Open AccessRelative contribution of maize and external manure amendment to soil carbon sequestration in a long-term intensive maize cropping system
Author(s) -
Wenju Zhang,
Kailou Liu,
Jinzhou Wang,
Xingfang Shao,
Minggang Xu,
Jianwei Li,
Xiujun Wang,
Daniel V. Murphy
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
scientific reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.24
H-Index - 213
ISSN - 2045-2322
DOI - 10.1038/srep10791
Subject(s) - manure , carbon sequestration , soil carbon , amendment , agronomy , environmental science , fertilizer , soil organic matter , green manure , crop residue , cropping , total organic carbon , soil water , chemistry , agriculture , carbon dioxide , soil science , biology , environmental chemistry , ecology , political science , law
We aimed to quantify the relative contributions of plant residue and organic manure to soil carbon sequestration. Using a 27-year-long inorganic fertilizer and manure amendment experiment in a maize ( Zea mays L.) double-cropping system, we quantified changes in harvestable maize biomass and soil organic carbon stocks (0–20 cm depth) between 1986-2012. By employing natural 13 C tracing techniques, we derived the proportional contributions of below-ground crop biomass return (maize-derived carbon) and external manure amendment (manure-derived carbon) to the total soil organic carbon stock. The average retention of maize-derived carbon plus manure-derived carbon during the early period of the trial (up to 11 years) was relatively high (10%) compared to the later period (22 to 27 years, 5.1–6.3%). About 11% of maize-derived carbon was converted to soil organic carbon, which was double the retention of manure-derived carbon (4.4–5.1%). This result emphasized that organic amendments were necessary to a win-win strategy for both SOC sequestration and maize production.