IN our experiment, the amount
of straw returned to each ditch was ten times that in the same
land area under conventional straw return methods (Zhu and Bian,
2010). Thus, the concentrated straw layer has a large specific surface
area, which contributes to its ability to adsorb a large quantity
of N leached from the plough horizon. Electrostatic forces may contribute
to the ability of straw to adsorb N.