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Straw tissue quality influence the formation pathways of soil organic carbon via living microbes or microbial necromass in a Mollisols, Northeast China
Qilin Zhang, Xiujun Li, Guoshuang Chen, Nana Luo, Shufeng Zhang, Ezemaduka Anastasia Ngozi, Xinrui Lu
2026, 25 (4): 1647-1663.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.09.020
Abstract70)      PDF in ScienceDirect      

Soil organic carbon (SOC), representing the largest terrestrial organic carbon pool, significantly influences soil quality.  The incorporation of residues is widely recognized as a method to regulate SOC sequestration.  A 365-day incubation experiment was conducted to evaluate the contribution of straw-derived carbon (SDC) of varying quality to SOC fractions (free-floating particulate organic carbon (fPOC), occluded POC (oPOC) and mineral-associated OC (MAOC)), and examine the relationships between microorganisms and SOC fractions by incorporating 13C-labelled maize stem straw (ST), leave straw (LE), sheath straw (SH) (1%) in Chinese Mollisols.  Results indicated that compared to control (CK), ST, LE and SH treatments enhanced SOC, fPOC and MAOC by 4.8–19.5, 35.7–49.5 and 1.6–3.9%, respectively.  The SDC-SOC and MAOC content of LE were 29.1–38.1% and 17.5–44.5% higher than ST and SH, respectively.  The SDC-oPOC content of SH was 3.1% higher than LE.  The PLFA concentration decreased steadily throughout the incubation period, while necromass remained in-fluctuating until an obvious increasing trend observed at later stage.  Furthermore, structural equation model (SEM) revealed that lignin to nitrogen ratio (LigN) of ST exhibited negative association with SDC-fPOC, and bacterial diversity in SH showed negative correlation with LigN and positive correlation with SDC-oPOC, while demonstrating positive correlation between microbial necromass and SDC-MAOC in LE.  These findings indicated that POC dynamics correlated with straw chemical traits, while MAOC showed links to both microbial necromass traits and straw chemical characteristics.  These findings advance our understanding of how straw residue quality influences SOC turnover and stabilization through microbial community interactions, contributing to the development of policies to improve soil fertility, and promote the rational and efficient utilization of straw.

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Enhancing carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas mitigation in semiarid farmland: The promising role of biochar application with biodegradable film mulching
Jinwen Pang, Zhonghong Tian, Mengjie Zhang, Yuhao Wang, Tianxiang Qi, Qilin Zhang, Enke Liu, Weijun Zhang, Xiaolong Ren, Zhikuan Jia, Kadambot H. M. Siddique, Peng Zhang
2025, 24 (2): 517-526.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.12.011
Abstract262)      PDF in ScienceDirect      
Long-term mulching has improved crop yields and farmland productivity in semiarid areas, but it has also increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and depleted soil fertility.  Biochar application has emerged as a promising solution for addressing these issues.  In this study, we investigated the effects of four biochar application rates (no biochar (N)=0 t ha–1, low (L)=3 t ha–1, medium (M)=6 t ha–1, and high (H)=9 t ha–1) under film mulching and no mulching conditions over three growing seasons.  We assessed the impacts on GHG emissions, soil organic carbon sequestration (SOCS), and maize yield to evaluate the productivity and sustainability of farmland ecosystems.  Our results demonstrated that mulching increased maize yield (18.68–41.80%), total fixed C in straw (23.64%), grain (28.87%), and root (46.31%) biomass, and GHG emissions (CO2, 10.78%; N2O, 3.41%), while reducing SOCS (6.57%) and GHG intensity (GHGI; 13.61%).  Under mulching, biochar application significantly increased maize yield (10.20%), total fixed C in straw (17.97%), grain (17.69%) and root (16.75%) biomass, and SOCS (4.78%).  Moreover, it reduced the GHG emissions (CO2, 3.09%; N2O, 6.36%) and GHGI (12.28%).  These effects correlated with the biochar addition rate, with the optimal rate being 9.0 t ha–1.  In conclusion, biochar application reduces CO2 and N2O emissions, enhances CH4 absorption, and improves maize yield under film mulching.  It also improves the soil carbon fixation capacity while mitigating the warming potential, making it a promising sustainable management method for mulched farmland in semiarid areas.
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