Long-term effects of straw incorporation on seedling emergence and seedling quality of winter wheat on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain

Authors

  • Xiang Chen 1. National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China
  • Hongmei Cai 1. National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China
  • Yu Wu 1. National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China
  • Zhiwei Tang 1. National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China
  • Ying Weng 1. National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China
  • Baoqiang Zheng 1. National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China
  • Jincai Li 1. National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China 2. Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Centre for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v18i2.9150

Keywords:

straw return, wheat, seeding emergence, seedling quality

Abstract

Rapid emergence and high-quality seedlings are an important basis for achieving high yields and high-quality grains in wheat production. It is not clear how long-term straw incorporation affects the emergence and quality of wheat seedlings in lime concretion black soil. Based on a 12-year long-term fixed-site experimental field, a three-year field experiment with wheat-maize rotation was conducted on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China in 2020-2023 to assess the effect of straw incorporation on seedling emergence and seedling quality of wheat. The treatments comprised no-tillage wheat straw mulching and conventional tillage with maize straw return (T1), conventional tillage with maize straw return only (T2), and without straw incorporation (CK). The results showed that seedling emergence time (SET) and seedling emergence peak day (SEPD) in the T1 and T2 treatments were delayed compared with those of the CK. The SET was delayed (by 0.3-2.0 d), and the seedling emergence speed (SES) decreased (by 5.88%-25.01%), whereas the differences in emergence rate were not significant. The T1 and T2 treatments led to increases in leaf area, number of tillers per plant, and number of secondary roots at the six-leaf stage compared with those of the CK. Principal component analysis revealed that the first principal component that affected wheat seedling growth was dominated by the leaf area index and the net assimilation rate, whereas the leaf weight ratio mainly contributed to the second principal component. Straw incorporation delayed the wheat SET and the SEPD, and reduced the SES in the seedling emergence stage, but increased the leaf area, number of tillers per plant, and number of secondary roots in the seedling establishment stage, thereby promoting the development of strong seedlings. This study provides theoretical support for the efficient utilization of straw resources and the improvement of the quality of wheat seedlings on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. Key words: straw return; Triticum aestivumL.; seedling quality; principal component analysis; lime concretion black soil DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20251802.9150 Citation: Chen X, Cai H M, Wu Y, Tang Z W, Weng Y, Zheng B Q, et al. Long-term effects of straw incorporation on seedling emergence and seedling quality of winter wheat on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2025; 18(2): 208–217.

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Published

2025-04-25

How to Cite

Chen, X., Cai, H., Wu, Y., Tang, Z., Weng, Y., Zheng, B., & Li, J. (2025). Long-term effects of straw incorporation on seedling emergence and seedling quality of winter wheat on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 18(2), 208–217. https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v18i2.9150

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 2 (2025): IJABE

Section

Natural Resources and Environmental Systems

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