Effects of farmland management practices on soil carbon sequestration in the arid region of Northwest China： a meta-analysis

doi:10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00311

Journal of Desert Research ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1): 50-62.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00311

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Effects of farmland management practices on soil carbon sequestration in the arid region of Northwest China： a meta-analysis

Haoqi Ren¹^,²(), Rong Yang¹(), Tong Li²()

^1.Gansu Linze National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of Farmland Ecosystem / State Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands，Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources，Chinese Academy of Sciences，Lanzhou 730000，China
^2.School of Agricultural and Forestry Economics and Management，Lanzhou University of Finance and Economics，Lanzhou 730000，China

Received:2025-11-23 Revised:2025-12-16 Online:2026-01-20 Published:2026-03-09
Contact: Rong Yang, Tong Li

Abstract

Abstract:

The rational application of farmland management practices offers significant potential to improve soil organic carbon content in the arid northwest region. However， most data from single-location field experiments. Leaving uncertainty about the synergistic effects of multiple practices at a regional scale. This study conducted a meta-analysis based on 697 datasets from 112 published articles from January 2000 to August 2025， It compared the effects of green manure cropping methods， including monocropping， intercropping， and rotation， as well as tillage practices， such as no-till with straw not returned to the field， no-till with straw returned to the field， and ploughing with straw returned to the field. Additionally， it examined fertilization methods， encompassing Combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers， single application of chemical fertilizers， and single application of organic fertilizers， on soil organic carbon content. Furthermore， the study explored the regulatory effects of factors such as green manure varieties， cropping systems， soil types， and climatic conditions. The results showed that ：（1） Green manure cropping significantly enhances soil organic carbon， with the effects observed in the following order： monocroppin >intercropping >crop rotation. Among the rotation systems， common vetch and hairy vetch resulted in the highest increases in SOC， with enhancements of 32.27% and 13.44%， respectively. （2） The carbon sequestration effects of tillage practices are observed in the following order： no-till with straw returned > plowing with straw returned > no-till with straw not returned. The highest SOC increases were observed with wheat and maize straw under plowing， with enhancements of 32.67% and 25.01%， respectively， while cotton straw showed the greatest increase under no-till with straw returned. Furthermore， the carbon sequestration effects of all three tillage treatments increased with the duration of the experimental period. （3） The fertilization treatments showed significant differences in their effects on SOC， with the overall order of efficacy being combined organic and inorganic fertilization > single application of organic fertilizer > single application of chemical fertilizers. In sierozem， the highest increase in carbon sequestration was observed with the combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers， while in irragric anthrosols， the greatest enhancement in SOC was achieved with organic fertilization alone， reaching 48.25%. （4） Climatic factors significantly regulate the carbon sequestration effects. Regarding altitude， the highest carbon sequestration increases occur in the 500-1 000 m range with no-till straw returning to the field， as well as with the combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers and the single application of chemical fertilizers. In terms of rainfall， the greatest increase in carbon sequestration is observed with intercropping and monoculture of green manure， along with returning straw to the field after ploughing， particularly in areas receiving more than 180 mm of rainfall. Additionally， the carbon sequestration effect of applying organic fertilizer alone diminishes as temperature rises. Therefore， optimizing the combination of green manure， tillage， and fertilization management based on regional conditions is key to maximizing the soil carbon sequestration effect in farmland of the arid Northwest China.

Key words: the arid region of Northwest China, green manure, tillage, fertilization, soil organic carbon, meta-analysis

CLC Number:

Haoqi Ren, Rong Yang, Tong Li. Effects of farmland management practices on soil carbon sequestration in the arid region of Northwest China： a meta-analysis[J]. Journal of Desert Research, 2026, 46(1): 50-62.

Figures/Tables 10

Fig.1 Distribution of experimental sites for the meta-analysis

Table 1 Classification criteria for subgroup analysis

亚组类型	具体分类指标	分类梯度
绿肥品种	主要种植品种	箭筈豌豆、大豆、毛叶苕子
作物类型	主栽农作物	棉花、玉米、小麦
土壤类型	耕作层土壤类型	灰漠土、灌漠土、其他（灰钙土、灌淤土等）
试验年限	田间定位试验持续时间	<5 a、5~10 a、>10 a
年降水量	试验区域年均降水量	<60 mm、60~120 mm、120~180 mm、>180 mm
海拔	试验样点海拔	<500 m、500~1 000 m、1 000~1 500 m、>1 500 m
年平均气温	试验区域年平均气温	2~4 ℃、4~6 ℃、6~8 ℃、>8 ℃

Fig.2 Effects of farmland management practices on SOC content

Fig.3 Proportion of green manure species and their effects on SOC content

Fig.4 Effects of green manure cropping practices on SOC content across different crop types， soil types， and experimental ages

Fig.5 Effects of green manure cropping practices on SOC content under different ranges of rainfall， altitude， and temperature

Fig.6 Effects of tillage practices on SOC content across different crop types， soil types， and experimental ages

Fig.7 Effects of tillage practices on SOC content under different ranges of rainfall， altitude， and temperature

Fig.8 Effects of fertilization practices on SOC content across different crop types， soil types， and experimental ages

Fig.9 Effects of fertilization practices on SOC content under different ranges of rainfall， altitude， and temperature

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Effects of farmland management practices on soil carbon sequestration in the arid region of Northwest China： a meta-analysis

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