Soil & Tillage Research最新文献

{"title":"Regulation of soil physical environment and erosion characteristics of farmland by amendments in the black soil region of Northeast China","authors":"Xu Leng ,&nbsp;Heng Li ,&nbsp;Qiang Fu ,&nbsp;Tianxiao Li ,&nbsp;Renjie Hou ,&nbsp;Mo Li ,&nbsp;Dong Liu ,&nbsp;Zhaoqiang Zhou ,&nbsp;Di Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106810","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106810","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The unique climatic conditions of the Northeast China’s black soil region drive the annual alternation of multiple erosive forces, which damage soil structure. Humic acid (H), lignosulfonate (L), and polyacrylamide (P) are commonly used amendments. However, the mechanism by which amendments regulate erosion under the additive action of freeze-thaw, wind, and rain remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate how H, L, and P regulate soil hydrothermal dynamics, structural stability, and erosion under compound erosion. Using a self-designed wind tunnel-rainfall simulator, we tested the effects of amendments on aggregate distribution, soil temperature (ST), liquid volumetric water content (LVWC), and sediment yield. The results showed that, compared with control (CK), H, L and P significantly increased the proportion of large and medium-sized aggregates and improved structural stability, thereby enhancing the upper limit of LVWC and ST. When the concentration of L and P increased to 2.0 %, the soil structure became more solid, and the ST fluctuation range decreased by 5.7 %–8.7 %. The cumulative sediment yields of the L and P were reduced by 30.3 % and 99.2 %, respectively, compared with CK. However, the application of H degraded soil physical environment and reduced soil stability as the dosage increased. Compared with the CK, the cumulative sediment yield increased by 28.5 %. Using principal component analysis, we compared the comprehensive improvement effects of different amendments and application rates, and determined that the 2.0 % concentration of P was optimal. These findings provide scientific support for erosion control in Northeast China’s black soil areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 106810"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144860533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seasonal freeze-thaw cycles drive soil aggregate turnover and nutrient redistribution in black soil, Northeast China","authors":"Mei-Xuan Wu ,&nbsp;Bo-Ling Deng ,&nbsp;Guan-Kai Qiu ,&nbsp;Hong-Wen Yu ,&nbsp;Hong-Wei Shi ,&nbsp;Bo Hu ,&nbsp;Jing Yue ,&nbsp;Quan-Ying Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106807","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106807","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Seasonal freeze–thaw cycles (FTCs) significantly influence soil nutrient sequestration by altering aggregate turnover dynamics (i.e., breakdown, stabilization, and formation). However, the specific responses of nutrients to seasonal FTCs at the aggregate level remain poorly understood. To bridge this knowledge gap, we conducted an <em>in-situ</em> seasonal FTC experiment to elucidate how FTC-driven aggregate turnover regulates nutrient redistribution through microbial-enzymatic coupling. To quantify soil aggregate turnover processes, we employed rare earth oxides (REOs) as tracers. Our results demonstrated that, compared to the non-FTC soil, although seasonal FTCs did not significantly alter overall aggregate stability, they enhanced the breakdown of ≥ 0.25 mm aggregates and reduced the formation of &gt; 1 mm aggregates. Notably, FTC-treated soil exhibited a 5.21 % reduction in soil organic carbon within &gt; 1 mm aggregates (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). FTCs triggered nutrient redistribution across aggregate fractions, i.e., available phosphorus in &lt; 0.25 mm aggregates and total potassium in both bulk soil and different-sized aggregates increased. Additionally, FTCs significantly reduced soil enzyme activities and enhanced bacterial alpha diversity. The partial least squares model (PLS-PM) confirmed that soil aggregate turnover drives nutrient redistribution directly or indirectly, with enzymes and microorganisms exerting the most significant effects. Our findings indicated that knowledge about soil aggregate turnover could be useful for exploring soil nutrient loss mechanisms and optimal agricultural fertilization in freeze–thaw agricultural ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 106807"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clover cover alters soil organic matter composition, diversity, and complexity in apple orchards on the loess plateau: Temporal and vertical variations","authors":"Mengfan He ,&nbsp;Zhuoliang Liu ,&nbsp;Wenle Ni ,&nbsp;Shuchen Lei ,&nbsp;Huizhen Yin ,&nbsp;Miles F. Dyck ,&nbsp;Sylvie A. Quideau ,&nbsp;Yuanji Wang ,&nbsp;Zhilong Duan ,&nbsp;Xining Zhao ,&nbsp;Huike Li ,&nbsp;Xiaolin Song ,&nbsp;Ming Li","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106817","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106817","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ground covers in orchards, including clover, play a crucial role in soil carbon sequestration. However, the molecular composition of soil organic matter (SOM) and its role in regulating carbon persistence following clover establishment remain unclear. Using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) technology, this study quantified the effects of different clover cover durations (0, 2, 9, and 19 years) in apple orchards on the molecular composition, diversity, and complexity of SOM. Additionally, the relationships between soil physicochemical factors and SOM composition, as well as the potential sources of different SOM functional groups, were investigated. As soil depth increased, the proportions of N-compounds, polysaccharides and phenols decreased, while the proportions of aliphatics and terpenoids increased. This was accompanied by a decline in SOM oxidation states with increasing soil depth. Increased clover cover duration promoted the overall accumulation of SOM, and the relative accumulation of N-compounds, polysaccharides and phenols in deeper soil layers. Water extractable organic carbon (WEOC) emerged as a key predictor of the observed variance in SOM molecular composition, while N-compounds were significantly correlated to SOM molecular complexity. Further, prolonged clover cover increased SOM molecular α-diversity, but simplified its interaction networks, potentially improving carbon persistence. These findings underscore the potential of perennial ground covers like clover to enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation by promoting molecular diversity and regulating SOM network architecture, offering a promising strategy for sustainable soil carbon management in arable systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 106817"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Resilience of soil organic carbon under precipitation variability: Insights from carbon-nitrogen dynamics in semi-arid grasslands","authors":"Na Li ,&nbsp;Baorong Wang ,&nbsp;Qian Huang ,&nbsp;Zhaolong Zhu ,&nbsp;Yanxing Dou ,&nbsp;Feng Jiao ,&nbsp;Shaoshan An","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106814","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106814","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil organic carbon (SOC) stability and sequestration are crucial for ecosystem resilience, especially under shifting global precipitation patterns that impact the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles in semi-arid grasslands. This research primarily addresses the gap in understanding the dynamic responses of SOC to varying precipitation regimes and their effects on C and N balance. We employed a long-term simulated rainfall experiment across 21 plots with precipitation levels adjusted by −60 %, −40 %, −20 %, + 20 %, + 40 %, + 60 %, and a control group with natural rainfall, collecting soil samples in the fifth and seventh years to investigate the stability and resilience of SOC. Through this experiment, we assessed soil samples at multiple temporal scales, focusing on the soil C/N ratio, particulate organic matter (POM), and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM). Our findings reveal that in 2019 and 2021, equivalent increases or decreases in precipitation reduced SOC content by 11 %. Extreme rainfall (±60 %) in 2021 decreased NH₄⁺ content by 40 % compared to control. A 40 % precipitation reduction in 2019 decreased SOC and MAOC by 29 % and 25 %, respectively, while a 20 % reduction in 2021 reduced POC by 24 % but increased SOC and MAOC by 18 % and 13 %, revealing amplitude- and duration-dependent nonlinear responses of soil C forms to precipitation changes. Linear regression confirmed that SOC significantly increased with rising C/N ratios of particulate organic matter (C/N_POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (C/N_MAOM) under drought, indicating dual water-N limitation promotes high-C/N POM accumulation. Increased precipitation enhanced microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) and MAOC sequestration but reduced SOC resilience via pH-driven mineral protection loss, whereas drought maintained C resilience through high-C/N POM despite MAOC suppression. This stability-resilience paradox highlights inherent trade-offs: MAOC accumulation under wet conditions strengthens long-term C storage at the expense of system recovery capacity, while drought sustains POC resilience through recalcitrant C/N ratios. Understanding these mechanisms is critical for predicting climate change impacts and guiding