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Acta Agronomica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 51 ›› Issue (10): 2738-2749.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2025.55025

• TILLAGE & CULTIVATION·PHYSIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Transgenic soybean combined with no-tillage flat planting promotes the simplification of soybean production in Northeast China

LI Wei1(), ZHU Yu-Peng1(), SUN Bin-Cheng2, WEN You-Xiang3, WU Zong-Sheng1, XU Yi-Fan1, SONG Wen-Wen1,*(), XU Cai-Long1,*(), WU Cun-Xiang1,*()   

  1. 1Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences / National Soybean Industrial Technology R & D Center, Beijing 100081, China
    2Hulun Buir Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hulun Buir 021000, Inner Mongolia, China
    3Zhalantun Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Technology Extension Center, Hulun Buir 162650, Inner Mongolia, China
  • Received:2025-03-27 Accepted:2025-07-09 Online:2025-10-12 Published:2025-07-16
  • Contact: *E-mail: wucunxiang@caas.cn;E-mail: xucailong@caas.cn;E-mail: songwenwen@caas.cn E-mail:2230689779@qq.com;zhuyupeng@caas.cn;songwenwen@caas.cn;xucailong@caas.cn;wucunxiang@caas.cn
  • About author:First author contact:**Contributed equally to this work
  • Supported by:
    National Key Research and Development Program of China(2023YFE0105000);Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA(CARS-04)

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Abstract:

Low yield, high production costs, and limited profitability are major factors contributing to insufficient soybean production in China. The Northeast region, which accounts for over 60% of the national soybean planting area, plays a pivotal role in national soybean output. Therefore, optimizing production practices in this region is crucial for improving soybean yield and economic returns. In this study, based on the use of glyphosate-tolerant genetically modified soybean varieties, four tillage treatments were evaluated: no-tillage with straw returning (NTRS), deep ripping every two years with straw returning (STRS), ridge tillage with straw returning (DTRS), and rotary tillage without straw returning (RTR). The objective was to assess the effects of these production modes on yield formation, weed control, and economic benefits. Results showed that the NTRS treatment increased soil temperature and moisture at the emergence stage, moderately enhanced soil compaction in the tillage layer, improved soil moisture during sowing, and significantly enhanced both the emergence rate and speed. Compared with the STRS, DTRS, and RTR treatments, NTRS improved emergence rates by 3.63%, 2.72%, and 4.66%, respectively. NTRS also significantly reduced weed density and the weed dominance index while increasing weed diversity. Weed emergence was primarily concentrated in the V2-V3 growth stages, which facilitated timely herbicide application and effective weed suppression, ultimately reducing weed dry weight at the R8 stage. Compared with RTR, all three straw-returning treatments (NTRS, STRS, and DTRS) reduced the height of the lowest pods. Among them, NTRS significantly increased the number of pods and grains per plant, resulting in a yield of 3603 kg hm-2, representing a 5.12% to 9.22% increase over other treatments. In terms of economic benefits, the NTRS treatment minimized the need for intensive tillage, reduced labor costs, and significantly lowered production inputs, thereby improving both agricultural productivity and profitability. In conclusion, the no-tillage flat cultivation system combined with genetically modified soybean varieties improved soil thermal and moisture conditions, enhanced seedling emergence, facilitated weed management, reduced input costs, and increased yield. This simplified production system offers a promising approach for achieving low-cost, high-efficiency soybean cultivation in Northeast China.

Key words: production mode, genetically modified soybean, weeds, economic benefits, yield

Table 1

Temperature and rainfall at the experimental site during 2023-2024"

月份
Month		 2023 2024
月平均温度
Monthly mean temperature (℃)		 降雨量
Precipitation (mm)		 月平均温度
Monthly mean temperature (℃)		 降雨量
Precipitation (mm)
1月 January -17.5 0 -15.5 0
2月 February -11.4 0 -12.4 0
3月 March 1.3 0 -2.3 0
4月 April 6.7 1.1 10.0 4.7
5月 May 15.7 55.8 15.3 35.0
6月 June 20.5 20.1 19.5 95.5
7月 July 21.2 246.4 23.9 86.6
8月 August 19.8 14.7 21.0 85.5
9月 September 15.1 55.7 14.6 12.9
10月 October 7.0 7.3 8.9 5.6
11月 November -7.8 0 -4.8 0
12月 December -16.4 0 -13.6 0

Table 2

Cultivation practices under different production modes"

