Effects of Biogas Slurry Application Years on Remediation of Pennisetum×sinese on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties and Microorganisms of Rare Earth Tailings

[Objectives]This study was conducted to analyze the effects of continuous application of biogas slurry for many years on soil ecosystem restoration of rare earth tailings by planting Pennisetum×sinese,in order to provide basis for scientific application of biogas slurry.[Methods]The fields with different years of continuous application of biogas slurry in Dingnan Rare Earth Tailings Ecological Restoration Demonstration Park were selected as the research object,and the differences in soil physical and chemical properties and microbial community structure after application of biogas slurry for different years(0,3 and 5 years)were studied.[Results]The bulk density of soil with continuous application of biogas slurry showed a downward trend,while the maximum water holding capacity,capillary water holding capacity,porosity,aeration,pH,organic matter,nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium,alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen and available phosphorus showed an upward trend.Moreover,the effects achieved by application for 5 years were better than those by application for 3 years.Continuous application of biogas slurry could significantly improve the activity of soil urease,acid phosphatase,sucrase and cellulase,and it effects increased with the application year increasing.Continuous application of biogas slurry could significantly improve the abundance of dominant bacteria in soil,and with the increase of application years,the abundances of dominant bacteria also increased.[Conclusions]Continuous application of biogas slurry effectively improved soil physical and chemical properties and soil fertility in rare earth tailings areas where Pennisetum×sinese was planted to restore rare earth tailings.This study provides a theoretical support for establishing key ecological restoration technoiques.

Studies of Soil Physical Property on Different Abandoned Lands in the Minqin Oasis,Downstream of the Shiyang River

The vast area of farmland was abandoned at downstream of the Shiyang River because of decreased water recourse. To ensure the ecological safety of Minqin Oasis and to provide management basis for the abandoned land, soil physical properties were observed and studied. The authors analyzed land with abandonment time of 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, 5 years, 8 years, 15 years, 24 years and 31 years. Samples were took at the 0-40 cm layer of soil to measure the bulk density, porosity and grain composition of soil in the different abandoned lands. Results showed that the tendency of clay content was decreasing, conversely, the fine sand increased at the layer of 0-10 cm of different abandoned lands.The changes of grain content reached a peak at the fourth year after the land was abandoned, then varied slightly. The variation of grain content of abandoned land was obvious with the extension of the abandonment year. The soil bulk density decreased and porosity increased with the extension of the abandonment year. The difference of porosity and soil bulk density at the range of 0-40 cm of different abandoned land decreased after the land abandoned for 3 years. The quality of soil was decreased, while the soil permeability was improved. The soil physical properties changed obviously in 3 to 4 years after abandonment, so it is the key time for land management.

Studies of Soil Physical Properties and Community Characteristics of Different Abandoned Lands in the Minqin Oasis,Downstream of the Shiyang River

[Objective] The aim was to explore physical properties and community characteristics of abandoned lands in different years in Minqin Oasis, downstream of the Shiyang River, [Method] The evolution of environment and plant community characteristics in different abandoned lands were analyzed after abandonment for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 15, 24 and 31 years, and the plant community characteristics, water content, bulk density, porosity and mechanical composition of soil in the different a- bandoned lands were also researched in the Minqin Oasis, downstream of the Shiyang River. [Result] Plant of 32 species spread over 14 family live through fifty years appeared in abandoned lands in the study area. Shrubs was 6 species, herbs was 26 species among them, which were 18.75%, 81.25% respectively. The goose- foot family （6 species）, the composite family（4 species）,the grass family（4 species）, caltrop family（3 species） were 53.13% among them. Within the range of 0-40 cm of different abandoned Land, the soil moisture content showed a trend of first increase and then decrease with the increase of soil depth changes in soil bulk density and porosity of less obvious. In the range of 0-40 cm soil depth, the largest proportion of fine sand, followed by silt and clay and the smallest proportion of coarse sand in every plot, but the proportion of the each silt size varies little with the years aban- doned. [Conclusion] The research provides references for vegetation reconstruction and eco-environment construction in abandoned lands in downstream of Shiyang River.

