Comparison of soil phosphorus and phosphatase activity under long-term no-tillage and maize residue management

Abstract

The migration and transformation of soil phosphorus (P) are essential for agricultural productivity and environmental security but have not been thoroughly elucidated to date. A 10-year field study was conducted to explore the effects of conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage with maize residue management (NT-0, NT-33%, NT-67% and NT-100%) on P contents and phosphatase activities in soil layers (0-5, 5-10, 10-20 and 20-40 cm). The results showed that soil available P content and phosphatase activities were higher in no-tillage with maize residue than CT. Soil moisture and pH were significantly positively correlated with soil available P. Higher organic P contents and lower inorganic P contents in the 0-5 cm soil layer were found in the treatment NT-67% compared with other treatments. According to the structure equation model, the source of available P was inorganic P in NT-33%, while organic P in NT-67%. This study demonstrated that the variation of dominant mechanisms involved in soil P migration and transformation were dependent on residue input amounts, and NT-67% might play an important role in the maintenance and transformation of soil organic P.