Effects of straw mulching and plastic film mulching on improving soil organic carbon and nitrogen fractions, crop yield and water use efficiency in the Loess Plateau, China

A field experiment was conducted in the Loess Plateau of Northwest China to study the effects of plastic film mulching and straw mulching on soil water, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON), crop yield and water use efficiency under winter wheat (Tricicum aestivum L.)—summer maize (Zea mays L.) double-cropping system conditions using...