Improving poor physical structural components has been gaining increasing recognition for its role in enhancing soil fertility. This study was conducted to identify the key physical structural barriers for soil fertility and their effects on crop productivity in Aquic Inceptisol. Based on the strip sampling in Fengqiu County, arable soils from 0–0.40 m profile pits were collected to determine the physical structural components including plough layer thickness, textural composition, soil aggregation and bulk density, as well as stocks of soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). The grain yields of wheat and maize and amounts of fertilizer applications were also investigated. The tested soil was dominated by a plough layer of 0.15–0.18 m and sandy loam texture, which constituted 50% and 59%, respectively, of the studied profile pits. Compared to the soil with < 0.15 m plough layer, the bulk density was 4–11% lower in the plough layer and 4–12% lower in subsoil with increasing the thickness of plough layer. The soil with ≥ 0.15 m plough layer had over 21-fold macroaggregation at the expense of microaggregation, whereas the high content of sand particle in soil restrained macroaggregation. Increasing the plough layer thickness averagely improved the stocks by 176% in SOM, 153% in TN and 59% in TP at the 0–0.40 m depth. Soil macroaggregation was also significantly positively correlated with these nutrient accumulations. The factor analysis revealed that soil fertility was significantly influenced by the plough layer thickness and soil texture. The soil with 0.20–0.25 m plough layer and loam clay texture displayed the highest integrated fertility index and consequently, was beneficial to increasing the grain yields of wheat and maize and nutrient use efficiency from applied N fertilizer in the study area. These results would be informative to improve soil fertility and then crop productivity during a long-term cultivation.

中文翻译：

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物理结构成分差限制了小麦玉米作物的土壤肥力和作物生产力

改善不良的物理结构组件已获得越来越多的认可，因为其在增强土壤肥力方面的作用。进行这项研究是为了确定Aquic Inceptisol中土壤肥力的关键物理结构障碍及其对作物生产力的影响。根据封丘县的带状采样，收集了0–0.40 m剖面坑中的可耕土壤，以确定包括犁层厚度，质地成分，土壤聚集和容重以及土壤有机质（SOM）在内的物理结构成分。 ），总氮（TN）和总磷（TP）。还研究了小麦和玉米的谷物产量以及施肥量。被测土壤以0.15-0.18 m的耕层和砂壤土为主，分别占50％和59％。研究的轮廓坑。与耕层厚度小于0.15 m的土壤相比，随着耕层厚度的增加，耕层的容重降低了4-11％，地下土壤的容重降低了4-12％。≥0.15 m耕层的土壤具有超过21倍的宏观集聚度，但以微团聚为代价，而土壤中高含量的沙粒则抑制了宏观集聚。在0-0.40 m的深度，增加耕层厚度平均可以使SOM的存量提高176％，TN的存量提高153％，TP的存量提高59％。土壤大量聚集也与这些养分积累显着正相关。因子分析表明，耕层厚度和土壤质地显着影响土壤肥力。土壤含0.20-0。25 m耕层和壤土质地表现出最高的综合肥力指数，因此有利于研究区域内施用氮肥提高小麦和玉米的谷物产量以及养分利用率。这些结果将有助于长期培植土壤肥力，进而提高作物生产力。