Short‐term reduction in cropping intensity improves soil quality of topsoil rather than subsoil

• DOI: 10.1002/ldr.4615
• Publication Date: 2023-01-23T07:53:15Z
• Authors: Wei Yao; Qi Liu; Jie Zhou; Yongkang Wen; Butao Tian; Zhiqiang Qi; Yadong Yang; Zhaohai Zeng; Leanne Peixoto; Huadong Zang
• Keywords: Topsoil; Soil Quality; Subsoil; Soil carbon; Crop Rotation

Abstract Enhancing cropping intensity is the most effective and significant method to improve regional crop production ensure food security. However, our understanding of impacts reduced on soil quality ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) with depth remains incomplete in tropical regions. Here, we performed a 4‐year field experiment estimate (continuous cropping, winter fallow, annual fallow) EMF depending depths. We found that improved at topsoil (0–10 cm), while it had no influences carbon (C) nitrogen (N) storage, as well 0–40 cm. Soil microbes were limited by C P but not co‐limited N all three systems. Reduced exacerbated microbial limitation 0–10 cm due additional resources (i.e., rice straw manure) input. Redundancy analysis Pearson correlation showed significantly affected C‐, N‐, P‐acquisition enzyme activities, correlated positively organic C, biomass available P. In conclusion, short‐term reduction improves under paddy‐upland rotations region.