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Based on the typical engineering water shortage and soil degradation of sloping farmland in the karst area of southwest China, this experiment is to explore the suitable organic mulch materials and application rate and to provide theoretical reference for the regional soil moisture conservation and fertility enhancement. The maize monoculture was set as control (CK), five straw mulch treatments (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%, SM1-SM5) and four biochar mulch treatments (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, BM1-BM4), which were set according to mulch application rate from low to high, and alfalfa, chicory and ryegrass intercropping in maize were set as 3 living mulches (LM1-LM3), 13 treatments in total. Observation of soil moisture, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and total potassium (TK) in the plough layer were carried out in 2018. When straw mulch application rate reached SM5, the soil moisture reached the maximum, which was significantly higher than CK and SM1-SM3 (p<0.05), but not significantly higher than SM4 (p>0.05); biochar and living mulch did not significantly improve the moisture; the overall water conservation effect of straw mulch was better than that of biochar and living mulch. Soil TOC, TN and TP with high straw and biochar mulch application rate was significantly higher than CK, however, the increase of straw and biochar mulch had no significant effect on TK; TN of LM1 was significantly higher than CK, LM2 and LM3 (p<0.05). Among the three types of organic mulches, the TOC was high under straw and biochar mulch, and the TOC, TN and TP under biochar mulch were the largest, which was significantly higher than that of LM (p<0.05). The results indicated that straw mulch played an important role in water conservation and fertility enhancement, and about 6 Mg ha -1 of straw mulch could be an appropriate reference mulch application rate for karst areas in Southwest China.

With the implementation of ecological projects such as the Grain-for-Green Project, rocky desertification control and comprehensive control of soil and water loss for sloping farmland, ecological environment of karst mountainous areas in southwest China has been improved significantly, but soil and water loss of sloping farmland is still an important ecological and environmental problem in this region. In this paper we took a typical karst rocky desertification mountainous area, Jinlan Demonstration Area, as the study area located in Qianxi County, Guizhou Province. On the basis of a previous experimental demonstration of grass planting and afforestation on sloping farmland (planted in 2014), the sample plot method was used to obtain soil samples and soil shearing test piece in 2017, and soil shear strength and soil erodibility factor (K) were measured by direct shear method and hydrometer method in order to study the effect of sloping farmland converted to abandoned land, pastureland and agroforestry on soil erosion resistance. Results showed that the soil sheer strength was no obvious change and soil erodibility was no significant difference (P>0.05) in sloping farmland with the level of rocky desertification becoming more serious; soil sheer strength greatly increased after sloping farmland was abandoned, ultimate shear strength τ 300 was increased by 65.5%, and K was significantly different (P<0.05) after 10 years; in the process of sloping farmland converted to pastureland, the soil ultimate shear strength τ 300 was increased by 34.55% and K decreased significantly (P<0.05), which indicated that the effect of grass planting on improving soil erosion resistance of sloping farmland was obvious; in the process of sloping farmland converted to agroforestry, soil erosion resistance was also enhanced, soil shear strength was increased, and K was decreased (it did not reach the significant level, P>0.05). Based on the preliminary results of this paper, we think both grass (tree) planting and land abandonment could improve soil erosion resistance and reduce soil erosion risk, which *

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