Farmer crop choice impacts soil chemical and physical properties in the major agricultural districts of the Yellow River Basin

Natural processes and human activity determine soil chemical and physical properties. Little information is available on the effects of farmer crop choice on soil chemical and physical properties in the Hetao Plain (HPYR) and floodplain of the Yellow River (FPYR), two primary agricultural regions of the Yellow River. Interviews were conducted to examine the land-use decisions of farmers, specifically their choice of cultivation crops. The soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), pH, and aggregate characteristics of the soil were evaluated for different management strategies, including crop rotation, irrigation, fertilization, and tillage treatments to identify their critical roles in sustainable agriculture. Farmer crop choice significantly affected SOM, TN, and pH via crop rotation. The FPYR soil exhibited superior SOM retention, particularly in winter wheat–corn/peanut rotations with loamy sand (peak 28 g/kg), which significantly outperformed winter wheat–corn–peanut systems by 5.1% (p < 0.05). Marked differences in chemical properties were observed between the two sections. The SOM, TN, and pH were 20.53–29.67 g/kg, 0.54–2.24 g/kg, and 7.16–8.49, respectively, in the HPYR with a nitrogen surplus, but 0.67–24.96 g/kg, 0.05–1.91 g/kg, and 7.73–9.21 in the FPYR with a deficient SOM. The coefficient of variation of SOM in the HPYR (52.23%) was significantly higher ( p  < 0.05) than that in the FPYR (7.93%), primarily owing to soil texture and climate. Considering farmer crop choice, and fertilization should be conducted, and managing the cropping system and irrigation effects on soil nutrients.