This study developed an innovative model integrating straw subsoil deep burial (SD) and mixing plow to mitigate albic soil’s physical and chemical constraints and enhance crop yield. A field experiment with four treatments, including conventional tillage (CT), straw mulching (SM), straw subsoil deep burial (SD), and straw burning (SR), was conducted to assess impacts on soil enzyme activity, nutrient dynamics, crop yield, and soil physical properties. Results showed that SD treatment significantly improved albic soil properties compared to conventional tillage: catalase activity in the albic horizon decreased by 13.51%, reducing peroxide toxicity. In the albic horizon, alkaline hydrolysis nitrogen, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, total phosphorus, available potassium, total potassium, and organic matter increased by 29.98%, 58.70%, 36.86%, 20.46%, 5.00%, 21.70%, and 40.46%, respectively. Correspondingly, maize and soybean yield under SD reached 8686.6 kg/ha and 2245.3 kg/ha, increasing by 15.39% and 19.94% compared to CT, respectively. Additionally, SD treatment improved physical properties of the albic horizon: soil hardness reduced by 43.56%, with enhanced water-holding capacity, permeability coefficient, porosity, and hydraulic conductivity. Its findings not only boost agronomic productivity by improving crop yields but also support environmental sustainability by enhancing soil fertility, which is of great significance for ensuring food security.

Nutrient fertilizer application to agricultural land has led to greenhouse gas emissions and has altered soil nitrogen (N) deposition. In soil, N can be degraded in four ways: entering surface water through water flow, absorption by plants and microorganisms, decomposition into gas, and deposition as minerals. This study proposes the concept of N degradability and aims to clarify how farming activities affect N degradability in soil. Over 260 soil profiles were excavated, and the effective soil depth, coordinates, soil types, and vegetation were recorded at each measurement point. The following characteristics were determined in the soil samples: pH, organic matter, total N, total phosphorus, total potassium, total soluble N, available phosphorus, and available potassium. The sample characteristics were subjected to Pearson correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and one-way analysis of variance. The 260 samples included four soil types: dark brown soil, black soil, albic black soil, and meadow soil. Black soil exhibited more stable N levels compared with the other three soil types, showing a tendency towards N accumulation. Ground vegetation was categorized into seven types: forest, rice, maize, red adzuki bean, grassland, soybean, and others. Forests contributed the most to N deposition. Conversely, planting maize led to a tendency for N loss compared with forests. This study can provide a reference for the sustainable development of agriculture and the balance of ecological protection.

Low productivity in albic soils often results in excessive nitrogen input, while straw return further increases nitrogen accumulation through decomposition. To address this issue, a three-year field experiment was conducted in albic soils of high, medium, and low fertility. Two nitrogen management strategies were assessed: nitrogen addition and reduction. Addition treatments included conventional nitrogen application rate alone (N), straw return (8250 kg ha⁻¹) with conventional nitrogen application rate (SN), and straw return with increased nitrogen (SN₊). Reduction treatments comprised SN and straw return with 10%, 20%, and 30% reduced nitrogen (SN_0.9, SN_0.8, and SN_0.7). Soil physical properties, nutrient content, and rice yield were evaluated. Results showed that SN_0.9 exhibited advantages in high-fertility albic soils, as it increased rice yield and improved some soil quality while reducing the nitrogen input by 10%. However, yield under SN_0.9 declined progressively over the three years, indicating limitations of long-term application. SN performed better than both N and SN₊ in medium- and low-fertility albic soils, offering better yield and soil quality improvements. However, nitrogen overaccumulation risk under continuous application should not be overlooked. These findings highlight that fertility-based nitrogen adjustment combined with straw return can simultaneously improve rice productivity and soil quality while reducing nitrogen input in albic soils.

