Agronomic management practices shape soil health and crop productivity in northeastern China: Insights from a meta-analysis

Achieving sustainable crop productivity while preserving soil health remains a critical challenge in northeastern China. A comprehensive understanding of the influence of agronomic management practices on soil fertility and crop yield is vitally important. Therefore, the present study evaluates the responses of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and crop yield to agronomic management practices in northeastern China through a meta-analysis of 1,865 paired observations from 86 studies. Results showed that soil fertility improved substantially with SOC increasing by 7.52% and TN by 7.02%, which can be attributed to a range of field management practices. Among these, the co-application of organic and chemical fertilizer showed the greatest soil benefits (+26.47% SOC, +23.02% TN), followed by straw returning (+5.76% SOC, +8.08% TN) and conservation tillage (+4.84% SOC, +2.40% TN). The integration of conservative agronomic management practices, i.e., crop rotation, straw returning, conservation tillage, and organic fertilizer amendments, significantly increased crop yield by 4.91%, which was primarily driven by crop rotation (+10.40%), the co-application of organic and chemical fertilizer (+8.39%), and straw returning (+4.85%), while minimum or no tillage reduced yield by 3.33% compared to traditional practices. Notably, the co-application of organic and chemical fertilizer and straw returning increased SOC and TN annually by 1.45%, 0.63%, 0.85%, and 0.30%, respectively. Overall, crop rotation, co-application of organic and chemical fertilizers, and straw returning substantially improved soil quality and crop yield, whereas minimum or no tillage could reduce crop yield under certain conditions, which highlights the need of optimizing agronomic managements for site-specific strategies. This study provides evidence to support climate-smart, sustainable agriculture and inform decision-making by farmers and policymakers. • Crop rotation boosts crop yield most in northeastern China. • Organic + chemical fertilizer achieves substantial improvements on SOC and TN. • Straw returning has a positive effect on SOC, TN, and crop yield. • Conservation tillage reduces yield by 3.33% but enhances SOC and TN. • Integrated agronomic management is needed for the synergy of yield and soil quality.