Effects of Different Intertillage Practices on Soil Biochemical Properties and Soybean Yield in Soybean Fields

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear authors,

I have provided some highlights here along with more detailed comments in the attached file.

You have conducted a substantial amount of work; however, its importance is undervalued by the current presentation and improper use of English language.

One question arises from the introduction of the study: is the intertillage practice you used considered a conservation agriculture practice? Conservation systems, such as minimum tillage and no-tillage, typically include non-inversion tillage practices and involve planting crops with minimal or no soil disturbance, leaving at least 30% mulch cover. However, in your study, at least three different tillage practices, one deep loosening, one medium soil cultivation and one large soil cultivation were employed during soybean cultivation. Do this number of tillage practices comply with the principles of conservation agriculture? (based on literature)

You have described the results in more detail than necessary. Consider using a Supplementary Material file to include results of minor importance and focus on presenting in concise only the most relevant findings that align with the objectives of the study.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The article must be thoroughly reviewed to improve the use of English, ensuring it is clearer and more comprehensive.

Author Response

1. Line 49: I am confused with the term “deep pine, what do you mean? even I saw the explanation in lines 50-51 I did not understand it, and I tried to find the article, but I could not.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Deep-loosening soil ‌ refers to a tillage technology ‌ by tractor pulling deep-loosening machine, loose soil, break the plow bottom, improve the structure of the plough layer, and enhance the ability of soil water retention, drought resistance and flood drainage.

2. Lines 62-63: “…there is a significant correlation between soil physicochemical and biological properties…” Needs reference.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. References have been filled in.

3. Lines 63-64: “however, the effects of time and depth of intertillage on the soil chemical and microbial traits of soybean fields still need to be explored in depth”. This also needs a reference since you imply that there is research dealing with the subject, but not enough.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. References have been filled in.

4. It is a short introduction, presenting some up-to-date literature on the specific subject, i.e how intertillage affects soil characteristics, but not on conservation tillage (if this is the subject). From the reference you mention, No 3 is not relevant, and No4 is in Chinese, cannot be read it. Also, in lines 43-44 it is not clearly mentioned if intertillage is considered a conservation tillage method (e.g. reduced tillage method?), or just a tillage method improving the soil- micro-environment.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. References 3 and 4 have been revised as follow.

• Bach E M, Williams R J, Hargreaves S K, et al. Greatest soil microbial diversity found in micro-habitats[J]. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2018, 118: 217-226.
• Pn A, Aj B, Mtc A, et al. Beyond microbial diversity for predicting soil functions: A mini review[J]. Pedosphere, 2020, 30(1): 5-17.

5. Line 79: “annual average temperature of 1.8°C” Is this correct? As I understand from Fig.1 you need to correct the number

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The average annual temperature has been revised to 13℃.

6. Line 80: “ranging from 2300°C to 2450°C” Also here, you need to correct.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. We have been revised to “an annual effective cumulative temperature ranging from 1100°C to 1300°C”.

7. Line 88: What is AN, AP, AK? You need to have a note under the table to explain the parameters used.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The table has been modified as follows.

Year	pH (g·kg-1)	Alkaline nitrogen （mg·kg-1）	Available phosphorus（mg·kg-1）	Available Potassium（mg·kg-1）	Soil Organic Matter（g·kg-1）	Soil bulk density （g·cm-3）
2020	6.30	141.80	30.60	180.00	31.94	1.26
2021	6.26	137.92	22.54	174.00	28.51	1.34

8.Line 89” the subsection “2.2 Test materials” needs to be more comprehensive. It is written without coherence ( i.e., short and abrupt sentences).

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The subsection “2.2 Test materials” has been modified as follows.

The test variety of this experiment was the local main cultivar Heihe 43. Heihe 43 has sub-limited podding habit, planted in the adaptation area (effective cumulative temperature above 2200℃), seedling emergence to maturity fertility days of about 115d.

The tested fertilizer components in this experiment were urea (nitrogen content ≥46%), diammonium phosphate (nitrogen content ≥18%, P₂O₅≥46%), potassium sulfate (K₂O≥50%).

9. Line 91: correct the degree of Celsius to 22°C

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Has been modified to 22°C.

10. Line 97: What is “and jade- bean rotation planting”? you should describe or explain some words that a reader may not be familiar with.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Has been modified to “corn-soybean rotation”.