The GARP transcription factor family is integral to the regulation of plant growth, development, hormone signaling pathways, circadian rhythms, and responses to both biotic and abiotic stressors. Despite its recognized importance, a comprehensive characterization of the GARP gene family in Glycine max remains unexplored. In this study, we identified 126 GmGARP genes across the 16 chromosomes of G. max and elucidated their diverse physicochemical properties. Phylogenetic classification grouped the GmGARP genes into eight distinct subfamilies, based on conserved motifs and gene structures, suggesting functional and evolutionary conservation within these clusters. The discovery of 56 segmentally duplicated gene pairs highlights gene duplication as a key driver of family expansion. Promoter analysis revealed various cis-regulatory elements, while expression profiling demonstrated that GmGARP genes possess significant tissue specificity. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis indicated that GmGARP genes are highly responsive to exogenous hormones, such as ABA, MeJA, and GA, as well as to abiotic stresses, including cold, salt, and drought conditions. Notably, GmGARP120 and GmGARP98 contain specific cis-elements linked to hormone responses, with their interaction verified through yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays. Additionally, 11,195 potential target genes were predicted, underscoring the regulatory potential of the GmGARP transcription factors. These findings provide significant insights into the GmGARP gene family, laying a strong foundation for future studies on its role in G. max development and adaptive responses to environmental stressors.

Albi-boric argosols, mainly distributed in the Sanjiang Plain of Heilongjiang Province, China, accounting for over 80% of the total cultivated land area, is characterized by a nutrient-deficient layer beneath black soil. This study addresses the challenges of modern agriculture by investigating the impact of straw incorporation on soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and its structures in albi-boric argosols, profiles, using fluorescence excitation–emission spectroscopy and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Three treatments were applied: undisturbed albi-boric argosols (C), mixed albic and illuvium layers (M), and mixed albic and illuvium layers with straw (MS). Results showed that the yield of M and MS increased by 9.9% and 13.0%, respectively. There was a significant increase in DOC content, particularly in the MS treatment. Fluorescence index (FI) values ranged from 1.65 to 1.86, biological index (BIX) values were less than 1, and humification index (HIX) values were below 0.75, indicating a mix of plant and microbial sources for DOC, autochthonous characteristics, and weaker humification degree. PARAFAC identified two/three individual fluorophore moieties that were attributed to fulvic acid substances, soluble microbial products, and tyrosine-like substances, with microbial products as the dominant component. This study demonstrates the effect of improving barrier soil and maintaining sustainable agriculture by enhancing soil quality.

Maximizing the agricultural output on inherently infertile land and minimizing the environmental cost remain central research imperatives. Albic black soil typifies such infertility. Conventional practice relies on fertilization and straw incorporation, but the albic layer’s impermeability funnels applied nutrients into adjacent aquatic systems. Therefore, this study developed deep placement fertilization by lodging fertilizer directly within the albic layer to block hydrologic loss. The feasibility of mechanization was first validated in pot experiments. Soybeans were allocated to six treatments simulating fertilizer placement at different soil depths: control (C), control and fertilizer (CF), surface soil mixing (SM), surface soil mixing and fertilizer (SMF), plow pan soil mixing (PM), and plow pan soil mixing and fertilizer (PMF). The treatments used 20 cm tillage, and the data were collected after 15, 25, and 35 days and at harvest. Integrative transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and soil microbiome profiling revealed that fertilizer positioned at 25 cm in the albic layer increased yield, restructured the rhizobiont community and promoted arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization. Among the fertilizer treatments, CF had the best growth, and SMF was inhibited by a nutrient shortage. SMF and PMF lost water faster than CF. Abscisic acid (ABA) conveyed the subterranean fertilization signal to the leaf. The enrichment of Vicinamibacterales, Xanthobacteraceae, and Glomeromycota in soil lowered the ABA content in the roots, which upregulated thymidine kinase and peroxidase upon arrival in the leaf, increasing yield. These findings provide a transferable benchmark for any parent material exhibiting poor hydraulic conductivity.