Soil Physical and Chemical Properties of Five Subtropical Forests in Lingao of Hainan

With 5 types of typical forests as research object, the physical and chemical properties of different types of forests were analyzed by sample plot investigation method. The results showed that： the soil total porosity was the highest in the Casuarina equisetifolia forest （46.168%）, but the lowest in the Encalyptus robusta forest （39.46%）. The soil capillary porosity was the highest in the Acacia mangium forest （22.57%）, but the lowest in the secondary forest （18.95%）. The soil water content was the highest in the C. equisetifolia forest, with a mean value of 27.85%, but the lowest in the secondary forest, with a mean value of 4.34%. The soil pH values were in the range of 4.81-6.59, the soils in the A. mangium forest, C. equisetifolia forest and E. robusta forest were strongly acidic （pH 4.5-5.5）, and the soils in the secondary forest and C. nucifera forest were weakly acidic. The soils had organic matter contents in the range of 0.34-28.68 g/kg, and showed an order of A. mangium forest〉C. equisetifolia forest〉E. robusta forest〉secondary forest〉C. nucifera forest, with a decreasing trend with the soil depth increasing. The soil total N contents were in the range of 0.10-1.63 g/kg, the A. mangium forest showed the highest soil total N contents, while the C. nucifera forest exhibited the lowest soil total N contents; the soil total P contents were in the range of 0.21-1.74 g/kg, and the E. robusta forest had the highest soil total P contents; and the soil total K contents were in the range of 0.16-2.15 g/kg, and the A. mangium forest exhibited the highest soil total K contents. The soil available P contents were in the range of 0.98-132.46 mg/kg; and the secondary forests had the highest soil available P contents; and the soil rapidly available K contents were in the range of 3.03-27.35 mg/kg, and the C. nucifera forest exhibited the highest soil rapidly available K contents. The soil ammonium N contents were in the range of 1.38-5.15 mg/kg, and the nitrate N contents were in the range were in the range of 0.56 -3.51 mg/kg. The A. mangium forest showed the highest soil nitrate N contents （with a mean value of 2.29 mg/kg） and ammonium N contents （with a mean value of 3.93 mg/kg）. For the same forest type, with the increase of soil depth, the nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen content also showed a decreasing trend.

Effects of Crude Oil Contamination on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in Momoge Wetland of China

Large oilfields are often coincidentally located in major river deltas and wetlands,and potentially damage the structure,function and ecosystem service values of wetlands during oil exploration.In the present study,the effects of crude oil contamination during oil exploration on soil physical and chemical properties were investigated in marshes of the Momoge National Nature Reserve in Jilin Province,China.The concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons in the marsh soil near the oil wells are significantly higher than those in the adjacent control marsh.Soil water contents in oil-contaminated marshes are negatively correlated with soil temperature and are significantly lower than those in the control area,especially in fall.Crude oil contamination significantly increases the soil pH up to8.0,and reduces available phosphorus concentrations in the soil.The concentrations of total organic carbon are significantly different among sampling sites.Therefore,crude oil contamination could potentially alkalinize marsh soils,adversely affect soil fertility and physical properties,and cause deterioration of the marshes in the Momoge National Nature Reserve.Phyto-remediation by planting Calamagrostis angustifolia has the potential to simultaneously restore and remediate the petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated wetlands.Crude oil contamination affects the soil physical and chemical properties,so developing an effective restoration program in the Momoge wetland is neccesary.

Influences of Soil Physical Properties on Water-Supplying Capacity

The water-supplying capacity of two agricultural soils, red soil in Jiangxi Province and meadow soil in Henan Province, was assessed mainly using physical investigations. The reticulated mottting horizon in the red soil was a horizon limiting roots distribution due to its high density and hardness in structure and low pH (pH 5.05). The resistance of the red soil to drought hazard was poor because of its low water-supply capacity and poor hydraulic conductivity. The meadow soil had superior profile infiltration to that of the red soil and great available water-storage capacity) which resulted in low run-off loss, especially in the wheat-growth season. It was difficult for water stored in the deep layers of the meadow soil to reach the surface due to the low unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of its clay-rich horizon in subsoil. However, water stored in deep layers was still available because the roots could extend to the deep layers due to the relatively low density in soil structure.

Robinia pseudoacacia leaves improve soil physical and chemical properties

The role of the leaves of Robinia pseudoacacia L., which is widely distributed in the arid lands, on improving soil physical and chemical properties was analyzed at various incubation periods. The incubated soils added with 0, 25, 50 and 75 g Robinia pseudoacacia leaves were tested after consecutive incubation intervals of 6, 8 and 10 months and the different soil parameters were measured. The results showed the increases in organic matter (OM), extractable K, cation exchange capacity (CEC), aggregate stability and water holding capacity, but the decreases in pH value and bulk density after 6 months’ incubation. The gradual decrease in change rates of soil properties indicated less microbial population and organic residual mineralization under acidic conditions, which were resulted from fast decomposition of leaves after the first 6 months incubation. The increases in soil organic matter content, extractable K, CEC, aggregate stability and water holding capacity and the decreases in soil pH and bulk density provide favorable conditions for crop’s growth.