耕作方式
Tillage method		 具体信息
Detailed information
免耕秸秆还田
NTRS		 秸秆全部粉碎(15-20 cm)还田, 免耕平播, 喷施草甘膦除草剂除草
Straw was crushed (15-20 cm) and returned to the field; flat planting with no-tillage; glyphosate for weed control
隔年深松秸秆还田
STRS
 秸秆全部粉碎(15-20 cm)还田, 隔年深松(30 cm)整地, 平播, 喷施草甘膦除草剂除草
Straw was crushed (15-20 cm) and returned to the field; deep ripping (30 cm) per two year; flat planting;
glyphosate for weed control
垄作秸秆还田
DTRS
 秸秆全部粉碎(15-20 cm)还田, 翻耕(30 cm)起垄整地, 垄播, 2次中耕, 喷施草甘膦除草剂除草
Straw was crushed (15-20 cm) and returned to the field; plough (30 cm) and ridging; ridge sowing; twice
intertillage weeding; glyphosate for weed control
旋耕秸秆不还田
RTR
 秸秆不还田, 旋耕(15 cm)平播, 2次中耕, 喷施常规除草剂除草
Straw removing; flat planting with rotary tillage (15 cm); twice intertillage weeding; conventional herbicide for weed control

Fig. 1

Flowchart of cultivation practices under different production modes Treatments are the same as those given in Table 2."

Table 3

Effects of different production modes on soybean yield and yield components"

年份
Year		 处理
Treatment		 产量
Yield
(kg hm-2)		 底荚高度
Lowest pod height
(cm)		 单株荚数
Pod number per plant		 单株粒数
Seed number per plant		 百粒重
Hundred-grain weight
(g)		 收获密度
Harvest density
(×104 plants hm-2)
2023 NTRS 3570±6.94 a 13.1±0.45 b 40.2±1.16 a 109±3.46 a 17.7±0.17 ab 29.9±0.31 a
STRS 3225±34.05 cd 13.0±0.21 b 35.2±0.58 bc 90±3.20 b 17.6±0.10 b 29.0±0.15 b
DTRS 3332±33.77 b 13.6±0.91 b 37.4±0.87 b 102±3.49 a 17.8±0.22 ab 29.2±0.15 ab
RTR 3248±14.96 c 21.2±1.62 a 35.0±1.00 bc 85±2.62 b 18.1±0.02 a 28.6±0.23 b
2024 NTRS 3636±54.78 a 22.2±0.69 b 48.8±2.33 a 116±5.36 a 17.1±0.21 a 30.2±0.37 a
STRS 3374±11.02 bc 19.2±0.63 b 42.1±1.41 bc 105±2.82 b 17.4±0.17 a 28.7±0.30 b
DTRS 3523±62.70 ab 20.7±1.08 b 45.0±2.25 ab 111±5.58 ab 17.0±0.14 a 29.1±0.23 b
RTR 3358±56.55 c 29.9±1.18 a 38.2±1.45 c 94±3.76 c 17.1±0.28 a 28.5±0.39 b
年份Year (Y) ** ** ** ns ** ns
处理Treatment (T) ** ** ** ** ns **
年份×处理 Y×T ns ** ns ns ns ns

Fig. 2

Effects of different production modes on soil temperature during the soybean emergence stage Treatments are the same as those given in Table 2."

Fig. 3

Effects of different production modes on soil water content during the soybean emergence stage Treatments are the same as those given in Table 2. Lowercase letters are assigned following the order shown in the legend. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences between treatments within the same soil layer (P < 0.05)."

Fig. 4

Effects of different production modes on soil compactness Treatments are the same as those given in Table 2."

Fig. 5

Effect of different production modes on seedling emergence rate and seedling speed of soybean Treatments are the same as those given in Table 2. “Amt.” represents amount; Figure C shows the emergence at the 11 days after sowing. Different lowercase letters indicate significant difference between treatments (P < 0.05)."

Fig. 6

Effect of different production modes on weed number at each stage and weed dry matter weight in R8 Treatments are the same as those given in Table 2. “Amt.” represents amount; Figure C shows the occurrence of weeds at the V4 stage of soybeans. Different lowercase letters indicate significant difference between treatments (P < 0.05)."

Fig. 7

Effects of different production modes on weed species diversity Treatments are the same as those given in Table 2. Different lowercase letters indicate significant difference between treatments (P < 0.05)."

Table 4

Analysis of economic benefits under different production modes (yuan hm-2)"

年份
Year		 处理
Treatment		 投入Cost 收入
Income		 利益
Profit
种子
Seed		 肥料
Fertilizer		 除草剂
Herbicide		 农机具
Agricultural implements		 人工
Labour
2023 NTRS 786 a 1425 a 189 b 495 d 1245 c 17,923 a 13,783 a
STRS 786 a 1425 a 189 b 1170 c 1665 b 16,188 c 10,953 b
DTRS 786 a 1425 a 189 b 2250 a 1245 c 16,728 b 10,833 b
RTR 786 a 1425 a 261 a 1860 b 2085 a 16,303 c 9886 c
2024 NTRS 786 a 1425 a 189 b 495 d 1415 b 18,254 a 13,863 a
STRS 786 a 1425 a 189 b 885 c 1748 a 16,936 c 11,903 b
DTRS 786 a 1425 a 189 b 2250 a 1665 a 17,686 ab 11,371 bc
RTR 786 a 1425 a 261 a 1860 b 1748 a 16,855 c 10,775 c
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