Does Complex Soil Enhance Grain Yield under Cropping System?

Global climate change and the increasing population have increased the difficulties associated with grain production. Several measures have been established to maintain a high crop yield, while preserving or increasing soil health, including biochar application to soil, and producing new complex soil with soil amendment application, e.g., biochar and soft rocks. However, previous studies have focused on the effect of complex soil on a single crop but have not considered crop rotation. In this study, field plots with foxtail millet cultivated for two years under biochar and soft rock application were selected for licorice cultivation to detect the effects of biochar and soft rock application on soil properties and licorice yield. The results showed that the biochar-treated plot had the highest licorice biomass (251.76 g/m2), followed by the combined biochar and soft rock treatment, and that the soft rock and control treatments had the lowest licorice biomass (97.65 g/m2). Plants in biochar-treated plots had the highest liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid contents, followed by those under soft rock treatment. Soft rocks and biochar increased the soil catalase activity, organic matter, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, formic acid, and available phosphorus (AP). Correlation analysis showed that the licorice biomass was significantly positively correlated with oxalic acid and AP and negatively correlated with soil pH. AP was positively correlated with catalase activity and oxalic acid (p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with soil pH (p < 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that the addition of biochar and soft rocks for two years could increase soil organic acid contents (especially that of oxalic acid), which function to reduce soil pH, increase soil AP content, and enhance licorice biomass

Does Complex Soil Enhance Grain Yield under Cropping System?

Global climate change and the increasing population have increased the difficulties associated with grain production. Several measures have been established to maintain a high crop yield, while preserving or increasing soil health, including biochar application to soil, and producing new complex soil with soil amendment application, e.g., biochar and soft rocks. However, previous studies have focused on the effect of complex soil on a single crop but have not considered crop rotation. In this study, field plots with foxtail millet cultivated for two years under biochar and soft rock application were selected for licorice cultivation to detect the effects of biochar and soft rock application on soil properties and licorice yield. The results showed that the biochar-treated plot had the highest licorice biomass (251.76 g/m2), followed by the combined biochar and soft rock treatment, and that the soft rock and control treatments had the lowest licorice biomass (97.65 g/m2). Plants in biochar-treated plots had the highest liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid contents, followed by those under soft rock treatment. Soft rocks and biochar increased the soil catalase activity, organic matter, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, formic acid, and available phosphorus (AP). Correlation analysis showed that the licorice biomass was significantly positively correlated with oxalic acid and AP and negatively correlated with soil pH. AP was positively correlated with catalase activity and oxalic acid (p &lt; 0.05) and negatively correlated with soil pH (p &lt; 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that the addition of biochar and soft rocks for two years could increase soil organic acid contents (especially that of oxalic acid), which function to reduce soil pH, increase soil AP content, and enhance licorice biomass.</jats:p

Resolving ecological and economic challenges: An application of sustainable ecological agriculture on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Resolving ecological and economic challenges is an international topic. On the Loess Plateau of China, the local people have been struggling on low incomes to guarantee their food security, and contend with some of the most serious soil erosion problems in the world. This paper discusses the application, over ten years, of an ecosystem recovery plan based on the sustainable eco-agricultural theories, introduced in the Yan'gou watershed in 1998, including meso-scale eco-agricultural construction and re-vegetation projects intended to control soil and water losses, increase agricultural production and rise income levels. The socio-economic and ecological benefits achieved during this period of reconstruction are analyzed. The evidence indicates that the combination of comprehensive measures to prevent eco-environmental degradation and the application of eco-agricultural models was appropriate. The eco-environment has been substantially improved and the local people are now having higher incomes and much better living conditions. This watershed provides scientific evidence, and is an exemplary illustration of what may be accomplished by investing in eco-environmental and eco-agricultural construction on the Loess Plateau

Effect of Bacterial Manure on the Properties of Complex Soil and Growth of Ryegrass

To cope with the growing population, there is a growing demand for more land to be rendered cultivable. A complex soil created by applying soft rocks into sandy soil can be cultivated. However, the strong water-retaining ability and extreme poverty in nutrients of this complex soil has a negative effect on plant growth. To solve this problem, a complex of microbes and bacterial manure (BM) was added to the complex soil. The soil column culture test was used to detect the influence of BM application on soil bulk-density and infiltration parameters, and a pot experiment was conducted to evaluate its effect on the physical and chemical properties of soil, and ryegrass growth. The addition of 0.15% of BM to the complex soil decreased soil bulk-density, and increased the wetting front migration distance and soil hydraulic conductivity. The BM application also increased soil enzyme activities, which increased the available nitrogen and phosphorus content. As a result, BM increased the ryegrass root and shoot biomass. Overall, this study indicates that BM could be used as an eco-friendly sandy soil conditioner for improving the quality of complex soils, thereby, sustaining agricultural production in arid and semi-arid regions

Small Watershed Management and Eco-rehabilitation on the Loess Plateau of China

The Loess Plateau is well known for its deep loess deposits and serious soil erosion. This paper analyses the characteristic of soil erosion on the Plateau and reviews the small watershed management and ecosystem rehabilitation practice and development in the future. In the last 30 years, the government has paid great attention on the integrated small watershed management and restoration of the Loess Plateau. Based on the theory and practice, Chinese scientist presented 28 words strategy and conservational eco-agriculture, developed the integrated health assessment indicators on the Plateau. The further research on small watershed management and ecosystem rehabilitation such as to combine the slope cropland converting with engineering practice, strength on the ecosystem natural rehabilitation and enlarge the management to the medium scale as well as environment effect assessment on conservation practice were suggested.vokMyynti MTT tietopalvelu