A three-year field study shows that incorporating maize straw 20 to 30 centimeters into soil can improve soil health, reshape microbial communities, and reduce disease and food safety risks.
Returning crop residues to farmland is widely used to improve soil fertility and recycle nutrients, but where those residues are placed in the soil may be just as important as whether they are returned at all. A new study has found that incorporating maize straw deeper into the soil can substantially reduce maize ear rot and harmful mycotoxin contamination while creating a healthier soil environment.
Researchers conducted a three-year field experiment in Jilin Province, China, comparing four straw incorporation depths: 0 to 5 cm, 10 to 20 cm, 20 to 30 cm, and 30 to 40 cm. They assessed soil physical and chemical properties, microbial communities in soil and maize roots, ear rot severity, and concentrations of the mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN).
The deeper treatments, particularly those at 20 to 40 cm, reduced maize ear rot incidence by 33.3% to 66.7% and reduced disease severity by 20% to 50% compared with shallow incorporation. DON and ZEN concentrations were also maintained within established safety thresholds.
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