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Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin ›› 2023, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (26): 76-85.doi: 10.11924/j.issn.1000-6850.casb2022-0772

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Effects of Returning Cotton Straw and Biochar to Cotton Field on Soil Physicochemical Properties and Water-nitrogen Utilization Efficiency of Cotton

YANG Maoqi(), GUO Xiaowen, ZHOU Yongxue, GUO Huijuan, MIN Wei()   

  1. Key Laboratory of Oasis Eco-Agriculture of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, College of Agriculture, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang 832003
  • Received:2022-09-05 Revised:2022-11-17 Online:2023-09-15 Published:2023-09-11

Abstract:

The effects of cotton straw and its biochar returning on soil physical and chemical properties, nitrate nitrogen leaching, and water-nitrogen utilization rate in cotton fields were studied to provid a theoretical basis for rational utilization of agricultural resources and improvement of soil fertility in arid areas. This study was carried out on the basis of two consecutive years (2019 to 2020) of cotton straw and its biochar returning to the field. There were four treatments in the experiments: no nitrogen (N0), nitrogen (N360), nitrogen application combined with cotton straw (N360ST) and nitrogen application combined with biochar (N360BC) treatments. The amount of nitrogen fertilizer was 360 kg/hm2, the amount of cotton straw was 6 t/hm2, and the amount of biochar was 3.7 t/hm2 (the equal amount of carbon as cotton straw). The results showed that compared with N0 treatment, N360, N360ST and N360BC treatments significantly increased soil porosity, total nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen leaching, cotton plant height, total biomass, nitrogen uptake, seed cotton yield and irrigation water utilization, respectively. However, the soil pH and water leaching amount significantly decreased. Compared with N360 treatment, N360ST and N360BC treatments significantly increased soil total carbon, available potassium, available phosphorus and carbon nitrogen ratio, respectively. Soil water and nitrate nitrogen leaching amount in N360ST treatment increased by 33.00% and 40.16% respectively compared with N360 treatment, while nitrate nitrogen leaching amount in N360BC treatment decreased by 40.06% compared with N360 treatment. Compared with N360 treatment, N360ST and N360BC treatment significantly increased cotton total biomass, nitrogen uptake and seed cotton yield. In addition, the irrigation water use efficiency and nitrogen use efficiency of N360ST and N360BC treatments increased by 4.24%, 11.53% and 15.70%, 44.58%, respectively. Cotton straw and its biochar returning to the field changed the soil structure, significantly increased soil nutrients, reduced nitrate nitrogen leaching, and increased nitrogen uptake, thus increasing seed cotton yield and improving water and nitrogen use efficiency.

Key words: cotton straw, biochar, soil physical and chemical properties, water and nitrogen leaching, water and nitrogen utilization efficiency