Impact of Straw Return on Soil Carbon Indices, Enzyme Activity, and Grain Production.

Straw return is a promising method for managing soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural soils and thus may promote sustainable land use. However, the optimal straw-return strategy for economically sustainable grain production in intensive winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-summer maize (Zea mays L.) cropping systems remains uncertain. A 4-yr field experiment was conducted in the central North China Plain to determine the effects of straw return on SOC stock and lability, soil enzyme activity, and grain yield, and to further evaluate the sustainability of crop production in intensive wheat-maize double-cropping systems. Four treatments were tested: no straw return (NR), return of wheat straw (WR), return of maize straw (MR), and return of both wheat and maize straw (WR+MR). Compared with the initial value, SOC stocks significantly increased by 2.8, 5.4, and 13.1% in WR, MR, and WR+MR, respectively, and significantly decreased by 2.9% in NR. Stocks of KMnO4-oxidizable C and microbial biomass C; activities of soil invertase, protease, and dehydrogenase; and the C management index were significantly higher with than without straw return and followed the order NR < WR < MR < WR+MR. Yields of wheat and maize were highest in WR+MR, but economic sustainability was higher in WR and MR relative to NR and WR+MR. Our results indicate that return of either wheat or maize straw is sufficient to maintain SOC levels and may be the optimal strategy for economically sustainable grain production in the central North China plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]