Does grassland introduction into cropping cycles affect carbon dynamics through changes of allocation of soil organic matter within aggregate fractions?
Résumé
Implementation of ley grassland into crop rotation could have positive influence in soil ecosystem services such as C storage. The periodical changes of land-use plus the in situ labelling given by the introduction of maize crops under ley grassland induce differences in soil organic matter (SOM) that could be traced either by stable isotopes or by the characterization of plant biomarkers such as lignin derived phenols. Evaluation of SOM dynamics is often limited by the complexity of soil matrix. To override these limitations, a hierarchical approach to decompose the soil mosaic into aggregates has been proposed in this study. Soil and plant samples were collected from a long-term experimental area in Lusignan (western France). Soils from four different treatments (bare fallow, permanent maize, permanent grassland, and ley grassland based on 6 years of grassland followed by 3 years of maize) were sampled, fractionated into water stable aggregates, and finally analysed for carbon, nitrogen, and lignin contents, as well as for 13C isotopic signature.
Auteurs, date et publication :
Auteurs M. Panettieri , C. Rumpel , M.-F. Dignac , A. Chabbi
Publication : Science of The Total Environment
Date : 2025
Volume : 576
Pages : 251-263