Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

Adaptive evaluation for agricultural sustainability of different fertilizer management options for a green manure-maize rotation system: Impacts on crop yield, soil biochemical properties and organic carbon fractions

Peng Li, Long Jia, Qianqian Chen, Huijuan Zhang, Jianjun Deng, Jiyu Lu, Li Xu, Huixin Li, Feng Hu, Jiaguo Jiao

The Science of The Total Environment · 2023

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Summary

This 2023 field trial compared multiple fertiliser management approaches integrated within a green manure–maize rotation, assessing their impact on both crop productivity and soil health indicators. The research appears to quantify trade-offs between yield sustainability, soil carbon accumulation, and biochemical function, rather than prescribing a single optimal strategy. As suggested by the design, the work integrates agronomic and soil-focused metrics to inform adaptive management decisions in cereal–legume systems.

UK applicability

Findings on green manure incorporation and balanced fertiliser strategies are relevant to UK arable systems seeking to reduce synthetic nitrogen inputs and build soil carbon under temperate conditions. However, growing season length, soil types, and climate differ substantially from typical Chinese study locations, requiring local validation before adoption.

Key measures

Maize yield, soil organic carbon fractions, soil biochemical properties (likely enzyme activity, microbial biomass, respiration), nutrient cycling indicators, soil carbon stocks

Outcomes reported

The study measured maize grain yield, soil biochemical properties, organic carbon fractions, and microbial activity across different fertiliser management regimes within a green manure–maize rotation system. It evaluated trade-offs between productivity and soil carbon accretion and microbial function.

Theme
Farming systems, soils & land use
Subject
Soil fertility & nutrient management
Study type
Research
Study design
Field trial
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
China
System type
Mixed farming
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168170
Catalogue ID
SNmoht1w5h-jothuj

Topic tags

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