Abstract
Straw return is widely promoted as a sustainable practice to improve soil fertility and reduce residue burning, yet its influence on cadmium (Cd) mobilization and rice grain contamination remains controversial. Here, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of 35 peer-reviewed studies encompassing 414 paired observations to quantitatively evaluate the effects of straw return on soil Cd availability and accumulation in rice tissues. Overall, straw return significantly increased soil available Cd by 12.7% (95% CI: 8.0%–16.7%) and total Cd by 7.7% (95% CI: 3.5%–12.0%) relative to no-straw controls, accompanied by elevated soil organic matter (+12.3%) and pH (+1.8%). Subgroup analyses revealed that initial soil pH was the dominant moderator regulating Cd mobilization, with the strongest enhancement of available Cd occurring under acidic conditions (pH < 6.5) and weakening progressively as pH increased. Straw type also exerted a pronounced influence: rice straw markedly increased both available Cd (+20.0%) and total Cd (+10.1%), whereas wheat and rapeseed straw showed negligible effects, likely attributable to the higher Cd content and slower decomposition rate of rice straw. Furthermore, soil available Cd was positively correlated with Cd concentrations in grain ( p < 0.001), straw ( p < 0.01), and roots ( p < 0.001), whereas total Cd showed no significant association, underscoring the greater relevance of bioavailable fractions for predicting plant uptake. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that straw return may act as a Cd risk amplifier in contaminated and acidic paddy soils, emphasizing the necessity of site-specific straw management strategies to ensure food safety and sustainable rice production.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Straw return increased soil available Cd by 12.7% versus no-straw controls.
- Taxon
- rice
Oryza sativat0 - Treatment
- straw returne0
- Outcome
- soil available Cde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 12.7%e0
- Comparator
- no-straw controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“rice”
e0“straw return significantly increased soil available Cd by 12.7% (95% CI: 8.0%–16.7%) and total Cd by 7.7% (95% CI: 3.5%–12.0%) relative to no-straw controls”
Claim · model-written summary
Straw return increased soil total Cd by 7.7% versus no-straw controls.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Treatment
- straw returne0
- Outcome
- total Cde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 7.7%e0
- Comparator
- no-straw controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“rice”
e0“straw return significantly increased soil available Cd by 12.7% (95% CI: 8.0%–16.7%) and total Cd by 7.7% (95% CI: 3.5%–12.0%) relative to no-straw controls”
Claim · model-written summary
Straw return elevated soil organic matter by 12.3%.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Treatment
- straw returne0
- Outcome
- soil organic mattere0
- Direction
- elevatede0
- Value
- +12.3%e0
- Comparator
- no-straw controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“rice”
e0“straw return significantly increased soil available Cd by 12.7% (95% CI: 8.0%–16.7%) and total Cd by 7.7% (95% CI: 3.5%–12.0%) relative to no-straw controls, accompanied by elevated soil organic matter (+12.3%) and pH (+1.8%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Straw return elevated soil pH by 1.8%.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Treatment
- straw returne0
- Outcome
- pHe0
- Direction
- elevatede0
- Value
- +1.8%e0
- Comparator
- no-straw controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“rice”
e0“straw return significantly increased soil available Cd by 12.7% (95% CI: 8.0%–16.7%) and total Cd by 7.7% (95% CI: 3.5%–12.0%) relative to no-straw controls, accompanied by elevated soil organic matter (+12.3%) and pH (+1.8%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Acidic starting pH gave the strongest enhancement of available Cd, which weakened as pH rose.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Outcome
- available Cde0
- Direction
- strongest enhancemente0
- Qualifier
- pH < 6.5e0
- Setting
- acidic conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“rice”
e0“the strongest enhancement of available Cd occurring under acidic conditions (pH < 6.5) and weakening progressively as pH increased”
Claim · model-written summary
Rice straw increased available Cd by 20.0%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“rice”
e0“rice straw markedly increased both available Cd (+20.0%) and total Cd (+10.1%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Rice straw increased total Cd by 10.1%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“rice”
e0“rice straw markedly increased both available Cd (+20.0%) and total Cd (+10.1%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Wheat straw had negligible effects on soil Cd.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Treatment
- wheate0
- Outcome
- negligible effectse0
- Direction
- negligiblee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“rice”
e0“wheat and rapeseed straw showed negligible effects”
Claim · model-written summary
Rapeseed straw had negligible effects on soil Cd.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Treatment
- rapeseed strawe0
- Outcome
- negligible effectse0
- Direction
- negligiblee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“rice”
e0“wheat and rapeseed straw showed negligible effects”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil available Cd was positively correlated with grain Cd concentration.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Compound
- soil available Cde0
- Outcome
- Cd concentrations in graine0
- Direction
- positively correlatede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“rice”
e0“soil available Cd was positively correlated with Cd concentrations in grain ( p < 0.001)”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil available Cd was positively correlated with straw Cd concentration.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Compound
- soil available Cde0
- Outcome
- strawe0
- Direction
- positively correlatede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“rice”
e0“soil available Cd was positively correlated with Cd concentrations in grain ( p < 0.001), straw ( p < 0.01)”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil available Cd was positively correlated with root Cd concentration.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Compound
- soil available Cde0
- Outcome
- rootse0
- Direction
- positively correlatede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“rice”
e0“soil available Cd was positively correlated with Cd concentrations in grain ( p < 0.001), straw ( p < 0.01), and roots ( p < 0.001)”
Claim · model-written summary
Total Cd had no significant association with rice tissue Cd concentrations.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Outcome
- total Cde0
- Direction
- no significant associatione0
Not reportedSetting
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“rice”
e0“total Cd showed no significant association”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors call for site-specific straw management to limit Cd risk in rice production.
- Taxon
- riceOryza sativat0
- Outcome
- site-specific straw management strategiese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“rice”
e0“emphasizing the necessity of site-specific straw management strategies to ensure food safety and sustainable rice production”
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