Summary
This field trial demonstrates that plant community composition in intensively managed grasslands can be strategically designed to influence the fate of root-derived carbon into stable soil organic matter pools. Whilst pure perennial ryegrass stands accumulated more total rhizodeposited carbon in both MAOC and POC fractions compared to grass–legume–forb mixtures, the inclusion of legumes increased the proportion of carbon allocated to the more stable MAOC pool. The study identifies root length as a key driver of absolute carbon quantities in both pools, whilst root diameter and C:N ratio favour MAOC formation, providing practical guidance for species selection to enhance soil carbon storage.
Regional applicability
The study was conducted in Europe and examined intensively managed grasslands, a dominant system across the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. These findings are directly applicable to UK grassland management practices and policy objectives around soil carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, though the specific cultivar responses may require local validation.
Key measures
MAOC and POC quantities (g C kg−1 dry soil); proportion of MAOC relative to POC (%MAOC of net C rhizodeposition); root length, root diameter, root C:N ratio; total C rhizodeposition
Outcomes reported
The study measured net carbon rhizodeposition partitioned into mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) across different grass–legume–forb mixture treatments using 13C-CO2 labelling. Root traits including root length, diameter, and C:N ratio were related to these carbon fractionation outcomes.
Topic tags
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.