Effects of management of plastic and straw mulching management on crop yield and soil salinity in saline-alkaline soils of China: A meta-analysis

Improving saline-alkali soils is crucial for sustainable agricultural development. Ground cover techniques, such as mulching, can mitigate soil salinity, but their effects on crop yields and soil salinity remains controversial. Moreover, it remains unclear how these effects vary with climatic, edaph...

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Main Authors: Ying Song, Jineng Sun, Mingjun Cai, Jinyu Li, Meizhen Bi, Mingxiu Gao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:Agricultural Water Management
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037837742500023X
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author Ying Song
Jineng Sun
Mingjun Cai
Jinyu Li
Meizhen Bi
Mingxiu Gao
author_facet Ying Song
Jineng Sun
Mingjun Cai
Jinyu Li
Meizhen Bi
Mingxiu Gao
author_sort Ying Song
collection DOAJ
description Improving saline-alkali soils is crucial for sustainable agricultural development. Ground cover techniques, such as mulching, can mitigate soil salinity, but their effects on crop yields and soil salinity remains controversial. Moreover, it remains unclear how these effects vary with climatic, edaphic, and agronomic management factors such as tillage methods, irrigation types, nitrogen application rates, and mulching duration. To address this gap, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the effects of plastic film mulch (PM), straw mulch (SM), and their combination (SM+PM) on crop yields and soil salinity. Results showed that PM, SM, and SM+PM increased crop yields by 33.7 %, 45.2 %, and 14.5 %, respectively, while reducing soil salinity by 13.9 %, 22.6 %, and 12.7 % compared to no mulch. These improvements were influenced by climate, edaphic, and agronomic factors. Different cover measures significantly increased crop yield and reduced soil salinity under varying mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation < 300 mm conditions. Regarding soil conditions, PM and SM+PM did not significantly reduce soil salinity under conditions of clay, SBD (soil bulk density) < 1.45 g·cm-³ , SBD > 1.55 g·cm-³ , mild soil salinization, and saline soils. Regarding agronomic practices, PM showed the greater yield improvements under no-tillage, rotary tillage, and deep tillage systems, while SM effectively reduced soil salinity. Notably, the impact of these mulching practices on both crop yield and soil salinity became insignificant when the experimental duration exceeded 2 years. For optimal results, black plastic mulch should be used to cover the entire ground surface when employing PM, while SM should be applied as surface mulch. This research provides valuable insights for selecting appropriate mulching strategies to improve saline-alkali soils and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 1873-2283
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Agricultural Water Management
spelling doaj-art-079356803a0848a58e092e43689e0b2a2025-01-25T04:10:57ZengElsevierAgricultural Water Management1873-22832025-03-01308109309Effects of management of plastic and straw mulching management on crop yield and soil salinity in saline-alkaline soils of China: A meta-analysisYing Song0Jineng Sun1Mingjun Cai2Jinyu Li3Meizhen Bi4Mingxiu Gao5College of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China; National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, China; College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaCollege of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaCollege of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, ChinaCollege of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, ChinaShandong Provincial Territorial Spatial Ecological Restoration Center, Jinan 250014, ChinaCollege of Resources and Environment, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China; National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, China; Correspondence to: No. 61 Daizong Steet, Taishan District, Taian 271018, China.Improving saline-alkali soils is crucial for sustainable agricultural development. Ground cover techniques, such as mulching, can mitigate soil salinity, but their effects on crop yields and soil salinity remains controversial. Moreover, it remains unclear how these effects vary with climatic, edaphic, and agronomic management factors such as tillage methods, irrigation types, nitrogen application rates, and mulching duration. To address this gap, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the effects of plastic film mulch (PM), straw mulch (SM), and their combination (SM+PM) on crop yields and soil salinity. Results showed that PM, SM, and SM+PM increased crop yields by 33.7 %, 45.2 %, and 14.5 %, respectively, while reducing soil salinity by 13.9 %, 22.6 %, and 12.7 % compared to no mulch. These improvements were influenced by climate, edaphic, and agronomic factors. Different cover measures significantly increased crop yield and reduced soil salinity under varying mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation < 300 mm conditions. Regarding soil conditions, PM and SM+PM did not significantly reduce soil salinity under conditions of clay, SBD (soil bulk density) < 1.45 g·cm-³ , SBD > 1.55 g·cm-³ , mild soil salinization, and saline soils. Regarding agronomic practices, PM showed the greater yield improvements under no-tillage, rotary tillage, and deep tillage systems, while SM effectively reduced soil salinity. Notably, the impact of these mulching practices on both crop yield and soil salinity became insignificant when the experimental duration exceeded 2 years. For optimal results, black plastic mulch should be used to cover the entire ground surface when employing PM, while SM should be applied as surface mulch. This research provides valuable insights for selecting appropriate mulching strategies to improve saline-alkali soils and promote sustainable agricultural practices.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037837742500023XSoil mulching techniqueSalinity managementCrop productivityInfluencing factor
spellingShingle Ying Song
Jineng Sun
Mingjun Cai
Jinyu Li
Meizhen Bi
Mingxiu Gao
Effects of management of plastic and straw mulching management on crop yield and soil salinity in saline-alkaline soils of China: A meta-analysis
Agricultural Water Management
Soil mulching technique
Salinity management
Crop productivity
Influencing factor
title Effects of management of plastic and straw mulching management on crop yield and soil salinity in saline-alkaline soils of China: A meta-analysis
title_full Effects of management of plastic and straw mulching management on crop yield and soil salinity in saline-alkaline soils of China: A meta-analysis
title_fullStr Effects of management of plastic and straw mulching management on crop yield and soil salinity in saline-alkaline soils of China: A meta-analysis
title_full_unstemmed Effects of management of plastic and straw mulching management on crop yield and soil salinity in saline-alkaline soils of China: A meta-analysis
title_short Effects of management of plastic and straw mulching management on crop yield and soil salinity in saline-alkaline soils of China: A meta-analysis
title_sort effects of management of plastic and straw mulching management on crop yield and soil salinity in saline alkaline soils of china a meta analysis
topic Soil mulching technique
Salinity management
Crop productivity
Influencing factor
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037837742500023X
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