Multi-site assessment of the effects of plastic-film mulch on the soil organic carbon balance in semiarid areas of China

Plastic-film mulch is widely used to increase soil temperature and reduce water evaporation in vegetable production. In China, it is also extensively used for growing grain crops, especially in temperature and rainfall limited areas. However, it remains unclear whether the technology is sustainable in terms of maintenance of soil organic carbon (SOC) balance. We assessed the effects of plastic-film mulch on the SOC balance in maize (Zea mays L.) production in a range of cold semiarid environments. We imposed four treatments: (i) no plastic-film mulch or straw incorporation, (ii) plastic-film mulch, (iii) straw incorporation in soil without mulch, and (v) straw incorporation plus mulch, in ridge–furrow prepared fields at five sites along a hydrothermal gradient for up to six years. Maize root biomass across sites increased by 23–38% in mulched plots associated with the increase in aboveground biomass, indicating an increased SOC input, compared to that in non-mulched plots. The plastic-film mulch increased SOC mineralization, indicated by the stimulated decomposition of buried maize straw, and a 4–5% reduction in the concentration of light-fraction SOC (<1.8 g cm⁻³), but the total SOC concentration and stock in the 0–0.15 m soil layer did not change relative to no mulch after six years of continuous cropping. Plastic-film mulch did not affect the total non-cellulosic sugar content; however, it significantly increased the contribution of microbial-synthesized sugars to the total non-cellulosic sugars, indicating an intensified microbial action on the SOC pool compared to no mulch. Straw incorporation increased the root biomass, light and total SOC concentrations and non-cellulosic sugars, and changed the non-cellulosic sugar composition. We conclude that the increase in soil temperature and moisture by use of plastic-film mulch enhances productivity, but importantly maintains the SOC level in temperature- and rainfall-limited semiarid regions by balancing the increased SOC mineralization with increased root-derived C input.