Effects of Straw and Biochar Returned to the Soil on Soil Physical Properties and pH Value in Cold Rice Region

[Objectives]In order to explore the feasibility of using straw and biochar returned to the soil to improve soil physical properties and pH value in cold rice regions of China.[Methods]the effects of straw directly returned to the soil and charred straw(biochar)returned to the soil on soil bulk density,porosity,temperature and pH value of cold paddy soil were studied in this paper.[Results]The results showed that compared with conventional production,straw(6 t/ha),a small amount of biochar(2 t/ha)and a large amount of biochar(40 t/ha)returned to the soil reduced paddy soil bulk density at different growth stages by 6.02%-11.86%,2.69%-6.67%and 8.58%-11.32%,respectively,increased total porosity by 7.41%-14.93%,3.19%-8.38%and 9.81%-14.27%,respectively,and increased aeration porosity by 22.28%-192.11%,17.80%-92.11%and 52.44%-157.11%,respectively.Straw and a small amount of biochar returned to the soil had no significant effect on soil temperature and pH value of paddy field,but a large amount of biochar returned to the soil could significantly increase soil temperature by 5.13%-8.79%and pH value by 3.15%-5.96%in the later stage of rice growth.[Conclusions]The straw and biochar returned to the soil could reduce soil bulk density,increase total porosity and aeration porosity,and only a large amount of biochar returned to the soil could significantly increase soil temperature and pH value.

Digital mapping of soil physical and mechanical properties using machine learning at the watershed scale

Knowledge about the spatial distribution of the soil physical and mechanical properties is crucial for soil management,water yield,and sustainability at the watershed scale;however,the lack of soil data hinders the application of this tool,thus urging the need to estimate soil properties and consequently,to perform the spatial distribution.This research attempted to examine the proficiency of three machine learning methods(RF:Random Forest;Cubist:Regression Tree;and SVM:Support Vector Machine)to predict soil physical and mechanical properties,saturated hydraulic conductivity(Ks),Cohesion measured by fall-cone at the saturated(Psat)and dry(Pdry)states,hardness index(HI)and dry shear strength(SS)by integrating environmental variables and soil features in the Zayandeh-Rood dam watershed,central Iran.To determine the best combination of input variables,three scenarios were examined as follows:scenarioⅠ,terrain attributes derivative from a digital elevation model(DEM)+remotely sensed data;scenarioⅡ,covariates of scenarioⅠ+selected climatic data and some thematic maps;scenarioⅢ,covariates in scenarioⅡ+intrinsic soil properties(Clay,Silt,Sand,bulk density(BD),soil organic matter(SOM),calcium carbonate equivalent(CCE),mean weight diameter(MWD)and geometric weight diameter(GWD)).The results showed that for Ks,Psat Pdry and SS,the best performance was found by the RF model in the third scenario,with R2=0.53,0.32,0.31 and 0.41,respectively,while for soil hardness index(HI),Cubist model in the third scenario with R2=0.25 showed the highest performance.For predicting Ks and Psat,soil characteristics(i.e.clay and soil SOM and BD),and land use were the most important variables.For predicting Pdry,HI,and SS,some topographical characteristics(Valley depth,catchment area,mltiresolution of ridge top flatness index),and some soil characteristics(i.e.clay,SOM and MWD)were the most important input variables.The results of this research present moderate accuracy,however,the methodology employed provides quick and costeffective information serving as the scientific basis for decision-making goals.

Effects of Spatial Information of Soil Physical Properties on Hydrological Modeling Based on a Distributed Hydrological Model

