Diversified crop rotations and organic amendments as strategies for increasing soil carbon storage and stabilisation in UK arable systems
Adaptations in crop rotation with the inclusion of temporary grass-clover leys and organic amendments, have been promoted as effective ways to improve soil carbon (C) sequestration and mitigate climate change in agricultural systems. However, there are still a lot of uncertainties related to i) the...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-04-01
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Series: | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
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Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1113026/full |
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author | Caio F. Zani David A. C. Manning Geoffrey D. Abbott James A. Taylor Julia Cooper Julia Cooper Elisa Lopez-Capel |
author_facet | Caio F. Zani David A. C. Manning Geoffrey D. Abbott James A. Taylor Julia Cooper Julia Cooper Elisa Lopez-Capel |
author_sort | Caio F. Zani |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Adaptations in crop rotation with the inclusion of temporary grass-clover leys and organic amendments, have been promoted as effective ways to improve soil carbon (C) sequestration and mitigate climate change in agricultural systems. However, there are still a lot of uncertainties related to i) the combined effects of different crop rotations and different fertilisation sources, e.g., organic amendments, on soil C stocks; and ii) their potential effect on C stabilisation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different arable crop rotations with varying degrees of diversity in crop type and lengths of grass-clover ley periods and fertilisation sources on soil C stocks and C stabilisation down to 0.60 m soil depth. This was investigated in a long-term factorial field experiment-combining different crop rotation (cereal-intensive conventional vs. diversified legume-intensive organic) with different lengths of grass-clover ley periods (2 vs. 3 years), fertilisation sources (mineral vs. compost), and years (samples taken at the beginning and at the last year of one complete cycle of rotation; 8 years apart)-to explore their individual and interactive effect on soil C stock and C stabilisation at two soil depths (0–0.30 and 0.30–0.60 m). Soil C stabilisation was assessed using a unique combination of three different techniques: physical fractionation for separation of C associated to organic and mineral fractions, thermal analysis combined with differential scanning calorimetry and a quadrupole mass spectrometry (TG-DSC-QMS) for physical-chemical aspects, and pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) for molecular structural information. The findings showed higher soil C stocks under the diversified organic rotation with 3 years of grass-clover ley period at both soil depths, regardless of the fertilisation source or sampling year. However, the organic rotation seemed to deliver stable soil C stocks only in the subsoil layer. Compost fertilisation, in turn, increased topsoil C stocks between the two sample dates under both rotations, and it appears to be stable. These results suggested that combining a diversified organic rotation with 3 years grass-clover ley with compost fertilisation could be one way for agricultural systems to deliver stable soil C sequestration. |
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language | English |
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spelling | doaj.art-eeceab4170944613a93fbc6c11cb9c132023-04-17T04:52:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2023-04-011110.3389/fenvs.2023.11130261113026Diversified crop rotations and organic amendments as strategies for increasing soil carbon storage and stabilisation in UK arable systemsCaio F. Zani0David A. C. Manning1Geoffrey D. Abbott2James A. Taylor3Julia Cooper4Julia Cooper5Elisa Lopez-Capel6School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomSchool of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomSchool of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomITAP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, FranceSchool of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomOrganic Research Centre, Trent Lodge, United KingdomSchool of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomAdaptations in crop rotation with the inclusion of temporary grass-clover leys and organic amendments, have been promoted as effective ways to improve soil carbon (C) sequestration and mitigate climate change in agricultural systems. However, there are still a lot of uncertainties related to i) the combined effects of different crop rotations and different fertilisation sources, e.g., organic amendments, on soil C stocks; and ii) their potential effect on C stabilisation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different arable crop rotations with varying degrees of diversity in crop type and lengths of grass-clover ley periods and fertilisation sources on soil C stocks and C stabilisation down to 0.60 m soil depth. This was investigated in a long-term factorial field experiment-combining different crop rotation (cereal-intensive conventional vs. diversified legume-intensive organic) with different lengths of grass-clover ley periods (2 vs. 3 years), fertilisation sources (mineral vs. compost), and years (samples taken at the beginning and at the last year of one complete cycle of rotation; 8 years apart)-to explore their individual and interactive effect on soil C stock and C stabilisation at two soil depths (0–0.30 and 0.30–0.60 m). Soil C stabilisation was assessed using a unique combination of three different techniques: physical fractionation for separation of C associated to organic and mineral fractions, thermal analysis combined with differential scanning calorimetry and a quadrupole mass spectrometry (TG-DSC-QMS) for physical-chemical aspects, and pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) for molecular structural information. The findings showed higher soil C stocks under the diversified organic rotation with 3 years of grass-clover ley period at both soil depths, regardless of the fertilisation source or sampling year. However, the organic rotation seemed to deliver stable soil C stocks only in the subsoil layer. Compost fertilisation, in turn, increased topsoil C stocks between the two sample dates under both rotations, and it appears to be stable. These results suggested that combining a diversified organic rotation with 3 years grass-clover ley with compost fertilisation could be one way for agricultural systems to deliver stable soil C sequestration.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1113026/fullcarbon persistencecarbon stockscrop rotationfertilisation sourcesinteractionsmanagement practices |
spellingShingle | Caio F. Zani David A. C. Manning Geoffrey D. Abbott James A. Taylor Julia Cooper Julia Cooper Elisa Lopez-Capel Diversified crop rotations and organic amendments as strategies for increasing soil carbon storage and stabilisation in UK arable systems Frontiers in Environmental Science carbon persistence carbon stocks crop rotation fertilisation sources interactions management practices |
title | Diversified crop rotations and organic amendments as strategies for increasing soil carbon storage and stabilisation in UK arable systems |
title_full | Diversified crop rotations and organic amendments as strategies for increasing soil carbon storage and stabilisation in UK arable systems |
title_fullStr | Diversified crop rotations and organic amendments as strategies for increasing soil carbon storage and stabilisation in UK arable systems |
title_full_unstemmed | Diversified crop rotations and organic amendments as strategies for increasing soil carbon storage and stabilisation in UK arable systems |
title_short | Diversified crop rotations and organic amendments as strategies for increasing soil carbon storage and stabilisation in UK arable systems |
title_sort | diversified crop rotations and organic amendments as strategies for increasing soil carbon storage and stabilisation in uk arable systems |
topic | carbon persistence carbon stocks crop rotation fertilisation sources interactions management practices |
url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1113026/full |
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