Straw Incorporation Strategy on Cereal Crop Yield in China

Abstract

Straw incorporation (SI) is considered a valid agricultural measure for ameliorating soil quality and sequestrating soil C. This study aimed to quantitatively summarize the response of cereal yield to SI management. Our results showed that compared with straw removal, SI could significantly enhance cereal yield by 7% over all of China across the 9‐yr period. In all regions, SI in coarse‐textured soils increased yields more than in fine‐textured soils. Straw incorporation resulted in greater yield increases for upland crops compared with rice (Oryza sativa L.) cropping, and for rotary tillage compared with plowing and no tillage. Overall, SI‐induced cereal yield increases were greater in areas with a lack of soil nutrients and soil water. The SI‐induced increases of 1 t ha−1 of soil organic C (SOC) storage could increase cereal yield by 44 kg ha−1. If half or full amounts of cereal straw is returned across all of China's agricultural regions, cereal yields would increase by an average of 2.84 and 5.07 Tg yr−1, respectively, which would contribute to achieving the increasing yield requirements of China.

Straw incorporation increases crop yield and soil organic carbon sequestration but varies under different natural conditions and farming practices in China: a system analysis

“…3d) but increased thereafter. However, unlike several other studies Zhao et al, 2015), we observed that the yield increase tended to decline after a 15-year timespan of the adoption of straw incorporation (Fig. 3d).…”

“…This yield increase is similar in magnitude to a recent global analysis (12%; Liu et al 2014), but larger 20 than previous meta-analyses of published data from China (up to 9% increase;Zhao et al, 2015;Wang et al, 2015;Huang et al, 2013;Xu et al, 2017) and those of the EU (6% increase; Lehtinen et al, 2014).…”

“…8−12 years in Zhao et al (2015), with this new analysis showing the greatest benefits of straw incorporation for crop yield after 11−15 years (Fig. 3d); or more limited geographical spread, e.g.…”

“…To date, several meta-analyses have reported on the effects of straw incorporation on SOC/crop yield in China's arable soils (e.g. Lu et al, 2009;Tian et al, 2015;Zhao et al, 2015). For instance, Lu et al (2009) reported that straw incorporation could sequester 9.76 billion Mg C yr −1 in China's cropland; Zhao et al (2015) reported that straw incorporation improved crop yield by 7% across China.…”

“…For instance, Lu et al (2009) reported that straw incorporation could sequester 9.76 billion Mg C yr −1 in China's cropland; Zhao et al (2015) reported that straw incorporation improved crop yield by 7% across China. However, few of these studies presented the effects of straw 5 incorporation in different climatic and edaphic regions (Lu et al, 2009;Zhao et al, 2015); or addressed simultaneously the responses of crop yield and SOC to straw incorporation , which commonly are interactively influenced by many environmental factors and also farming management measures (Pan et al, 2009;Loveland and Webb, 2003). The poor reporting of straw C conversion efficiencies (Tian et al, 2015;Lu et al, 2009) also weakens the practicability of some of the management 10 related conclusions in policy development.…”