The spatial distribution of soil physical properties is essential for modeling and understanding hydrological processes. In this study, the different spatial information (the conventional soil types map-based spatial information (STMB) versus refined spatial information map (RSIM)) of soil physical properties, including field capacity, soil porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity are used respectively as input data for Water Flow Model for Lake Catchment (WATLAC) to determine their effectiveness in simulating hydrological processes and to expound the effects on model performance in terms of estimating groundwater recharge, soil evaporation, runoff generation as well as partitioning of surface and subsurface water flow. The results show that: 1) the simulated stream flow hydrographs based on the STMB and RSIM soil data reproduce the observed hydrographs well. There is no significant increase in model accuracy as more precise soil physical properties information being used, but WATLAC model using the RSIM soil data could predict more runoff volume and reduce the relative runoff depth errors; 2) the groundwater recharges have a consistent trend for both cases, while the STMB soil data tend to produce higher groundwater recharges than the RSIM soil data. In addition, the spatial distribution of annual groundwater recharge is significantly affected by the spatial distribution of soil physical properties; 3) the soil evaporation simulated using the STMB and RSIM soil data are similar to each other, and the spatial distribution patterns are also insensitive to the spatial information of soil physical properties; and 4) although the different spatial information of soil physical properties does not cause apparent difference in overall stream flow, the partitioning of surface and subsurface water flow is distinct. The implications of this study are that the refined spatial information of soil physical properties does not necessarily contribute to a more accurate prediction of stream flow, and the selection of appropriate soil physical property data needs to consider the scale of watersheds and the level of accuracy required.

Effects of restoration modes on the spatial distribution of soil physical properties after land consolidation: a multifractal analysis

Soil physical properties(SPP)are considered to be important indices that reflect soil structure,hydrological conditions and soil quality.It is of substantial interest to study the spatial distribution of SPP owing to the high spatial variability caused by land consolidation under various land restoration modes in excavated farmland in the loess hilly area of China.In our study,three land restoration modes were selected including natural restoration land(NR),alfalfa land(AL)and maize land(ML).Soil texture composition,including the contents of clay,silt and sand,field capacity(FC),saturated conductivity(Ks)and bulk density(BD)were determined using a multifractal analysis.SPP were found to possess variable characteristics,although land consolidation destroyed the soil structure and decreased the spatial autocorrelation.Furthermore,SPP varied with land restoration and could be illustrated by the multifractal parameters of D1,ΔD,ΔαandΔf in different modes of land restoration.Owing to multiple compaction from large machinery in the surface soil,soil particles were fine-grained and increased the spatial variability in soil texture composition under all the land restoration modes.Plough numbers and vegetative root characteristics had the most significant impacts on the improvement in SPP,which resulted in the best spatial distribution characteristics of SPP found in ML compared with those in AL and NR.In addition,compared with ML,Δαvalues of NR and AL were 4.9-and 3.0-fold that of FC,respectively,andΔαvalues of NR and AL were 2.3-and 1.5-fold higher than those of Ks,respectively.These results indicate that SPP can be rapidly improved by increasing plough numbers and planting vegetation types after land consolidation.Thus,we conclude that ML is an optimal land restoration mode that results in favorable conditions to rapidly improve SPP.

Improvement of Soil Physical Properties with Soil Con-ditioners

Effects of non-ionic polyacrylamide(PAM), anionic polyacrylamide(PHP), cationic polyacrylamide (PCA-M), non-ionic polyvinylalcohol(PVA), anionic hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile(HPAN) and polyethyleneoxide(PE-O) on the physical properties of three different soil types were studied. Content of water-stable aggregateslarger than 0.25 mm increased to varying extents for different soils and soil conditioners. Among the sixkinds of conditioners, non-ionic polyacrylamide(PAM) was the most effective for red soil while polyethyle-neoxide(PEO) the least effective for Chao soil, red soil and yellow-brown soil. Water-stable aggregatesincreased with the rates of PEO and PAM application (except for PEO treatment of yellow-brown soil) andwith the molecular weight of PEO within a certain range. Only evaporation rate of Chao soil decreased afterapplication of PAM and HPAN to Chao soil and red soil.

Effects of Subsoiling on Some Soil Physical Properties and Wheat Yield in a Dry Land Ecological Condition

In order to evaluate the effect of subsoiling on the soil physical properties and wheat yield in dry land conditions, this research was conducted in Mamassani area of Fars province in Iran. The experiment was laid down in the form of a complete block experimental design with four treatments and four replications for three years. Treatments included： （1） conventional tillage without using subsoiler which was control treatment （So）; （2） using subsoiler with the shank space of 40 cm which was equal to the subsoiling depth （SO; （3） using subsoiler with the shank space of 60 cm which was 1.5 times of the subsoiling depth （S2）; and （4） using subsoiler with the shank space of 80 cm which was 2 times of the subsoiling depth （S3）. Subsoiling depth was set at 40 cm which was the lower limit of the hard pan depth in the soil. Soil cone index, soil bulk density, soil moisture content, wheat yield, and yield components were measured in this study and SAS software was used to analyze the collected data. Results showed that subsoiling decreased the soil bulk density and cone index, and increased water retention of the soil. Results also revealed that applying subsoiler increased wheat yield and yield components in our dry land conditions. Since subsoiling improved soil physical conditions and increases wheat yield, applying subsoiler in such a dry land conditions is therefore recommended. Results of this study also showed that subsoiling with the shank space of 40 cm and 60 cm had better performance compared to the shank space of 80 cm. On the other hand, shank space of 40 cm reduced the subsoiler effective working width and consequently effective field capacity. Therefore, subsoiler with a shank space of 60 cm is recommended for application in dry land soils of our type.

