The effects of different tillage and crop rotation patterns on soil organic carbon accumulation and distribution characteristics in arid regions: A case study of field experiments in northwest China

• Published in: Geographical Research Bulletin Vol. 4; pp. 135 - 157
• Main Authors: An, Liwei, Li, Zhigang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Resources Economics Research Board 20.02.2025; 資源経済研究会
• Subjects: arid agriculture; crop rotation systems; soil organic carbon; sustainable soil management; tillage practices
• ISSN: 2758-1446
• DOI: 10.50908/grb.4.0_135

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a core indicator for evaluating soil quality and health, playing a crucial role in the functionality and sustainability of agricultural ecosystems. Under the context of global climate change and intensive agricultural development, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, the accumulation and stability of SOC face significant challenges. This study focuses on the arid regions of northwest China as a typical case, systematically assessing the effects of different tillage practices (no-tillage vs. conventional tillage) and rotation systems (wheat/maize, wheat-winter rapeseed, and wheat) on SOC and its components. Field experiments were conducted to analyze the dynamic changes in key parameters such as soil respiration rate, organic carbon content, microbial biomass carbon, water-soluble organic carbon, and particulate organic carbon. The results demonstrated that no-tillage significantly reduced soil respiration rates while substantially increasing SOC accumulation in the surface soil layer (0–5 cm). Crop rotation systems exhibited distinct impacts on SOC, with the “wheat-winter rapeseed → maize” rotation showing the best performance in enhancing SOC accumulation. Furthermore, the combined management of no-tillage and optimized rotation significantly improved soil carbon storage characteristics. Particularly in arid environments, optimizing tillage and rotation systems effectively enhanced soil health and ecosystem stability. This study provides scientific evidence for sustainable agricultural development in northwest China, emphasizing the importance of optimizing tillage and rotation strategies to promote SOC accumulation, thereby achieving long-term stability and sustainability of agricultural ecosystems.