Molecular Soil Biology 2024, Vol.15, No.5, 236-246 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/msb 236 Research Report Open Access The Role of Rapeseed Straw in Soil Fertility and Crop Productivity Jianrong Qiu1, Mengmeng Cui 1, DannaGao 2, Jieyuan Yao 1, ZirongQi 1 1 Cixi Agricultural Technology Extension Center, Cixi, 315300, Zhejiang, China 2 Cixi Agricultural Monitoring Center, Cixi, 315300, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: 490179994@qq.com Molecular Soil Biology, 2024, Vol.15, No.5 doi: 10.5376/msb.2024.15.0024 Received: 19 Aug., 2024 Accepted: 28 Sep., 2024 Published: 16 Oct., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Qiu et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Qiu J.R., Cui M.M., Gao D.N., Yao J.Y., and Qi Z.R., 2024, The role of rapeseed straw in soil fertility and crop productivity, Molecular Soil Biology, 15(5): 236-246 (doi: 10.5376/msb.2024.15.0024) Abstract This study explores the effects of rapeseed straw return on soil fertility and crop productivity, highlighting its potential for sustainable management in agriculture. The findings reveal that straw return, combined with phosphorus fertilizer and biochar, significantly improves nutrient cycling and increases dry matter accumulation and yields of subsequent crops. Additionally, straw return demonstrates long-term advantages in enhancing microbial diversity and optimizing soil physical properties. However, the effectiveness of straw return is influenced by decomposition rate, environmental conditions, and may under certain conditions increase greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring the need for further optimization to enhance agricultural sustainability. This study provides scientific support for the sustainable agricultural application of straw return, emphasizing the importance of optimized management to balance production and environmental benefits. Keywords Rapeseed straw; Soil fertility; Soil structure; Crop productivity; Microbial activity; Sustainable agriculture 1 Introduction Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is a significant crop globally, primarily cultivated for its oil-rich seeds. It ranks as the third most important edible oilseed after soybean and palm oil, contributing substantially to the global edible oil supply (Fu et al., 2016; Yadav et al., 2022). In China, rapeseed accounts for about 20% of the world's production, with stable yields and improvements in seed quality over the past decade (Hu et al., 2017). Rapeseed is the main oil crop in Cixi City and also the main production area of rapeseed in Ningbo City. The annual planting area of rapeseed is 4000 hectares, accounting for about 50% of the rapeseed planting area in Ningbo City, and it is also a high-yield area in Ningbo City (Figure 1). Despite its importance, the handling of rapeseed straw, a byproduct of rapeseed cultivation, remains a challenge. Traditionally, rapeseed straw is either burned or left to decompose in the fields, practices that can lead to environmental issues such as air pollution and loss of soil organic matter (Yang et al., 2020). However, recent studies suggest that rapeseed straw can be a valuable resource for enhancing soil fertility and crop productivity when managed appropriately (Mitra and Mandal, 2012; Su et al., 2014; Zhang et al., 2023). Figure 1 Pictures of the peak flowering period and pod setting period of rapeseed at planting base in Cixi City
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