Short-term no-tillage improves soil water retention and maintains soil aeration at high moisture conditions despite reduced macroporosity

IF 6.1 1区农林科学 Q1 SOIL SCIENCE

Soil & Tillage Research Pub Date : 2025-05-27 DOI:10.1016/j.still.2025.106677

Jing Tan , Bingcheng Si , Ying Zhao , Yili Lu , Yuxin Chen , Ning An , Song Li , Weichao Wang , Han Fu , Wei Han , Yanli Yi

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Short-term no-tillage (NT) management increased soil bulk density, thereby reducing total porosity and macroporosity, potentially impairing soil aeration. However, whether NT can overcome these negative effects through altering pore morphology remains unclear. Based on a 4-year field experiment comparing rotary tillage (RT), subsoiling (SS), and NT in Northeast China, we evaluated soil gas diffusivity (D_s/D₀) and water retention across a range of soil matric potential (-1∼-1500 kPa). Undisturbed soil samples (0–40 cm depth) were analyzed using X-ray Computed Tomography (X-ray CT) to characterize pore structure. NT significantly reduced total porosity (by approximately 7 %) and macroporosity (by 46.72∼68.54 %) in the upper 30 cm soil depth compared to RT and SS. Nevertheless, NT increased plant-available water content by 22.52∼40 %. Importantly, despite lower air-filled porosity and macroporosity, NT maintained higher gas diffusivity under wet conditions by forming irregular-shaped pore networks that increased specific diffusivity compared to RT and SS. Gas diffusivity at −6 kPa matric potentials was well correlated with CT-derived macropore characteristics (> 50 μm), but there were no consistent correlations at other matric potentials. These results underscore that NT effectively balances soil air-water conditions at higher moisture levels despite initial compaction, underscoring its potential waterlogging resistance.

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短期免耕提高了土壤保水能力，并在高水分条件下保持土壤通气性，尽管降低了宏观孔隙率

短期免耕（NT）管理增加了土壤容重，从而降低了总孔隙度和宏观孔隙度，潜在地损害了土壤通气性。然而，NT是否可以通过改变孔隙形态来克服这些负面影响尚不清楚。通过对东北地区4年轮作（RT）、深埋（SS）和NT的田间试验，我们评估了土壤基质电位（-1 ~ -1500 kPa）范围内土壤气体扩散率（Ds/D0）和保水能力。使用x射线计算机断层扫描（x射线CT）对原状土壤样品（0-40 cm深度）进行分析，以表征孔隙结构。与RT和SS相比，NT显著降低了30 cm以上土壤深度的总孔隙度（约7 %）和宏观孔隙度（46.72 ~ 68.54 %）。然而，NT使植物有效水分含量增加了22.52 ~ 40 %。重要的是，尽管充气孔隙率和大孔隙率较低，但与RT和SS相比，NT在潮湿条件下通过形成不规则形状的孔隙网络保持了较高的气体扩散率，从而增加了比扩散率。- 6 kPa基质电位下的气体扩散率与ct衍生的大孔隙特征(>；50 μm)，但在其他基质电位处没有一致的相关性。这些结果强调，尽管初始压实，但NT在较高湿度水平下有效地平衡了土壤空气-水条件，强调了其潜在的耐涝性。

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来源期刊

Soil & Tillage Research 农林科学-土壤科学

CiteScore

13.00

自引率

6.20%

发文量

266

审稿时长

5 months

期刊介绍： Soil & Tillage Research examines the physical, chemical and biological changes in the soil caused by tillage and field traffic. Manuscripts will be considered on aspects of soil science, physics, technology, mechanization and applied engineering for a sustainable balance among productivity, environmental quality and profitability. The following are examples of suitable topics within the scope of the journal of Soil and Tillage Research: The agricultural and biosystems engineering associated with tillage (including no-tillage, reduced-tillage and direct drilling), irrigation and drainage, crops and crop rotations, fertilization, rehabilitation of mine spoils and processes used to modify soils. Soil change effects on establishment and yield of crops, growth of plants and roots, structure and erosion of soil, cycling of carbon and nutrients, greenhouse gas emissions, leaching, runoff and other processes that affect environmental quality. Characterization or modeling of tillage and field traffic responses, soil, climate, or topographic effects, soil deformation processes, tillage tools, traction devices, energy requirements, economics, surface and subsurface water quality effects, tillage effects on weed, pest and disease control, and their interactions.