11. Lines 110: “…V2-V3 stage…” Since it is the first mention of growth stages of the plant you should explain in brief what “V” means and what is V2; e.g vegetative (V) stage of growth, while V2 stage begins when the second trifoliate leaf is fully expanded.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Has been modified to①conventional intertillage (T1), one small soil cultivation was carried out in the soybean growth to V2-V3 stage (the stage of full development from the second segment to the third segment), one medium soil cultivation was carried out in the V4-V5 stage (the stage of full development from the fourth to the fifth compound leaf), and one large soil cultivation was carried out in the V6-V7 stage (The stage of full development from the sixth to the seventh compound leaf).

12. Lines 113-115: “③conventional subsoiling (T3), 1 time deep loosening (depth of 25%) in the period of soybean growth up to V2-V3 period. (T3), in the period of soybean growth to V2- V3, 1 deep loosening (depth of 25-30 cm)…” I think there is a repetition here!

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Has been modified to③conventional subsoiling (T3), 1 time deep loosening (depth of 25%) in the period of soy-bean growth up to V2-V3 period. 1 deep loosening (depth of 25-30 cm), in the period of V4-V5, 1 deep loosening (depth of 30-35 cm) and 1 medium soil cultivation, and in the pe-riod of V6-V7, 1 large soil cultivation.

13. Lines 118-120: “…④early subsoiling (T4), in the period of 4-5 d after soybean sowing, 1 deep loosening was carried out. In T4, one deep loosening (depth of 25-30 cm) was carried out 4-5 d after soybean sowing…” Is there also a repetition?

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Has been modified to④early subsoiling (T4), one deep loosening (depth of 25-30 cm) was carried out 4-5 d af-ter soybean sowing, one deep loosening (depth of 30-35 cm) and one medium soil cultiva-tion were carried out in V4-V5, and one large soil cultivation was carried out in V6-V7.

14. Line 147: The same comment as in line 110; what is the V5-R8 period? e.g Reproductive (R) stage of growth.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Has been modified to R8 phase (soybean ripening period).

15. Line 154: Is the the reference No 11 written properly; “HJ 962-2018.” The same for reference 12, 13 and 14.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The references have been revised as follow.

Carter, M.R., 2007. Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis. CRC Press, Florida.

16. Line 178-179: “…the original image data files obtained by high throughput sequencing were analyzed by Base Calling Analysis (BCA). The original image data file obtained from high throughput sequencing was analyzed by Base Calling…” Again is there a repetition?

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The raw image data files and the original image data files obtained from the high throughput sequencing were analyzed by Base Calling Analysis (BCA). However, the text has been deleted because it is a little longer and may not be mentioned.

17. Line 167: The sub-section 2.4.2 is too detailed and difficult for someone who is not familiar with such analysis to follow. Could it be shorter and simpler? The terminology is unknown.

What is OTUs, ASVs etc. In a Supplementary material more information could be given.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The text has been simplified to make it easier to read.

18. Line 213: “…and with the same time of intertillage under the same Under the condition of the…”. Clarify the meaning of the sentence; it is confusing.

General comments:

Regarding Section 2.3.1, the description needs to be more clearly written. For example, terms like "medium" and "large soil cultivation" should be defined. The use of specific terminology must be explained to ensure clarity and understanding.

Overall, the use of English should be improved to make the M&M section more

comprehensive and easier to understand.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Has been modified to “The results of 2021 were in line with those of 2020, and under the condition of the same intertillage time, the soil pH of T4 and T5 treatments were both significantly higher than that of T2 treatment (P＜0.05)”.

Regarding Section 2.3.1, the description needs to be more clearly written. For example, terms like "medium" and "large soil cultivation" should be defined. This is described in the table notes in Tables 2 and 3.

19. Line 244-252: the meaning is not clear and understandable. English needs improvement.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts. The CEC and EC indicators have been removed on the advice of other experts. The goal of improvement is to increase soil nutrient content, improve soil microbial community and increase soybean yield. Therefore, the CEC and EC are deleted. We will also pay more attention to the changes of soil chemical indexes in future studies.

20. Line 253-254: “The main reasons for the increase in soil cations were the center tillage at 4-5 d after sowing and the deep loosening at the V2-V3 period.” Where is this conclusion based on? Also, which is the center tillage?

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts. The CEC and EC indicators have been removed on the advice of other experts. The goal of improvement is to increase soil nutrient content, improve soil microbial community and increase soybean yield. Therefore, the CEC and EC are deleted. We will also pay more attention to the changes of soil chemical indexes in future studies.

