The Application of Straw Return with Nitrogen Fertilizer Increases Rice Yield in Saline–Sodic Soils by Regulating Rice Organ Ion Concentrations and Soil Leaching Parameters

Abstract

Soil salinization is a severe environmental problem that restricts crop productivity. Straw amendment could increase the fertility of saline–sodic soils by improving soil physical properties and carbon sequestration; however, the chemical mechanism of saline soil improvement via straw reclamation is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of straw return with nitrogen fertilizer on soil leaching characteristics, rice organ ion concentrations, and yield. Therefore, a soil column leaching experiment was conducted in 2021 in Baicheng, Jilin Province, using two straw application rate treatments (0 and 8 t hm−2) and three nitrogen application rate treatments (0, 180, and 360 kg hm−2). The results revealed the following: 1. The combination of straw return and nitrogen fertilizer significantly increased the soil leachate volume, leachate pH, Na+ concentration, and Na+/K+ ratio, thereby reducing Na+ stress on rice; 2. The application of nitrogen fertilizer during straw return effectively minimized soil nitrogen loss by lowering the ammonium and nitrate nitrogen concentrations in the soil leachate; 3. This combination also reduced plant Na+ concentrations while increasing plant K+ concentrations, thus improving the Na+/K+ ratio in the plants; 4. Straw return with nitrogen fertilizer significantly enhanced rice yield, which increased with higher nitrogen application rates. In summary, the integration of straw return with nitrogen fertilizer not only regulates rice salinity tolerance but also boosts rice yield, presenting a novel approach for improving saline–sodic soils.