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Legume–Non-Legume Cover Crop Mixtures Enhance Soil Nutrient Availability and Physical Properties: A Meta-Analysis Across Chinese Agroecosystems

dc.contributor.authorJiayu Ma
dc.contributor.authorBaozhong Yin
dc.contributor.authorTian Gao
dc.contributor.authorKaixiao He
dc.contributor.authorXinqin Huang
dc.contributor.authorTiantong Jiang
dc.contributor.authorWenchao Zhen
dc.contributor.otherState Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Key Laboratory of North China Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation of Hebei Province, College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
dc.contributor.otherCollege of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
dc.contributor.otherState Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Key Laboratory of North China Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation of Hebei Province, College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
dc.contributor.otherState Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Key Laboratory of North China Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation of Hebei Province, College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
dc.contributor.otherState Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Key Laboratory of North China Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation of Hebei Province, College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
dc.contributor.otherState Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Key Laboratory of North China Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation of Hebei Province, College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
dc.contributor.otherState Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Key Laboratory of North China Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation of Hebei Province, College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
dc.date.accessioned2025-08-27T14:00:36Z
dc.date.accessioned2025-10-08T08:43:13Z
dc.date.available2025-10-08T08:43:13Z
dc.date.issued01-07-2025
dc.identifier.urihttp://digilib.fisipol.ugm.ac.id/repo/handle/15717717/36901
dc.description.abstractCover cropping has emerged as a pivotal sustainable agronomic practice aimed at enhancing soil health and sustaining crop productivity. To quantify its effects across diverse agroecosystems, we conducted a meta-analysis of 1877 paired observations from 114 studies (1980–2025) comparing cover cropping with bare fallow during fallow periods in major cereal systems across China. Cover cropping significantly reduced soil bulk density by 6.1% and increased key soil nutrients including total nitrogen (+13.1%), total phosphorus (+15.6%), hydrolysable nitrogen (+9.3%), available phosphorus (+11.1%), available potassium (+12.4%), soil organic matter (+11.7%), and microbial biomass carbon (+41.1%). Leguminous cover crops outperformed non-legumes in enhancing nitrogen availability, reflecting biological nitrogen fixation. Mixed-species cover crop mixtures showed superior benefits over monocultures, likely due to complementary effects on nutrient cycling and soil structure. Soil texture and initial soil organic carbon significantly moderated these outcomes. Furthermore, although overall soil pH remained stable, cover cropping exhibited a clear buffering effect, tending to regulate soil pH toward neutrality. Meta-regression analyses revealed a diminishing positive effect on total nitrogen (TN), available potassium (AK), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) with an extended duration of cover cropping, suggesting potential saturation effects. These results underscore the context-dependent efficacy of cover cropping as a strategy for soil quality enhancement. Optimizing cover crop implementation should integrate the consideration of inherent soil characteristics, baseline fertility, and species composition to maximize agroecosystem resilience and sustainability.
dc.language.isoEN
dc.publisherMDPI AG
dc.subject.lccAgriculture
dc.titleLegume–Non-Legume Cover Crop Mixtures Enhance Soil Nutrient Availability and Physical Properties: A Meta-Analysis Across Chinese Agroecosystems
dc.typeArticle
dc.description.keywordscover crops
dc.description.keywordsmeta-analysis
dc.description.keywordssoil quality
dc.description.keywordsChina
dc.description.doi10.3390/agronomy15081756
dc.title.journalAgronomy
dc.identifier.e-issn2073-4395
dc.identifier.oaioai:doaj.org/journal:641f56ad54f54ad185d16adb25743149
dc.journal.infoVolume 15, Issue 8


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