21. Lines 288-289: “..and there was no significant difference in the organic carbon content of the T1, T2, and T3 treatments…” Is this correct, according to Fig.5? or you mean Fig.6. Therefore you need to include the number of the figure when you refer to specific results!

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts. For Figure 3, the overall picture for 2020 and 2021.

22. Lines 515-517: “…while the Shannon and Simpson indices of the T3 treatment were significantly lower than those of the T1, T2 and T4 treatments, indicating that early deep polishing increased the abundance of soil microorganisms, and promoted the soil bacterial and fungal community evolution.” How do you explain that in T3 treatment the Shannon and Simpson indices of the T3 treatment were significantly lower?

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts. Derived from the data in Table 5.

23. Lines 534-536: “…indicating that advancing the time of intertillage could increase the community differences of soil microorganisms and decrease the similarity of soil microbial abundance.” Is this conclusion aligned with the objectives of the study?

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Modify as “The soil microbial richness was increased.”

24. Line 555: “From the data of soybean yield, it can be seen that the yield in 2020 was higher than that in 2021…” Why is this happening? Only due to weather conditions? Are all other production parameters the same?

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Due to weather, production in 2020 is higher than in 2021. As for the specific reasons, the specific mechanism will be deeply explored in the future research.

25. Line 628: “(alkali-dissolved nitrogen, quick-acting phosphorus, quick-acting potassium, are the nutrients that can be directly absorbed by the crop in the current season…). I think you know that N, P, K are absorbed from the roots in specific forms, thus you could give the information instead of the generic alcali-dissolved N, etc.The English needs to be improved to enhance clarity and understanding of the section. There are repetitions of phrases, sentences without clear meaning.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions.Meanwhile, after fertilizers are applied to the soil, various available nutrients (alkali-dissolved nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, etc.) are the nutrients that can be directly absorbed by the crop in the current season.

26. The generality of your statement that the specific intertillage practice, when adopted early, could result in high soybean yield cannot be justified based solely on a two-year experiment. You may improve the general statement into more specific one.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. We have revised our conclusions as follow.

Comparing different intertillage measures, the early subsoiling treatments (T4, T5, T6) had excellent soil chemical properties, high species diversity and richness, and higher soybean yields than the soil cultivation treatments (T1, T2) and the conventional subsoil-ing treatment (T3). Among the early subsoiling treatments (T4, T5, T6), the T4 treatment adopted subsoiling and intertillage in the period V4-V5 combined mode, which had the optimal soil chemical properties, high species diversity and richness and the highest yield in two consecutive years, and the improvement effect of T5 treatment was better than that of T6 treatment.

Therefore, the intertillage measures of one deep loosening and one medium soil cul-tivation in the V4-V5 period, and one large soil cultivation in the V6-V7 period can be adopted on the basis of early deep loosening 4-5 d after soybean sowing in order to realize the goal of high soybean yield.

27. One question arises from the introduction of the study: is the intertillage practice you used considered a conservation agriculture practice? Conservation systems, such as minimum tillage and no-tillage, typically include non-inversion tillage practices and involve planting crops with minimal or no soil disturbance, leaving at least 30% mulch cover. However, in your study, at least three different tillage practices, one deep loosening, one medium soil cultivation and one large soil cultivation were employed during soybean cultivation. Do this number of tillage practices comply with the principles of conservation agriculture? (based on literature).

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts. By definition, intercropping practices themselves are not directly equivalent to conservation agriculture practices, but intercropping can indirectly contribute to sustainable agricultural development by reducing soil erosion and erosion by optimizing the use of resources such as land, water, nutrients and light, which is consistent with the goals of conservation agriculture. Therefore, intercropping practices can be considered a conservation agriculture practice if they can be combined with other conservation agriculture practices (such as straw mulching, no-till or low-till).

One deep loosening: Subsoiling is one of the main techniques of conservation tillage, which can improve the water storage capacity and aeration of soil by loosening the soil without turning it over, which is conducive to crop growth. Therefore, the subsoiling method is in line with the principles of conservation agriculture.

Medium soil cultivation: Tilling is the practice of loosening the topsoil during crop growth. It breaks down clumps, increases water permeability, improves soil aeration, and removes weeds. Ploughing at an appropriate time is beneficial to the growth and development of crops and has less damage to soil structure. Therefore, ploughing can also be considered as a conservation tillage measure.

