improvement of Green Manures

As a kind of biological fertilizer sources, green manure can improve soil fertility and the quality of agricultural products. This paper introduced the germplasm resource of green manures in the major provinces in China, mainly summarized the characteristics of decomposition and nutrients release of returning green manures to soils, as well as the influence on soil fertility and succeeding crops, with the aim to provide references for rational utilization of green manures and the scientific management of farmland nutrients.

Effects of Amount of Green Manure Returned to Field on Yield and Quality of Flue-cured Tobacco

The effects of amount of green manure returned to field on yield and quality of flue-cured tobacco were studied by field experiment. The results showed that significant positive correlation existed between tobacco leaf yield and small or moderate amount of green manure returned to field. Path analysis showed that moderate amount of green manure returned to field affected yield and quality of tobacco leaves, small green manure returned to field mainly affected leaf yield, while large amount of green manure returned to field mainly affected leaf quality. Therefore, the effect of moderate amount of green manure returned to field on yield and quality of tobacco leaves was best, and moderate amount of green manure returned to field was recommended in production of flue-cured tobacco.

Effects of Green Manure and Inorganic Fertilizers on the Growth, Yield and Yield Components of Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) in the Mount Cameroon Region

This study evaluates the effects of green manure, inorganic fertilizers and their combinations on the growth and yield of soybeans in the Mount Cameroon Region. The experiment involved 10 treatments which include, 5 Mg/ha green manure, 180 Kg P/ha triple superphosphate fertilizer (P), 180 Kg/ha NPK (20:10:10), 2 Mg/ha green manure + 90 kg P/ha, 3 Mg/ha green manure + 90 kg P/ha, 5 Mg/ha green manure + 90 Kg P, 2 Mg/ha green manure + 90 kg NPK/ha, 3 Mg/ha green manure + 90 kg NPK/ha, 5 Mg/ha green manure + 90 kg NPK and a control. Plant growth characters were assessed every 14 days for a period of 70 days for the late (August) and early (March) planting seasons. The results indicated that plants supplied with 5 Mg/ha green manure had the highest plant heights of 60.7 cm, and this was significantly different from the control which had the least height (52.76 cm). Stem collar diameter was significantly (p 0.001) increased with treatments in both seasons. Plants supplied with 5 Mg/ha green manure recorded the highest stover yield (10.59 Mg/ha), and this was significantly different from the control which had the least (6.64 Mg/ha). Plants supplied with 5 Mg/ha green manure had the highest days to flowering (38 days), while plants supplied with 5 Mg/ha green manure + 90 Kg NPK had the least (33 days) which was significantly different (p 0.01). The highest number of pods per plant was observed in plants supplied with 5 Mg/ha green manure (57 pods per plants), which was significantly different from the control (39 pods per plant). Plants supplied with 5 Mg/ha green manure + 90 Kg NPK recorded the highest grain yield (4.97 Mg ha-1), while the lowest grain yield was observed in the control (2.22 Mg ha-1). Results from this study can be used by soybeans farmers in the Mount Cameroon region to enhance productivity of this crop and thereby improving their living standards and food security in Cameroon.

Effects of Rotating Summer Green Manure Crops and Straw Returning in Paddy Field on Rice Quality and Yield

[Objectives] The aim was to explore the biological mechanism of green manure on improving soil fertility in paddy soil.[Methods] Early rice （chemical fertilizer） was used as a control to study the effects of returning green manure crops of mung bean, lablab bean to paddy fields and organic manure application on the bulk density, nutrient content, nutrient content and yield of rice soil.[Results] The soil bulk density in each treatment was significantly lower than that of the basic soil. The soil bulk density of treatment I was the least of 1.52 g/cm 3. The nitrogen content of rice in treatment IV was significantly higher than that of treatment I, treatment II, and treatment III. The phosphorus and potassium contents of rice in treatment III and treatment IV were significantly higher than those of treatment I and treatment II. Returning green manure crops to field and applying organic fertilizers could increase the polished rice ratio and reduce the chalkiness degree, chalkiness ratio and protein content of rice. The gel consistency of rice grain in treatment I was significantly higher than that of treatment II, treatment III and treatment IV. The rice of treatment III had the highest number of effective panicles per plant, 1 000-grain weight, theoretical yield and actual yield, respectively, 14.07 panicles/plant, 32.58 g, 6 236.27 kg/hm^2 and 5 086.80 kg/hm^2.[Conclusions] This study provided a theoretical basis for proposing good green manure varieties suitable for the continuous improvement of paddy soil quality.