Purpose

Soil quality can not only affect soil and water conservation, soil nutrient cycling, soil structure, and stability but also impact the agricultural sustainability. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effects of different tillage and straw management methods on the soil quality indicators and peanut yield in a wheat–peanut rotation system in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China.

Materials and methods

Four treatments were investigated, including moldboard plow tillage with wheat straw return (MPS), rotary tillage with wheat straw return (CTS), moldboard plow tillage with wheat straw removal (MP), and rotary tillage with wheat straw removal (CT). We evaluated the soil bulk density (SBD), soil porosity (SP), soil water content (SWC), soil nutrient concentrations (TOC, TN, AP, and AK), soil aggregate, and peanut yield.

Results and discussion

The results showed that MPS improved soil physical and chemical properties by increasing soil porosity and soil water content, enhancing soil nutrient concentrations, promoting the formation of large macroaggregates, and increasing soil aggregate stability. These improvements in the physical and chemical properties of soil could influence plant growth and development by altering crop nutrient uptake, utilization, and translocation. Therefore, MPS increased dry matter and nitrogen accumulation, ultimately resulting an increase in peanut yield.

Conclusions

Different tillage and straw management methods revealed varied effects for soil quality indicators and peanut yield. As a result, MPS may be a suitable agricultural management method for improving soil quality and increasing peanut yield in a wheat–peanut rotation system.