adaptive soil management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 106814"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Short-term effects of overwintering on porosity of the compacted topsoil due to harvest traffic in Northeast China","authors":"Shijie Qin ,&nbsp;Lingling Liu ,&nbsp;Hannah Cooper ,&nbsp;W. Richard Whalley ,&nbsp;Hu Zhou ,&nbsp;Tusheng Ren ,&nbsp;Weida Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106820","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106820","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The multi-hydrothermal processes in agricultural soils during overwintering modify compacted soil structure in cold winter regions. The depth-dependent changes in the topsoil pore-network within field-based compacted zones caused by harvest traffic, before and after winter, remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the short-term effects of overwintering on topsoil porosity of a clay loam soil in the harvest traffic zone in Northeast China using X-ray CT. Undisturbed soil cores were collected in the 0–10 cm layer of the non-traffic and traffic zones before and after winter. After harvest, both total porosity (<em>ε</em>_total) and porosity of &gt; 0.04 mm (<em>ε</em>_X-ray) significantly decreased by 0.04 and 0.07 cm³ cm⁻³ due to the machinery traffic, respectively. Following winter, the <em>ε</em>_total of the traffic zone significantly increased by 0.08 cm³ cm⁻³ and was greater than that of non-traffic zone porosity before winter. The loosening effects of overwintering on compacted soil in the traffic zone diminished with increasing soil depth, and marked alterations limited to the uppermost 3.5 cm. The increase in <em>ε</em>_X-ray was primarily resulted from the changes in 0.04–1.0 mm pores. Therefore, it is indicated that overwintering can alleviate soil compaction of traffic zone only in the uppermost layer.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 106820"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Root processes counteract the suppression of nitrogen-induced priming effects by enhancing microbial activity and catabolism in greenhouse vegetable production systems","authors":"Jinshan Lian ,&nbsp;Sébastien Massart ,&nbsp;Guihua Li ,&nbsp;Jianfeng Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106802","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106802","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrogen (N) fertilization regulates soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition by altering the priming effect (PE) and root activities, affecting subsequently soil carbon sequestration and crop productivity. However, the effects of long-term N fertilization on the direction and magnitude of SOC and underlying mechanisms priming in the rhizosphere compared with bulk soils remain unclear. In this study, paired rhizosphere and bulk soil samples were collected from a 15-year greenhouse tomato production system under four chemical N fertilizer treatments: 0 (N0), 102 (N1), 327 (N2), and 552 (N3) kg N ha^–1 yr^–1, in addition to uniform manure and straw amendment at 123 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1. These samples were incubated for 49 days with or without the addition of ¹³C-labeled glucose, and the incorporation of glucose-derived ¹³C into CO₂ and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) was monitored to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the PE. The results showed a significant interaction between N fertilization and soil niche. The relative PE was significantly higher under the N0 treatment (1.82–2.02 %) compared with the strongly negative values observed under N1–N3 treatments (-0.81 % to -10.18 %) in both rhizosphere and bulk soils, indicating that increased N availability suppressed SOC decomposition. However, rhizosphere soils exhibited significantly weaker negative PE (-2.66 %) than bulk soils (-4.36 %), primarily due to lower dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) levels and higher microbial abundance and activity, suggesting that rhizosphere processes partially counteracted the suppressive effect of N fertilization. A reduction in relative PE correlated with increases in dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), glucose-derived microbial biomass carbon (¹³MBC), and microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE). Overall, long-term N fertilization suppressed SOC priming by enhancing soil N availability and microbial C assimilation capacity. However, root-mediated microbial legacy effects in the rhizosphere counteracted this suppression, highlighting the importance of N–soil niche interactions in regulating SOC turnover. These findings offer novel insights into soil carbon cycling dynamics and have implications for targeted soil carbon sequestration strategies in intensive greenhouse agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 106802"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Millennial rice cultivation shapes depth‑dependent organic carbon mineralization and microbial life strategies in saline paddy soils","authors":"Chaoyun Ying ,&nbsp;Zhi Ma ,&nbsp;Yue Li ,&nbsp;Xuechi Rong ,&nbsp;Ze Zhang ,&nbsp;Guanjun Li ,&nbsp;Shuang Wang ,&nbsp;Tida Ge ,&nbsp;Zhenke Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106806","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106806","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reclaimed tidal flats are crucial for expanding agricultural land, yet the effects of long-term rice cultivation on organic carbon (OC) mineralization and microbial life strategies in saline soils remain insufficiently understood. This study investigated OC dynamics and microbial responses in saline paddy soils across a millennium-long chronosequence (50, 200, 500, and 1000 years). Using ¹³C-labeled glucose (2 % of SOC) as a tracer, we evaluated exogenous labile C and SOC mineralization in saline soils sampled at four depths (0–20, 20–40, 40–80, and 80–100 cm). Surface soils exhibited higher mineralization rates for both glucose (46 %–73 %) and SOC (1.6 %–3.5 %) than deeper layers (4 %–25 % and 0.6–1.6 %). Prolonged cultivation enhanced glucose mineralization but stabilized SOC. Higher levels of nutrients, microbial biomass, and enzyme activity enhanced OC mineralization, whereas increased sand content reduced physical protection of SOC, consequently accelerating its mineralization. Microbial community succession was strongly linked to glucose mineralization. The opportunistic <em>K</em>-strategists were dominated and actively mineralized glucose at early cultivation stages. After long-term cultivation, resource-conserving <em>r</em>-strategists became predominant, which benefited to SOC mineralization. This strategic shift corresponded with reduced salinity and improved soil aggregation, which restricted microbial access to glucose. Our findings highlight the dynamic interplay between microbial community adaptations and soil properties in regulating mineralization of exogenous OC and SOC. This study underscores the critical role of long-term cultivation in shaping carbon turnover and sequestration in coastal saline paddy soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 106806"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144858328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interspecific interactions increase soil aggregate stability through altered root traits in long-term legume/maize intercropping","authors":"Xiao-Yang Duan ,&nbsp;Surigaoge Surigaoge ,&nbsp;Yu-He Du ,&nbsp;Dai-Han Fu ,&nbsp;Hao Yang ,&nbsp;Xin Yang ,&nbsp;Huai-Yin Ma ,&nbsp;Hu Zhou ,&nbsp;Peter Christie ,&nbsp;Dario Fornara ,&nbsp;Wei-Ping Zhang ,&nbsp;Long Li","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106808","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106808","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Species-diverse intercropping systems are associated with increases in soil aggregation but the underlying root mechanisms responsible for greater soil aggregation remain poorly understood. A three-year-long field study was conducted comprising two nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) application rates (with and without N or P), and five cropping systems: two maize-based intercropping systems (with peanut or soybean) and their corresponding monocultures (peanut, soybean and maize). Water-stable aggregates and six crop root traits were measured in both monoculture and intercropping. At the plot scale the percentage of soil macroaggregates (R_0.25), mean weight diameter (MWD), root length density (RLD), biomass density (RMD), volume (RV), and total surface area (RS) had significantly higher values in legume/maize intercropping and maize monoculture than in legume monoculture. At the field-strip scale, intercropping increased the R_0.25 and MWD of legume strips by 6.4–13.3 % and 13.9–31.9 % compared to the corresponding legume monocultures. This was induced by the synergistic effects of maize root residues from the previous growing season and the spatial extension of maize roots in the current growing season. Maize roots affected the soil aggregate stability of neighboring soybean and peanut strips in different ways. Intercropping promoted soil aggregation of neighboring soybean strips mainly via maize root traits within the growing season. In contrast, intercropping promoted soil aggregation of the same peanut strips mainly via pre-maize root traits. The results indicate that intercropping can promote soil aggregation, especially in the legume strips of the intercropping system, through interspecific maize-legume interactions that determine changes in root traits. These results provide critical insights into the underlying ecological processes that promote the sustainability of species-rich agricultural systems on mollisols.