[Effects of different straw recycling and tillage methods on soil respiration and microbial activity].

To explore the effects of different tillage methods and straw recycling on soil respiration and microbial activity in summer maize field during the winter wheat and summer maize double cropping system, substrate induced respiration method and CO2 release method were used to determine soil microbial biomass carbon, microbial activity, soil respiration, and microbial respiratory quotient. The experiment included 3 tillage methods during the winter wheat growing season, i.e., no-tillage, subsoiling and conventional tillage. Each tillage method was companied with 2 straw management patterns, i.e., straw recycling and no straw. The results indicated that the conservation tillage methods and straw recycling mainly affected 0-10 cm soil layer. Straw recycling could significantly improve the microbial biomass carbon and microbial activity, while decrease microbial respiratory quotient. Straw recycling could improve the soil respiration at both seedling stage and anthesis, however, it could reduce the soil respiration at filling stage, wax ripeness, and harvest stage. Under the same straw application, compared with conventional tillage, the soil respiration and microbial respiratory quotient in both subsoiling and no-tillage were reduced, while the microbial biomass carbon and microbial activity were increased. During the summer maize growing season, soil microbial biomass carbon and microbial activity were increased in straw returning with conservation tillage, while the respiratory quotient was reduced. In 0-10 cm soil layer, compared with conventional tillage, straw recycling with subsoiling and no-tillage significantly increased soil microbial biomass carbon by 95.8% and 74.3%, and increased soil microbial activity by 97.1% and 74.2%, respectively.

[Effects of different maize straw-returning modes on the soil respiration in a winter wheat field].

By using static chamber-TGC method, an in situ observation was conducted in a 10-year conservation tillage winter wheat field to study the effects of different maize straw-returning modes on the soil respiration. The soil respiration had a significant positive correlation with the stubble height of maize straw, and two peaks were observed in wheat growth period. Under no tillage and no straw-returning, the soil respiration was 72.5% of that under no tillage with all straw-returning, and the soil respiration under conventional tillage and no straw- returning was 76.5% of that under conventional tillage with all straw-returning. The soil respiration was significantly positively correlated with the soil temperature and soil organic carbon at 20 cm depth, but no significant correlation with the soil organic carbon at 40 cm depth. A correlation was also observed between the soil respiration and soil moisture. The diurnal soil respiration in the treatments of all straw-returning presented a single-peak curve, with the peak at 18:00. There was a similar variation trend of soil temperature and soil respiration at the depth of 20 cm. Among the treatments of different straw-returning amounts, straw-returning with the stubble of 1 m height could reduce the soil respiration significantly, being a reasonable straw-returning mode.

[Effects of conservation tillage and weed control on soil water and organic carbon contents in winter wheat field].

Taking a long-term (since 2004) straw-returning winter wheat field as the object, an investigation was made in the wheat growth seasons of 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 to study the effects of different tillage methods (rotary tillage, harrow tillage, no-tillage, subsoil tillage, and conventional tillage) and weed management on the soil water and organic carbon contents. No matter retaining or removing weeds, the weed density under subsoil tillage and no-tillage was much higher than that under rotary tillage, harrow tillage, and conventional tillage. From the jointing to the milking stage of winter wheat, retaining definite amounts of weeds, no matter which tillage method was adopted, could significantly increase the 0-20 cm soil water content, suggesting the soil water conservation effect of retaining weeds. Retaining weeds only increased the soil organic carbon content in 0-20 cm layer at jointing stage. At heading and milking stages, the soil organic carbon contents in 0-20, 20-40, and 40-60 cm layers were lower under weed retaining than under weed removal. Under the conditions of weed removal, the grain yield under subsoil tillage increased significantly, compared with that under the other four tillage methods. Under the conditions of weed retaining, the grain yield was the highest under rotary tillage, and the lowest under conventional tillage.