title: Contributions of long-term tillage systems on crop production and soil properties in the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study determined the long-term effect of tillage systems on soil properties and crop yields in a semi-arid environment. Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were alternately grown in six tillage systems at Dingxi (35° 28' N, 104° 44' E), north-west China starting in 2001.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the first 6 years of experiments, conventional tillage with stubble incorporating (TS) and no-till with stubble cover (NTS) increased soil organic matter by 9.9% and 13.0%, respectively, compared to the conventional tillage with stubble removed (T); both TS and NTS also increased soil microbial counts, available K and P, and total N. No-till with stubble removed (NT), NTS and NTP (no-till with plastic mulching) had 20.7%, 62.6% and 43.7% greater alkaline phosphatase activity compared to the T treatment. Soil catalase, urease and invertase activities were all greater in the no-till treatments than in the T treatment. Averaged across 6 years, both wheat and pea achieved highest grain yields under NTS treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No-till with stubble retention is the most promising system for improving soil physical, biological and chemical properties, and increasing crop yields, and thus, this system can be adopted in areas with conditions similar to the semi-arid north-west China. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.|Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre, Swift Current, Saskatchewan, S9H 3X2, Canada.
authors: Yining
authors: Y
authors: Niu
authors: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.|College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
authors: Renzhi
authors: R
authors: Zhang
authors: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.|College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
authors: Zhuzhu
authors: Z
authors: Luo
authors: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
authors: Lingling
authors: L
authors: Li
authors: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.|College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
authors: Liqun
authors: L
authors: Cai
authors: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
authors: Guang
authors: G
authors: Li
authors: Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
authors: Junhong
authors: J
authors: Xie
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D002681:China; D002980:Climate; D018556:Crops, Agricultural; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014867:Water
keywords: conventional tillage; crop yields; no-till; soil properties; stubble retention