Effects of Adding Different Corn Residue Components on Soil and Aggregate Organic Carbon
Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a vital role in maintaining soil fertility and ecosystem sustainability, with crop residues serving as a key carbon input. However, how different maize residue components influence SOC stabilization across aggregate sizes and fertility levels remains poorly understood...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| author | Ninghui Xie Liangjie Sun Tong Lu Xi Zhang Ning Duan Wei Wang Xiaolong Liang Yuchuan Fan Huiyu Liu |
| author_facet | Ninghui Xie Liangjie Sun Tong Lu Xi Zhang Ning Duan Wei Wang Xiaolong Liang Yuchuan Fan Huiyu Liu |
| author_sort | Ninghui Xie |
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| description | Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a vital role in maintaining soil fertility and ecosystem sustainability, with crop residues serving as a key carbon input. However, how different maize residue components influence SOC stabilization across aggregate sizes and fertility levels remains poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of maize roots, stems, and leaves on SOC dynamics and aggregate-associated carbon under low- and high-fertility Brown Earth soils through a 360-day laboratory incubation. Results revealed that residue incorporation induced an initial increase in SOC, followed by a gradual decline due to microbial mineralization, yet maintained net carbon retention. In low-fertility soil, leaf residues led to the highest SOC content (12.08 g kg<sup>−1</sup>), whereas root residues were most effective under high-fertility conditions (18.93 g kg<sup>−1</sup>). Residue addition enhanced macroaggregate (>0.25 mm) formation while reducing microaggregate fractions, with differential patterns of SOC distribution across aggregate sizes. SOC initially accumulated in 0.25–2 mm aggregates but gradually shifted to >2 mm and <0.053 mm fractions over time. Root residues favored stabilization in high-fertility soils via mineral association, while stem and leaf residues promoted aggregate-level carbon protection in low-fertility soils. These findings highlight the interactive roles of residue type and soil fertility in regulating SOC sequestration pathways. |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj-art-d82b6cad8e8a4a30a53f5532f817b6bd2025-08-20T03:47:48ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722025-05-011510105010.3390/agriculture15101050Effects of Adding Different Corn Residue Components on Soil and Aggregate Organic CarbonNinghui Xie0Liangjie Sun1Tong Lu2Xi Zhang3Ning Duan4Wei Wang5Xiaolong Liang6Yuchuan Fan7Huiyu Liu8CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, ChinaNortheast Key Laboratory of Conservation and Improvement of Cultivated Land, College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110161, ChinaNortheast Key Laboratory of Conservation and Improvement of Cultivated Land, College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110161, ChinaDepartment of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USADepartment of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USAInstitute of Ulanqab Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Ulanqab 012000, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, ChinaCollege of Jiyang, Zhejiang A&F University, No. 77 Puyang Road, Zhuji 311800, ChinaLiaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 84 Dongling Road, Shenyang 110161, ChinaSoil organic carbon (SOC) plays a vital role in maintaining soil fertility and ecosystem sustainability, with crop residues serving as a key carbon input. However, how different maize residue components influence SOC stabilization across aggregate sizes and fertility levels remains poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of maize roots, stems, and leaves on SOC dynamics and aggregate-associated carbon under low- and high-fertility Brown Earth soils through a 360-day laboratory incubation. Results revealed that residue incorporation induced an initial increase in SOC, followed by a gradual decline due to microbial mineralization, yet maintained net carbon retention. In low-fertility soil, leaf residues led to the highest SOC content (12.08 g kg<sup>−1</sup>), whereas root residues were most effective under high-fertility conditions (18.93 g kg<sup>−1</sup>). Residue addition enhanced macroaggregate (>0.25 mm) formation while reducing microaggregate fractions, with differential patterns of SOC distribution across aggregate sizes. SOC initially accumulated in 0.25–2 mm aggregates but gradually shifted to >2 mm and <0.053 mm fractions over time. Root residues favored stabilization in high-fertility soils via mineral association, while stem and leaf residues promoted aggregate-level carbon protection in low-fertility soils. These findings highlight the interactive roles of residue type and soil fertility in regulating SOC sequestration pathways.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/10/1050soil fertilitymaize residuesoil organic carbonaggregate |
| spellingShingle | Ninghui Xie Liangjie Sun Tong Lu Xi Zhang Ning Duan Wei Wang Xiaolong Liang Yuchuan Fan Huiyu Liu Effects of Adding Different Corn Residue Components on Soil and Aggregate Organic Carbon Agriculture soil fertility maize residue soil organic carbon aggregate |
| title | Effects of Adding Different Corn Residue Components on Soil and Aggregate Organic Carbon |
| title_full | Effects of Adding Different Corn Residue Components on Soil and Aggregate Organic Carbon |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Adding Different Corn Residue Components on Soil and Aggregate Organic Carbon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Adding Different Corn Residue Components on Soil and Aggregate Organic Carbon |
| title_short | Effects of Adding Different Corn Residue Components on Soil and Aggregate Organic Carbon |
| title_sort | effects of adding different corn residue components on soil and aggregate organic carbon |
| topic | soil fertility maize residue soil organic carbon aggregate |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/10/1050 |
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