Mayer, Marius; Leifeld, Jens; Szidat, Sönke; Mäder, Paul; Krause, Hans-Martin and Steffens, Markus (2023) Dynamic stability of mineral-associated organic matter: enhanced stability and turnover through organic fertilization in a temperate agricultural topsoil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 184, pp. 1-10.
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Document available online at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071723001578
Summary in the original language of the document
Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a vital role for soil quality, sustainable food production and climate change mitigation. It is common knowledge that SOM consists of different pools with varying qualities, quantities, and turnover times. However, it is still poorly understood how mineral and organic fertilization affects the formation and stabilization of mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) and how long it can remain there. Here, we report on the long-term effects of different farming systems on the stability and turnover of the fine silt and clay-sized MAOM fraction (<6.3 μm) of a Haplic Luvisol (0–20 cm) in the DOK long-term trial (Switzerland). We compared three farming systems with contrasting fertilization (CONMIN = pure mineral, CONFYM = mineral + organic, BIODYN = pure organic) with an unfertilized control (NOFERT) between 1982 and 2017. We performed specific surface area (SSA) measurements on fractionated MAOM samples (<6.3 μm) from 1982 to 2017, before and after removal of OM, measured the 14C activity of all samples during the entire period and estimated the mean residence time (MRT) with a model taking into account ‘bomb 14C’ and radioactive decay. We found constant MAOM-C contents under organic fertilization. Results of SSA analysis indicate best conditions for MAOM-C stabilization under organic fertilization and different sorption mechanisms in MAOM between farming systems with and without organic fertilization. The modelled MRTs were significantly higher in NOFERT (238 ± 40 yrs) and CONMIN (195 ± 27 yrs), compared to CONFYM (138 ± 18 yrs) and BIODYN (140 ± 19 yrs), implying a high C turnover (i.e. more active MAOM) at high C contents under organic fertilization. Our findings show that MAOM is not the dead OM but corroborates the concept of ‘dynamic stability’. Continuous OM inputs from organic fertilizers and their rapid and constant turnover are needed to stabilize the “stable” MAOM-C fraction.
EPrint Type: | Journal paper |
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Keywords: | Mean residence time, Specific surface area, Mineral-associated organic matter, Long-term trial, Farming system comparison, Fertilization, Abacus, FiBL10125, DynaCarb |
Agrovoc keywords: | Language Value URI English long-term experiments http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4f8733aa English soil organic matter http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_35657 English fertilisers -> fertilizers http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2867 English farming systems http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_2807 |
Subjects: | Soil > Soil quality Crop husbandry > Composting and manuring |
Research affiliation: | Switzerland > Agroscope > ART - Reckenholz location Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Crops > Field trials > Long-term experiments Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Soil > Soil fertility Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Crops > Field trials > Systems comparison Switzerland > University of Bern |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2023.109095 |
Related Links: | https://www.fibl.org/en/themes/projectdatabase/projectitem/project/1544 |
Deposited By: | Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau, FiBL |
ID Code: | 51705 |
Deposited On: | 27 Sep 2023 11:50 |
Last Modified: | 27 Sep 2023 11:51 |
Document Language: | English |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Peer-reviewed and accepted |
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