Research shows organic fertilisation and diversity in cover crops improve soil organic carbon in agroecosystems, suggesting better management practices.
Key Points
The research aims to determine how different agronomic management strategies affect soil carbon fractions.
Assessed various agricultural management strategies including organic fertilisation and cover crop types.
Conducted a 5-year maize-soybean rotation utilizing soil from a 7-year forested area as a reference.
Evaluated effects on soil organic carbon, particulate organic matter, and mineral-associated organic matter.
Combined compost and succession of cover crops significantly increased soil organic carbon content.
No significant impact on particulate organic matter was observed with agronomic management.
Diversity in cover crop species led to substantial increases in total nitrogen compared to forest area.