Tillage and Poultry Manure Effects on Soil Physical Properties, Nutrient Status, Growth, Dry Matter and Grain Yield of Sorghum

The effects of different tillage systems and poultry manure on soil physical properties, performance and nutrients in sorghum were studied for three years at Owo, southwest Nigeria. There was factorial combinations of herbicide-based zero tillage （ZT）, manual clearing （MC）, disc ploughing （P）, ploughing plus harrowing （P＋H） and ploughing plus double harrowing （P＋2H）, and two rates of poultry manure at 0 and 7.5 Mg ha^-1. Herbicide-based zero tillage and manual clearing reduced soil temperature and conserved more water than mechanized tillage techniques. Poultry manure reduced soil bulk density and temperature and increased soil water and porosity. There was a percentage decrease of leaf N, P, K, Ca and Mg concentrations, plant height, leaf area, stem girth, root dry weight, dry matter and grain yield in ascending order for herbicide-based zero tillage, manual clearing, ploughing, ploughing plus harrowing and ploughing plus double harrowing while percentage increases were recorded in a descending order for all the various combinations of tillage with poultry manure in that order. Poultry manure in combination with tillage increased dry matter and grain yield by 33.1 and 39.5%, respectively in comparison with tillage only. The manure-zero tillage methods increased dry matter and grain yield by 8% and 15%, respectively when compared with manure-mechanized tillage methods. Zero tillage or manual clearing in combination with 7.5 Mg ha^-1 poultry manure was most suitable for sorghum cultivation.

Influences of mechanized tillage and sowing modes on soil physical properties,soybean yield and economic benefits in mollisols region of Northeast China

Appropriate mechanized straw returning and tillage sowing techniques were effective means to optimize soil physical properties and enhance agricultural productivity,as well as important measures for the conservation and restoration of mollisols region in Northeast China.Under the condition of full-scale maize straw returning,four mechanized tillage and sowing modes were set,including plough tillage and sowing(PTS),combined tillage and sowing(CTS),no-tillage and sowing(NTS),and no-tillage and sowing with straw mulching(NTSM).In 2020 and 2021,the study investigated the effects of different mechanized tillage and sowing modes on soil physical properties,soybean yield and economic benefits.The results showed that during the pod-setting and pod-filling period of soybean,the NTS and NTSM treatments exhibited better effects on deep soil insulation and shallow soil moisture retention,the soil physical structure of PTS and CTS treatments were relatively ideal.Compared with PTS and CTS treatments,NTS and NTSM treatments significantly increased soil gravimetric water content(SWC)by 2.35%to 7.98%in the 5-15 cm soil layer and increased soil temperature(ST)by 3.94%to 10.42%in the 25-35 cm soil layer(p<0.05),significantly increased soil bulk density(SBD)by 2.98%to 6.72%and significantly reduced soil total porosity(STP)by 3.88%to 6.53%in the 5-25 cm soil layer,and significantly reduced soil gas phase ratio by 8.26%to 6.27%at the 15-25 cm soil layers,which caused soil three-phase ratio(STPR)of PTS and CTS treatment in 15-25 cm soil layer were relatively ideal.The soybean yield of NTSM treatment in 2020 was not significantly different from PTS and CTS treatment(p>0.05),the soybean yield of NTSM treatment in 2021 significantly increased by 7.30%and 5.84%over PTS and CTS treatments,respectively.And the average annual profit per unit area of NTSM treatment increased by 12.84%,12.41%and 8.57%compared with PTS,CTS and NTS treatments,respectively.Therefore,it was recommended to combine NTSM technique with PTS or CTS technique in a maize-soybean rotation system in mollisols region.The research results provided reference for the selection of appropriate mechanized tillage and sowing techniques in Northeast China’s mollisols region and had important guiding significance and practical value for the construction of rational plow layers and the implementation of conservation tillage.