Large soil cultivation: Traditional tillage methods such as tilting and ridge tillage, although they can create a certain depth of loose soil layer, which is conducive to crop root activities and absorption of water and fertilizer, may also lead to soil organic matter content decrease, soil compaction increase, and soil erosion and other problems. Therefore, these farming methods do not fully conform to the principles of conservation agriculture. However, if measures such as straw mulching and crop rotation can be combined in practical operation to reduce soil damage and erosion, then these farming methods can also be closer to conservation agriculture to a certain extent.

Thanks to the recommendations of the experts, further research will be carried out on conservation farming in the future.

28.You have described the results in more detail than necessary. Consider using a Supplementary Material file to include results of minor importance and focus on presenting in concise only the most relevant findings that align with the objectives of the study.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The results have been reduced and simplified.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In Table 1 indicate the meaning of the abbreviations (AN, AP, AN, SOM).

Write references 11, 12, 13, and 15 of the documents, in addition to the links to the websites.

The work involves measuring many variables, such as the soil's physicochemical characteristics. The information in the introduction is not enough to understand why the authors decided to measure those particular characteristics. The introduction could be further detailed by adding the appropriate references.

Present the results of soil conductivity and cation exchange in both years (Figures 3 and 4).

The detection of microorganisms in the soil in the different tillage treatments had a great weight in their work, I think they should include this aspect in their conclusions to recommend tillage treatments.

 

 

Author Response

1. In Table 1 indicate the meaning of the abbreviations (AN, AP, AN, SOM).

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The table has been modified as follows.

Year	pH (g·kg-1)	Alkaline nitrogen （mg·kg-1）	Available phosphorus（mg·kg-1）	Available Potassium（mg·kg-1）	Soil Organic Matter（g·kg-1）	Soil bulk density （g·cm-3）
2020	6.30	141.80	30.60	180.00	31.94	1.26
2021	6.26	137.92	22.54	174.00	28.51	1.34

2.Write references 11, 12, 13, and 15 of the documents, in addition to the links to the websites.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The reference 11, 12 and 13 had been modified to Carter, M.R., 2007. Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis. CRC Press, Florida. The harvested kernels were taken to determine soybean protein content using GB/T 24870-2010 "Grain and Oil Test soybean crude protein, crude fat content determination by near infrared method".

3.The work involves measuring many variables, such as the soil's physicochemical characteristics. The information in the introduction is not enough to understand why the authors decided to measure those particular characteristics. The introduction could be further detailed by adding the appropriate references.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The reasons for the determination of soil chemistry have been further detailed by adding appropriate references. Appropriate soil physical and chemical properties are the necessary conditions for soybean high yield, which are closely related to soil chemical properties (pH, nutrient content, etc.) and biological activities.

4.Present the results of soil conductivity and cation exchange in both years (Figures 3 and 4).

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The goal of improvement is to increase soil nutrient content, improve soil microbial community and increase soybean yield. Therefore, the CEC and EC are deleted. We will also pay more attention to the changes of soil chemical indexes in future studies.

5.The detection of microorganisms in the soil in the different tillage treatments had a great weight in their work, I think they should include this aspect in their conclusions to recommend tillage treatments.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Recommended farming practices from a microbial perspective have been included. As follows:

Comparing different intertillage measures, the two-year results showed that the early subsoiling treatments (T4, T5, T6) had excellent soil chemical properties, high species diversity and richness, and higher soybean yields than the soil cultivation treatments (T1, T2) and the conventional subsoiling treatment (T3). Among the early subsoiling treatments (T4, T5, T6), the T4 treatment adopted subsoiling and intertillage in the period V4-V5 combined mode, which had the optimal soil chemical properties, high species diversity and richness and the highest yield in two consecutive years, and the improvement effect of T5 treatment was better than that of T6 treatment.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript addresses important and current issues, with relevant results. However, there are some points that need to be improved. Among them, the fact that much of the argument is based on improving the physical and hydraulic properties of the soil (introduction and discussion), and these variables were not evaluated. The other points are presented in the attached file.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

1. Lines 32-74: What is the research hypothesis? The hypothesis must be presented

before the objective.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Research hypothesis: Tillage measures can improve soil chemistry, increase soil microbial diversity, and increase soybean yield and quality. Based on this hypothesis, this study aimed at the problems such as low soil temperature, poor soil moisture retention and slow increase of soybean yield due to the long-term use of traditional tillage measures in the main soybean producing areas of Heilongjiang Province.