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 106808"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydrophobic neutral and basic fractions of organic fertilizer-derived dissolved organic matter promote phosphorus mobilization in paddy soils","authors":"Haibo Wang ,&nbsp;Xipeng Liu ,&nbsp;Songcan Chen ,&nbsp;Chengliang Sun ,&nbsp;David R. Chadwick ,&nbsp;Davey L. Jones ,&nbsp;Xianyong Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106811","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106811","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a highly active constituent of organic fertilizers, playing a key role in enhancing soil nutrient bioavailability and crop yields. However, the influence of the polar fractions and molecular diversity of organic fertilizer-derived DOM on soil phosphorus (P) mobilization remains insufficiently explored. This study integrated solid-phase extraction, spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry in both field and P sorption experiments to investigate the effects of DOM polar fractions on soil P availability. Long-term inorganic and organic fertilization increased the soil P activation coefficient and P use efficiency by 29 % and 30 %, and maintained crop P uptake and yield despite a 34 % reduction in chemical P input compared to chemical-only fertilization. This effect is significantly correlated to the concentration of hydrophobic neutral (HON) and hydrophobic basic (HOB) fractions. The P sorption experiments further confirmed that the hydrophobic fractions (HON and HOB) more effectively suppressed P sorption compared to hydrophilic and hydrophobic acidic fractions. This inhibition may stem from the competitive interactions at soil P sorption sites and the reduction of soil zeta potential driven by lignin-highly unsaturated and phenolic compounds, characterized as aromaticity values of 0.14–0.36, double-bond equivalents of 6.8–10.9, and hydrogen-to-carbon ratios of 1.0–1.4. In summary, this study highlights the influence of DOM polar fractions and molecular composition on soil P availability, providing valuable direction for developing organic fertilizers designed to promote P use efficiency and agricultural sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 106811"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimizing the C/N ratio of straw increases rice yield and stability by the enhanced soil-root interaction","authors":"Jiayong Gao,&nbsp;Jinrui Huang,&nbsp;Shiyuan Zhang,&nbsp;Yanqiu Geng,&nbsp;Xiwen Shao,&nbsp;Qiang Zhang,&nbsp;Liying Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106805","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2025.106805","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil degradation poses a significant threat to agricultural sustainability and food security, with straw incorporation emerging as an effective measure for sustainable agricultural development. However, the synergistic effects of adjusting straw carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratios on soil quality and rice root systems remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a four-year field experiment employing a single-factor randomized block design. Conventional cultivation (CK) was used as the control, and five treatments were established under straw incorporation conditions: no nitrogen application (SN0) and four C/N ratios of 35:1 (SN1), 31:1 (SN2), 27:1 (SN3), and 23:1 (SN4). The study aimed to investigate the impact of regulating straw C/N ratios on soil quality, root growth, and yield, while elucidating their interrelationships. Results demonstrate that straw incorporation significantly enhances the soil quality index, with improvements ranging from 58.51 % to 173.79 %. Low C/N treatments mitigate the inhibitory effects of straw incorporation on root growth during the tillering stage and promote mid-to-late stage root development through soil quality optimization, leading to a significant 10.74 % yield increase in SN3. Linear regression analysis reveals a significant positive correlation between the soil quality index and the sustainability yield index. Partial least squares path modeling indicates that soil biological properties are the primary drivers, directly influencing the soil quality index and indirectly affecting rice yield. Various indicators exhibit unimodal responses with decreasing C/N ratios, reaching a threshold at SN3. In conclusion, SN3 achieves a synergistic enhancement of the soil quality index and root growth, consequently improving rice yield and stability. These findings provide valuable guidance for enhancing soil quality and developing sustainable agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 106805"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}