Summary
This 36-year field trial compared four farming systems (unfertilised control, mineral-only, mineral + organic, and biodynamic) on a Swiss temperate arable soil, examining how different fertiliser types affect the storage and persistence of soil organic carbon across functional SOM pools. Although bulk SOC increased in organic and combined systems, no additional SOC accumulated in the stable clay-sized mineral-associated organic matter fraction, indicating that increases were confined to labile particulate organic matter. Fertiliser quality—particularly composted versus non-composted farmyard manure—and the absence of pesticides appeared to enhance conditions for POM stabilisation.
UK applicability
The findings may have relevance to UK temperate arable soils with similar soil types and climates, particularly regarding the differential response of organic and mixed systems to carbon sequestration. However, the long-term nature and specific soil conditions of the DOK trial should be considered alongside UK-specific factors such as soil texture variations, rainfall, and management intensity when extrapolating recommendations.
Key measures
Soil organic carbon (SOC) content in bulk soil and in particle-size fractions (particulate organic matter <250 µm and mineral-associated organic matter <6.3 µm); chemical composition of organic matter fractions via 13C CPMAS-NMR spectroscopy
Outcomes reported
The study measured temporal dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) fractions and soil organic carbon (SOC) content across different fertiliser regimes over 36 years (1982–2017), analysing particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) pools via physical fractionation and solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy.
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