2. Lines 72-74: From what I understood throughout the introduction section, the

objective of this research is to evaluate the effects of different soil management

practices on the soil microbial community and soybean yield. It is not about

providing a theoretical basis on the subject. The objective needs to be reformulated.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The research objective has been modified to achieve the effect of increasing soybean production and improving soil.

3. Line 88 (Table 1): replace g/kg, mg/kg and g/cm³ with g kg^-1 , mg kg^-1 and g cm^-3 , respectively.

o Was the experiment conducted in the same location for both years? If so,

the bulk density values in particular need to be presented separately by

treatment, since the soil preparation was different.

o If the experiment was conducted in the same location for both years, what

changed the bulk density?

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The table has been modified as follows.

Year	pH (g·kg-1)	Alkaline nitrogen （mg·kg-1）	Available phosphorus（mg·kg-1）	Available Potassium（mg·kg-1）	Soil Organic Matter（g·kg-1）	Soil bulk density （g·cm-3）
2020	6.30	141.80	30.60	180.00	31.94	1.26
2021	6.26	137.92	22.54	174.00	28.51	1.34

The experiment was carried out in the same place. The combined effect of tillage time and depth had an effect on soil bulk density.

4.Lines 96-98: present the scientific name of the crops.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The jade-bean rotation has been changed to corn-soybean rotation.

5.Lines 109-114: avoid the terms “small, medium and large”. These are very relative definitions.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts. The meaning of "small, medium and large" has been mentioned in the notes in Table 2 to distinguish the soil preparation methods in this study. It will also avoid the terms "small, medium and large" in future trials.

6.Lines 147-152: The sentence is written in the future tense, for example, “will take fresh soil samples”. Check this.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Changed "will take fresh soil samples" to "token fresh soil samples".

7.Line 206: In the Results section, there is no need to discuss the differences between all the treatments. It needs to be more succinct, presenting only the main results, the biggest differences. The way it is written, it is just repeating the information from the figures and tables.

o It is very confusing to call the treatments in the text as “T1, T2 ... T6”.

This makes it difficult to understand. The text could be called as described

in the Material and Methods section (T1: conventional intertillage; T2:

early intertillage; T3: conventional subsoiling ...).

o Throughout the text, review the way in which the units of measurement

are presented. You should not use /. For example: g/kg should be written

as g kg^-1 .

o In figures 2 to 10, present the meaning of the statistical letters, the mean

test and the probability used.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. We have replaced g/kg with g kg^-1. We have used the mean test and the probability. The results have been partially simplified and partially deleted

8.Line 224: Figures must be self-explanatory. You need to add captions for what T1, T2, T3, and T6 mean. The title of the figure must give an idea of what was tested; the way it is presented is incomplete. This applies to all figures and tables in the manuscript.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. We have added captions for what T1, T2, T3, and T6 mean. All relevant contents of the article have been revised.

9. Lines 242 (Figure 3): on the Y-axis, replace mS/m with mS m^-1.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. We have replaced mS/m with mS m^-1. Other diagrams were also modified.

10.Lines 253-255: this is discussion.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. A few sentences have been deleted.

11.Lines 257 (Figure 4): on the Y-axis, replace cmol/kg with cmol kg^-1.

o Are the data presented in this Figure from 2021?

o Could you combine Figures 4, 5 and 6, presenting them as Figures 4A, 4B

and 4C.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. We have replaced cmol/kg with cmol kg^-1. Since Figures 5 and 6 describe the organic carbon content in 2020 and 2021, respectively, Figures 5 and 6 have been combined. But Figure 4 depicts CEC, which fails to assemble together

12. Lines 297, 300, 312 and 356 (Figure 5, 6, 7 and 8): on the Y axis, replace g/kg

with g kg^-1.

o Define what T1, T2, T3 ... T6 mean.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. We have replaced g/kg with g kg^-1. And we have defined the mean of T1, T2, T3.

13. Line 387: on the Y axis, replace mg/kg with mg kg^-1.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. We have replaced mg/kg with mg kg^-1. Other diagrams were also modified.

14. Lines 207-401: the presentation of the results is very confusing. Difficult to understand. It needs to be written in a clearer and more concise way. As per recommendations for the Results section.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Some of the content has been simplified.

15. Line 420: on the X axis, identify the acronyms used.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Abbreviations have been marked in the diagram notes.

16. Lines 519, 520 and 566: present the meanings of the acronyms in the title or footnote of the Tables; present the meaning of the statistical letters, the test used and the probability in the footnote of the Tables.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The meaning of abbreviations in table titles or footnotes has been given. The meaning of the statistical letters, the tests used and the probabilities are listed in footnotes to the table. Such as “Note: The data in the table are mean ± standard deviation; Different lowercase letters in the same column indicated significant difference between treatments (P<0.05).”

