Integrating green manure and fertilizer reduction strategies to enhance soil carbon sequestration and crop yield: evidence from a two-season pot experiment

The excessive use of chemical fertilizers in agricultural production has led to diminishing returns, necessitating alternative methods to enhance soil fertility and reduce fertilizer dependency. One promising approach is the integration of leguminous green manure, which improves soil structure, enha...

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Main Authors: Jun Zhang, Wei He, Zheng Wei, Yifei Chen, Weichun Gao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1514409/full
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author Jun Zhang
Jun Zhang
Jun Zhang
Wei He
Wei He
Wei He
Zheng Wei
Zheng Wei
Yifei Chen
Yifei Chen
Weichun Gao
Weichun Gao
author_facet Jun Zhang
Jun Zhang
Jun Zhang
Wei He
Wei He
Wei He
Zheng Wei
Zheng Wei
Yifei Chen
Yifei Chen
Weichun Gao
Weichun Gao
author_sort Jun Zhang
collection DOAJ
description The excessive use of chemical fertilizers in agricultural production has led to diminishing returns, necessitating alternative methods to enhance soil fertility and reduce fertilizer dependency. One promising approach is the integration of leguminous green manure, which improves soil structure, enhances nutrient cycling, and supports sustainable farming practices. However, the application of green manure in systems with continuous fertilizer reduction remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by investigating the effects of reducing nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers (N-P) by up to 24% in conjunction with multiple cropping of soybean green manure on soil fertility, organic carbon fractions, and wheat yield. The research employed a pot experiment conducted over two wheat-growing seasons (March 2021 to July 2022) at an experimental station in Baoji, China. Treatments included CK (control, no fertilizer), CF (conventional fertilizer), and reduced N-P fertilizer applications by 6% (RF6), 12% (RF12), 18% (RF18), and 24% (RF24). Key findings revealed that RF12 had no significant impact on wheat grain yield compared to CF. The incorporation of soybean green manure significantly improved soil alkaline nitrogen by 22.3% and available phosphorus by 30.7%, while high-labile organic carbon (H-LOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) increased by 34.5 and 29.6%, respectively. Additionally, a notable increase of 12.4% in soil organic carbon content was observed, suggesting enhanced carbon sequestration potential. This study provides valuable insights into sustainable agricultural practices by demonstrating that incorporating leguminous green manure alongside moderate fertilizer reduction can maintain crop yield, improve soil nutrient availability, and increase organic carbon content, thus supporting reduced reliance on chemical fertilizers and promoting long-term soil fertility and carbon sequestration.
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institution Kabale University
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publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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series Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
spelling doaj-art-8ccb79461b1b47b78eaf283371d2c8b02025-01-14T06:10:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2025-01-01810.3389/fsufs.2024.15144091514409Integrating green manure and fertilizer reduction strategies to enhance soil carbon sequestration and crop yield: evidence from a two-season pot experimentJun Zhang0Jun Zhang1Jun Zhang2Wei He3Wei He4Wei He5Zheng Wei6Zheng Wei7Yifei Chen8Yifei Chen9Weichun Gao10Weichun Gao11Shaanxi Dijian Guantian Investment and Construction Co., Ltd., Baoji, ChinaShaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an, ChinaZhongshan High Standard Farmland Construction Group Baoji Co., Ltd., Baoji, ChinaShaanxi Dijian Guantian Investment and Construction Co., Ltd., Baoji, ChinaShaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an, ChinaSchool of Water Resources and Hydropower, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an, ChinaShaanxi Dijian Guantian Investment and Construction Co., Ltd., Baoji, ChinaShaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an, ChinaShaanxi Dijian Guantian Investment and Construction Co., Ltd., Baoji, ChinaShaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an, ChinaShaanxi Dijian Guantian Investment and Construction Co., Ltd., Baoji, ChinaShaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an, ChinaThe excessive use of chemical fertilizers in agricultural production has led to diminishing returns, necessitating alternative methods to enhance soil fertility and reduce fertilizer dependency. One promising approach is the integration of leguminous green manure, which improves soil structure, enhances nutrient cycling, and supports sustainable farming practices. However, the application of green manure in systems with continuous fertilizer reduction remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by investigating the effects of reducing nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers (N-P) by up to 24% in conjunction with multiple cropping of soybean green manure on soil fertility, organic carbon fractions, and wheat yield. The research employed a pot experiment conducted over two wheat-growing seasons (March 2021 to July 2022) at an experimental station in Baoji, China. Treatments included CK (control, no fertilizer), CF (conventional fertilizer), and reduced N-P fertilizer applications by 6% (RF6), 12% (RF12), 18% (RF18), and 24% (RF24). Key findings revealed that RF12 had no significant impact on wheat grain yield compared to CF. The incorporation of soybean green manure significantly improved soil alkaline nitrogen by 22.3% and available phosphorus by 30.7%, while high-labile organic carbon (H-LOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) increased by 34.5 and 29.6%, respectively. Additionally, a notable increase of 12.4% in soil organic carbon content was observed, suggesting enhanced carbon sequestration potential. This study provides valuable insights into sustainable agricultural practices by demonstrating that incorporating leguminous green manure alongside moderate fertilizer reduction can maintain crop yield, improve soil nutrient availability, and increase organic carbon content, thus supporting reduced reliance on chemical fertilizers and promoting long-term soil fertility and carbon sequestration.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1514409/fullgreen manurefertilizer reductionsoil carbon sequestrationcrop yieldsustainable agriculture
spellingShingle Jun Zhang
Jun Zhang
Jun Zhang
Wei He
Wei He
Wei He
Zheng Wei
Zheng Wei
Yifei Chen
Yifei Chen
Weichun Gao
Weichun Gao
Integrating green manure and fertilizer reduction strategies to enhance soil carbon sequestration and crop yield: evidence from a two-season pot experiment
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
green manure
fertilizer reduction
soil carbon sequestration
crop yield
sustainable agriculture
title Integrating green manure and fertilizer reduction strategies to enhance soil carbon sequestration and crop yield: evidence from a two-season pot experiment
title_full Integrating green manure and fertilizer reduction strategies to enhance soil carbon sequestration and crop yield: evidence from a two-season pot experiment
title_fullStr Integrating green manure and fertilizer reduction strategies to enhance soil carbon sequestration and crop yield: evidence from a two-season pot experiment
title_full_unstemmed Integrating green manure and fertilizer reduction strategies to enhance soil carbon sequestration and crop yield: evidence from a two-season pot experiment
title_short Integrating green manure and fertilizer reduction strategies to enhance soil carbon sequestration and crop yield: evidence from a two-season pot experiment
title_sort integrating green manure and fertilizer reduction strategies to enhance soil carbon sequestration and crop yield evidence from a two season pot experiment
topic green manure
fertilizer reduction
soil carbon sequestration
crop yield
sustainable agriculture
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1514409/full
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