Effects of Plastic Film Mulching on Physical Characters of Soil and Yield and Yield Components of Sweet Potato

Field experiments were carried out to study the effects of plastic film mulching on soil physical characters, including soil temperature, soil moisture content and soil bulk density, and yield and yield components of sweet potato. The results showed that plastic filming mulching increased soil temperature. Considering the soil temperature-increasing effect, the treatments ranked as black plastic film treatment 〉 white plastic film treatment 〉 control. However, with the deepening of soil layer, the warming effect of plastic film mulching was weakened. Black or white plastic film mulching was conducive to low T/R value, especially in the early growth stage of sweet potato. Plastic film mulching significantly improved the storage root yield of sweet potato. In terms of yield-improving effect, the treatments ranked as black plastic film treatment 〉 white plastic film treatment 〉 control. The storage root num- ber per plant showed a downward trend, but the weight of single storage root was increased.

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 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.

Biochar applications influence soil physical and chemical properties,microbial diversity,and crop productivity:a meta-analysis

Biochar is a widely known soil amendment.Here we synthesize the available information on influence of biochar application on different soil properties and crop productivity using meta-analysis.Global data on influence of biochar applications on different soil physical,chemical,microbial properties,and crop productivity were extracted from literature and statistically analyzed.Based on selection criteria,59 studies from the literature published between 2012 and 2021 were selected for the meta-analysis.Correlations were developed between effect size of biochar application on different soil properties and crop productivity.Application of biochar increased soil pH,cation exchange capacity,and organic carbon by 46%,20%,and 27%,respectively,with greater effects in coarse and fine-textured soils.Effects on chemical properties were variable among biochar prepared from different feedstocks.Among physical properties,biochar application reduced bulk densities by 29%and increased porosity by 59%.Biochar prepared at higher pyrolytic temperatures(>500℃)improved bulk density and porosity to greater extents(31%and 66%,respectively).Biochar prepared at lower pyrolytic temperatures(<500℃)had a greater effect on microbial diversity(both bacterial and fungal),with more diverse bacterial populations in medium and coarse textured soils,while fungal diversity increased in fine textured soils.Biochar applications increased crop productivity only in fine and coarse textured soil.The effect size of biochar application on crop productivity was correlated with responses to physical properties of soils.The meta-analysis highlighted the need to conduct long-term field experiments to provide better explanations for changes in biochar properties as it undergoes aging,its longer-term effects on soil properties,and timing of re-application of different biochars.

Effects of Organic Amendments on Soil Physical Attributes and Aggregate-Associated Phosphorus Under Long-Term Rice-Wheat Cropping

The quantification of phosphorus(P) in bulk soil and P distribution in different size fractions of water-stable aggregates(WSAs)are important for assessing potential P loss through runoff. We evaluated available and total P distribution within WSAs of a sitty clay to clay soil in a long-term fertility experiment of a rice-wheat cropping system in India. Surface soil samples were collected from seven plots amended with NPK fertilizers in combination with or without organic amendments, farmyard manure(FYM), green manure(GM), and paddy straw(PS). The plot with no NPK fertilizers or organic amendments was set as a control. The soil samples were separated by wet sieving into four soil aggregate size fractions: large macroaggregates(> 2.0 mm), small macroaggregates(0.25–2.0 mm), fine microaggregates(0.05–0.25 mm), and a silt + clay-sized fraction(< 0.05 mm). Structural indices were higher in the soil receiving organic amendments than in the soil receiving inorganic fertilizer alone. Organically amended soil had a higher proportion of stable macroaggregates than the control and the soil receiving inorganic fertilizer alone, which were rich in microaggregates. Total and available P contents within WSAs were inversely related to the aggregate size, irrespective of treatment. The distribution of available and total P in the soil aggregate size fraction was as follows: silt + clay-size fraction > small macroaggregates > fine microaggregates> large macroaggregates. Within a size class, aggregate-associated available and total P contents in the organically amended soil were in the following order: FYM > PS ≥ GM. The available P content of the microaggregates(< 0.25 mm) was 8-to 10-times higher than that of the macroaggregates(> 0.25 mm), and the total P content of the microaggregates was 4-to 5-times higher than that of the macroaggregates. Cultivation without organic amendments resulted in more microaggregates that could be checked by the application of organic amendments such as FYM and GM, which increased the proportion of water-stable macroaggregates by consolidating microaggregates into macroaggregates.