Effects of Tillage and Cultivation Methods on Carbon Accumulation and Formation of Water-stable Aggregates at Different Soil Layer in Rice Paddy

Abstract

No-tillage is an effective practice to save labor input and reduce methane emission from the paddy. Effects of tillage and cultivation methods on carbon accumulation and soil properties were investigated in the treatments of tillage-transplanting (T-T), tillage-wet hill seeding (T-WS), minimum tillage-dry seeding (MT-S) and no-tillage dry seeding (NT-S) of rice. Soil carbon was higher in NT-S and MT-S, compared to T-T and T-WS. In NT-S and MT-S, soil carbon contents were the highest in the top soil (5 cm depth) and decreased with soil depth. In T-T and T-WS, however soil carbon contents showed no significant difference up to soil depth of 15 cm from the top. Carbon content was the highest in the soil particle size under 106 µm and decreased as the soil particle size increased. Contents of water-stable aggregates in NT-S and MT-S were higher than those of T-T and T-WS. In NT-S and MT-S, contents of water-stable aggregates were the highest in the top soil and significantly decreased with soil depth while no significant difference up to the soil depth of 15 cm in T-T and T-WS. Available SiO 2 contents in the top soil were the highest in NT-S and MT-S while the lowest in T-T and T-WS. It is concluded that minimum or no disturbance of soil in rice cultivation can increase carbon accumulation in the soil, especially in the top layer, and subsequently contribute to the formation of the water-stable soil aggregates.