Synergistic Effects of Humic Acid, Biochar-Based Microbial Agent, and Vermicompost on the Dry Sowing and Wet Emergence Technology of Cotton in Saline–Alkali Soils, Xinjiang, China

• Published in: Agronomy (Basel) Vol. 14; no. 5; p. 994
• Main Authors: Li, Ge, Shan, Yuyang, Bai, Yungang, Nie, Weibo, Wang, Qian, Zhang, Jianghui, Liu, Hongbo, Ding, Yu, Wang, Xiaoyan, Lu, Hongqin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.05.2024
• Subjects: Agricultural production; agronomy; Analysis; Carbon; Charcoal; China; Cotton; Crop growth; Crop yields; Drip irrigation; dry sowing and wet emergence; field experimentation; Humic acid; Humic acids; Irrigation; microirrigation; Microorganisms; Nitrogen; Nutrients; Phosphorus; Planting; Polymer films; Potassium; Precipitation; Saline soils; seedling emergence; Seedlings; soil; Soil amendment; soil amendments; Soil fertility; Soil improvement; Soil quality; Soil water; Soils; synergism; Synergistic effect; Technology application; Temperature; Vermicomposting; vermicomposts; Water quality; water–heat–salt environment; yield; China
• ISSN: 2073-4395; 2073-4395
• DOI: 10.3390/agronomy14050994

Soil amendments such as humic acid (HA), a biochar-based microbial agent (M), and vermicompost (V) can improve soil quality and promote crop growth. However, it remains unclear whether the co-application of the three soil amendments (HMV) has a synergistic effect on alleviating soil quality deterioration obstacles caused by dry sowing and wet emergence technology in Xinjiang cotton fields. A three-year field experiment was conducted in saline–alkali soils using plastic-film-mulched drip irrigation in Xinjiang, China. Through the orthogonal experiment method, the application amounts of HA, M and V were 75 kg ha−1, 75 kg ha−1 and 225 kg ha−1 respectively in 2021. In 2022, three application amount gradients were used for HA, M and V: 60 kg ha−1, 90 kg ha−1 and 120 kg ha−1 respectively. In 2023, the application amounts of HA, M, and V were 60 kg ha−1, 120 kg ha−1, and 120 kg ha−1. It should be pointed out that V contains HA in the range of 20–35%. This study aimed to explore the improvement effect of a single or combined application of HA, M, and V on soil quality and cotton emergence rate using dry sowing and wet emergence technology in Xinjiang cotton fields. The results showed that the single and combined applications of HA, M, and V improved the soil quality and water–heat–salt environment of the cultivated layer. In the combined application, the cotton seedling emergence rate and yield increased by 1.9–22.8% and 7.0–54.1%. Therefore, it is recommended to jointly apply HA, M, and V to promote cotton seedling emergence and increase yield using dry sowing and wet emergence technology in Xinjiang cotton fields.