Summary
This systematic review of peer-reviewed literature (2010–2025) synthesises mechanisms governing soil organic matter persistence and its mineral associations in rice production systems under contrasting hydrologic regimes. The authors integrated evidence from soil fractionation methods, isotopic tracing, spectroscopic techniques, and microbial community analysis across long-term field studies in rice-producing regions. The review identifies flooding as a key driver increasing soil organic matter by suppressing oxidative decomposition and altering Fe oxide solubility, whilst examining implications for organo-mineral interactions and greenhouse gas emissions under different water management strategies including alternate wetting and drying.
Regional applicability
The findings are globally applicable to rice cultivation systems, though direct transferability to United Kingdom conditions is limited as Oryza sativa is not commercially cultivated in the UK. However, the mechanistic insights into how flooding alters soil carbon persistence and mineral–organic interactions may inform management of wetland or temporarily waterlogged soils in UK agroecosystems, and understanding of redox-driven carbon dynamics is relevant to peatland and wetland conservation contexts.
Key measures
Soil organic matter persistence, organo-mineral associations, iron and aluminium oxide interactions, clay mineral binding, microbial necromass contributions, carbon and nitrogen isotopic tracers (13C, 15N), spectroscopic analysis (NMR, FTIR, XPS), microbial community composition via metagenomics and enzyme activities
Outcomes reported
The review examined mechanisms governing long-term soil organic matter maintenance and its relationship to minerals in flooded versus aerobic rice cultivation, with focus on organo-mineral interactions, microbial necromass, and water management strategies. Results indicated that flooding increases soil organic matter by reducing oxidative decomposition and altering iron oxide solubility, thereby releasing previously bound organic carbon.
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