Straw Incorporation Strategy on Cereal Crop Yield in China

Straw incorporation (SI) is considered a valid agricultural measure for ameliorating soil quality and sequestrating soil C. This study aimed to quantitatively summarize the response of cereal yield to SI management. Our results showed that compared with straw removal, SI could significantly enhance cereal yield by 7% over all of China across the 9-yr period. In all regions, SI in coarse-textured soils increased yields more than in fine-textured soils. Straw incorporation resulted in greater yield increases for upland crops compared with rice (Oryza sativa L.) cropping, and for rotary tillage compared with plowing and no tillage. Overall, SI-induced cereal yield increases were greater in areas with a lack of soil nutrients and soil water. The SI-induced increases of 1 t ha(-1) of soil organic C (SOC) storage could increase cereal yield by 44 kg ha(-1). If half or full amounts of cereal straw is returned across all of China's agricultural regions, cereal yields would increase by an average of 2.84 and 5.07 Tg yr(-1), respectively, which would contribute to achieving the increasing yield requirements of China.