Influence of no-tillage and precipitation pulse on continuous soil respiration of summer maize affected by soil water in the North China Plain

Kun Du; Fadong Li; Yunfeng Qiao; Peifang Leng; Zhao Li; Jianping Ge; Guang Yang

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144384

Influence of no-tillage and precipitation pulse on continuous soil respiration of summer maize affected by soil water in the North China Plain

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Apr 20:766:144384. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144384. Epub 2020 Dec 25.

Authors

Kun Du¹, Fadong Li², Yunfeng Qiao¹, Peifang Leng¹, Zhao Li¹, Jianping Ge³, Guang Yang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Yucheng Shandong Agro-ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Ministry of Science and Technology, Yucheng 251200, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
² Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Yucheng Shandong Agro-ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Ministry of Science and Technology, Yucheng 251200, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: lifadong@igsnrr.ac.cn.
³ State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Engineering & College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
⁴ College of Water and Architectural Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China.

PMID: 33421780
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144384

Abstract

Soil respiration (R_S) from cropland in response to tillage practices contribute to global climate change. We quantified the effect of no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) on R_S and precipitation in the North China Plain (NCP). An in-situ automatic sampling and measurement method was applied during the maize (Zea mays L.) growth stages in 2018 and 2019. The continuous daily R_S, soil water content and temperature were monitored during all the maize growth stages, whereas maize grain yield, aboveground biomass, and soil microbial biomass were measured after harvest. The mean R_S across tillage practices on bright days was higher in 2018 (16.69 g CO₂ m^-2 d^-1) than that in 2019 (12.99 g CO₂ m^-2 d^-1). Compared with CT, NT increased R_S on bright days by 31.44% in 2018 and 15.60% in 2019. However, mean R_S on rain-affected days across tillage practices was lower in 2018 than that in 2019. NT increased mean R_S after precipitation in 2018 (p < 0.05). The contribution of R_S after precipitation to cumulative R_S (across tillage practices) was higher in 2019 (51.90%) than that in 2018 (41.18%). Mean soil water content and temperature were higher in 2018 than that in 2019 (p < 0.05). NT increased soil water content on bright days in 2019. Furthermore, soil water content was more important in regulating R_S in 2018, while soil temperature was more critical after precipitation in 2019. Crop productivity was lower in 2019 than in 2018 (p < 0.05). However, neither crop productivity nor soil microbial biomass varied with tillage practices (p > 0.05). Overall, influence of tillage practices and precipitation on R_S were different according to soil water content. Therefore, it is necessary to decrease excessive irrigation to reduce R_S in dry years and to conduct continuous observations on R_S after precipitation in the NCP.

Keywords: Maize; No-tillage; North China Plain; Precipitation; Soil respiration; Soil water content.

MeSH terms

Agriculture
China
Respiration
Soil*
Water
Zea mays*

Substances

Soil
Water