Long-term straw return influenced ammonium ion retention at the soil aggregate scale in an Anthrosol with rice-wheat rotations in China

Soil aggregates are an important controlling factor for the physico-chemical and biological processes such as ammonium (NH4+) retention. Straw return to the field is increasingly recommended to promote soil carbon (C) sequestration and improve crop yields. However, the effects of straw return on NH4+ retention at soil aggregate level in agricultural soils have seldom been investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the influences of long-term straw return on NH4+ adsorption and fixation in microaggregates (