Increasing crop production and enhancing soil carbon sequestration are essential for sustainable agriculture. Globally, a significant amount of crop straw is produced annually, and incorporating this straw into the soil is an effective agronomic practice with positive environmental and soil biological impacts. Straw incorporation can improve soil nutrient status, increasing crop growth and yield. However, improper straw management, such as discarding or burning it in fields after harvest, results in wasted resources and adverse effects.

Straw burning contributes to air pollution, deteriorates soil health, and poses serious health risks, such as respiratory infections and cardiac diseases due to increased particulate matter and greenhouse gases. Our field-based studies found that incorporating straw into the soil can significantly enhance soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and nutrient availability.

Our recent studies have shown that ammoniated straw incorporation can increase crop yield by improving soil water retention and nutrient availability. Ammoniated crop straw has lower straw hemicellulose and lignin content, making it more easily decomposable by soil microbes and thus accelerating nutrient release.

Our synthesis of sequencing data from various published studies revealed significant changes in soil bacterial community diversity, composition, co-occurrence networks, and functional profiles following straw incorporation. In conclusion, our research provides a scientific basis for rationalising straw incorporation methods to enhance soil fertility, soil health, and crop yields.