Effect of organic amendments on soil water storage in the aeolian sandy land of northeast China

Organic amendments such as crop residues and animal manures play an important role in improving soil quality. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of corn straw retention and chicken manure on soil water storage in the aeolian sandy land of Northwest Liaoning province, China. After four-year observation, the results showed that corn straw in combination with chemical fertilizer (SR) treatment significantly increased soil water content in the plow layer, decreased soil bulk density in the plow pan, and obviously enhanced plant available water storage capacity in the plow pan. The chicken manure in combination with chemical fertilizer (CM) treatment significantly increased soil water content and organic matter content in the plow layer. Our experiment indicates that corn straw retention combined with chemical fertilizers may improve soil water storage capacity in the short-term study.