RESUMEN
A two-year (2009-2011) field experiment was conducted to study the effects of different tillage modes, straw-returning, and their interactions on the soil total organic carbon (TOC) and labile organic carbon (LOC) components (easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC)) at the soil depths of 0-7, 7-14, and 14-21 cm in a farmland with rice-wheat double cropping. In all treatments of straw-returning, the TOC and LOC contents in each soil layer were significantly higher than those without straw-returning. Under plowing tillage, the MBC content in 0-7 cm soil layer was significantly higher than that under rotary tillage, but the EOC content was in adverse. Rotary tillage made the TOC content in 7 - 14 cm soil layer being significantly higher, as compared with plowing tillage. The TOC, WSOC, and MBC contents in 14-21 cm soil layer under plowing tillage were significantly higher than those under rotary tillage. Plowing tillage combined with rice and wheat straws-returning made the soil TOC content being higher than the other treatments.