Potential of artificial grasslands in crop rotation for improving farmland soil quality

In the long-term improper agricultural activities can result in soil compaction, which is accompanied by a series of problems. Artificial grasslands with high economic benefits and environmental efficiencies are suitable for cultivation in semiarid areas. It is necessary to explore whether artificial grasslands could be used as crop rotation to improve compacted farmland. In this study, five typical artificial grasslands (Miscanthus sinensis, Medicago sativa, Panicum virgatum, Trifolium repens, and Bromus inermis) and bare farmland were selected to compare relevant indicators of soil physical properties (SPP), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil water storage (SWS), and aboveground biomass via field observations. B. inermis and T. repens with high depth-averaged SOC (10.14 and 9.81 g kg(-1), respectively) had significant effects on the improvement of SPP, but such effects were limited by their low biomass yield (2,208.9 and 1,831.3 kg ha(-1), respectively). In contrast, P. virgatum improved SPP and increased SOC while maintaining higher biomass yield (25028.5 kg ha(-1)) and SWS (1,534.79 mm). In conclusion, artificial grasslands with high environmental efficiencies improved soil quality and could be considered as feasible and suitable rotation species to increase land productivity and promote sustainable agricultural management. Furthermore, P. virgatum with higher biomass yield and SWS might be a feasible and suitable choice on the basis of its potential to improve soil quality in semiarid regions.