17. Lines 599-603: why this behavior?

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts. Through the reference to know.

Long-term heavy use of chemical fertilizers, especially acid fertilizers, can lead to soil acidification. The strong acid and weak alkali salt components of chemical fertilizer accumulate in the soil, and gradually reduce the pH value of the soil.

The long-term use of single farming methods and traditional intercropping methods may make the salt in the soil can not be effectively removed or washed, resulting in the accumulation of salt in the soil. The accumulation of salt increases the conductivity of the soil.

Monoculture can damage soil structure, making it easier for salt in the soil to move with water and accumulate in the surface of the soil.

18. Lines 639-642: clay content and soil aggregation were not evaluated. Therefore, it is not possible to state that the treatments influenced these variables.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The relevant clay content and soil aggregation have been deleted.

19. Lines 645-671: In this paragraph, it is understood that the difference in soil fertility at different stages of soybean development is due to the absorption of nutrients by the plant. However, the plant's nutrition and nutrient content were not evaluated, so it is not possible to make this statement. Many nutrients are very dynamic in the soil, such as nitrogen, for example; an increase or decrease in soil does not necessarily mean that it was absorbed by the plant.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Many nutrients are very dynamic in the soil, such as nitrogen, for example; an increase or decrease in soil does not necessarily mean that it was absorbed by the plant. The relevant expression has been deleted.

20. Lines 672-749: Much of this topic is repeating the results. It was not explained

how the different management methods influenced the soil microbial population.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. This section has been simplified, the description of the results has been removed, and the results have been fully discussed.

21. Lines 770-774: Was a correlation analysis performed?

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts. No correlation analysis was done, and it was learned from the references. This paragraph has been removed on the advice of another expert.

22. It seems that only T5 and T6 were implemented in 2021. However, these are being added to the system in 2021. Am I wrong? If we agree, let's write it more clearly.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. This is explained in detail in Section “2.3.2. Design of the 2021 trial”. As follows.

Based on the analysis of the results of the 2020 experiment, it was found that adjusting the time and depth of intertillage could improve the soil temperature and humidity and nutrient conditions, and promote the growth and development of soybeans. Therefore, in order to ensure the rigor of the experiment and to further explore the differences between deep loosening and cultivation, as well as the response of the soil basic structure to the time and depth of intertillage, the design of 2021 was supplemented with six intertillage treatments based on the design of 2020. refinement and validation of the experimental findings, as detailed in Table 3.

23. in soybean fields --- Is it necessary?

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions.

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article is the product of a very comprehensive and labor-intensive study. The results are understandable, consistent and will guide the application. The study is also extremely successful in terms of the Gödel presentation and writing of the results. A small issue, the summary section can be made more understandable. I confused which process was applied in which year. Soil microbiology is outside my expertise. It would be unethical for me to express my opinion in this area. You can find some opinions and suggestions on the article. The article is attached.

 

However, the study could have been more effective and successful within the framework of the following issues. At least I wanted to share it to shed light on your future studies.

- Your study is too long, making it difficult to understand.

- It could have been sufficient in basic properties related to soil (sometimes the simple one is more effective)

- Adding processes between years creates a bit of confusion. (Wouldn't it be more difficult to explain the basic effect since the climatic effect is a factor with the years?).

- Only yield and protein could have been sufficient for soybeans. You could have considered removing detailed properties (in order to shorten the article).

However, these are just recommendations. As I said, I can say that the article is successful in its current form. The writing is also very successful. Although my native language is not English, I had no difficulty in understanding it.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

1. Your study is too long, making it difficult to understand.

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The relevant content has been simplified.

2. It could have been sufficient in basic properties related to soil (sometimes the simple one is more effective)

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. The basic properties of soil have been simplified. Some of the content has been simplified.

3. Adding processes between years creates a bit of confusion. (Wouldn't it be more difficult to explain the basic effect since the climatic effect is a factor with the years?).

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. It was more difficult to explain the basic effect since the climatic effect is a factor with the years.

4. Only yield and protein could have been sufficient for soybeans. You could have considered removing detailed properties (in order to shorten the article).

Recover：Thank you for the suggestions pointed out by the review experts, and we agree with the experts' modification suggestions. Detailed attributes about soybeans have been removed, keeping only soybean yield and protein. And modify the content of the article.