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How manure amendment counters no-tillage yield reduction in winter wheat: enhanced nitrogen components and soil
Wenbo Mi1,2,3,4, Shuying Wang2,3,4, Jianjun Zhang2,3,4
1State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
Frontiers in Plant Science
|June 29, 2026
Summary
No-tillage farming with manure application enhances soil carbon and nitrogen storage, improving crop yields. This sustainable agriculture strategy optimizes soil health and productivity.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Soil Science
- Environmental Science
Background:
- No-tillage (NT) farming reduces soil erosion and enhances water retention but can decrease crop yields.
- Manure application is a potential strategy to mitigate yield loss in NT systems.
- Integrating NT with organic amendments is crucial for sustainable agriculture.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of organic fertilizer on soil physicochemical properties under long-term NT.
- To determine how manure application influences crop yield in NT systems.
- To understand the regulatory role of manure in soil health and crop production.
Main Methods:
- A split-plot design compared conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) with various fertilization treatments (CK, N, P, M, NP, MNP).
- Soil carbon and nitrogen fractions, bulk density (BD), pH, and enzyme activities (CBH, NAG) were measured.
- Crop yield was assessed, and regression analyses explored correlations between soil properties and yield.
Main Results:
- NT increased soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), available nitrogen (AN), and native nitrogen (NN), but decreased soil enzyme activities.
- Manure application (MNP) significantly increased SOC, total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), AN, CBH, and NAG compared to mineral fertilizers (NP).
- The MNP treatment boosted crop yield by 9.84% (CT) and 13.40% (NT) over the NP treatment, with soil enzyme activities positively correlating with nutrient levels.
Conclusions:
- The combination of NT and manure application improves soil physical structure and enhances carbon/nitrogen cycling enzymes.
- This synergy leads to increased soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration, ultimately boosting crop yield.
- Continuous manure input and improved nitrogen availability are key drivers for yield enhancement in NT systems, supporting sustainable agricultural practices.
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