Relay strip intercropping enhances soybean rhizodeposition and soil carbon sequestration through light-induced compensatory root growth

IF 6.4 1区农林科学 Q1 AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment Pub Date : 2025-09-29 DOI:10.1016/j.agee.2025.110000

Huan Yang , Xinhua He , Yahan Su , Li Wang , Liang Feng , Tian Pu , Wanzhuo Gong , Jianzheng Li , Feng Yang , Xiaochun Wang , Taiwen Yong , Yanhong Yan , Jiang Liu , Wenyu Yang , Yushan Wu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

In a relay strip intercropping system, the later-sown crop experiences shading during the co-growth stage but gains a period of high light availability (‘light recovery’) after the harvest of the early-sown crop. Whether this light recovery can compensate for the initial reduction in carbon (C) input to the soil remains unknown. Using ¹³CO₂ pulse-labeling at the seventh trifoliolate stage (V7: co-growth) and beginning pod stage (R3: solo-growth), we traced the photosynthetic C flow in soybean (Glycine max L.) within a soybean-maize relay strip intercropping system. We found that light recovery at the R3 stage, significantly enhanced photosynthetically active leaf area (16.7 %), light interception (24.2 %), and photosynthetic C assimilation (16.7 %) in intercropped soybeans. This triggered compensatory root growth, increasing belowground C allocation by 13.8 %, and slowing microbial biomass C turnover by 38.6 %, indicating more efficient C stabilization. Consequently, intercropped soybeans contributed 1.8 times more C to the soil (354.4 vs. 192.9 kg C ha⁻¹) than monocropped soybeans, with 80 % of this input derived from the light recovery phase. Long-term (10-year) intercropping increased soil macroaggregates (> 2 mm) by 25.5 % and SOC content by 15.0 %. Our results demonstrate that light recovery induces compensatory root growth that not only offsets early shading effects but also significantly enhances rhizodeposition and SOC sequestration. This study establishes a mechanistic link between light capture, photosynthesis, and belowground C allocation in an intercropping system, highlighting its potential as a sustainable strategy for soil C sequestration.

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接力带状间作通过光诱导补偿性根系生长促进大豆根系沉积和土壤固碳

在接力带状间作系统中，晚播作物在共生长期经历遮荫，但在早播作物收获后获得一段高光效期（“光恢复”）。这种光恢复是否能够补偿土壤中碳(C)输入的初始减少仍然是未知的。利用13CO2脉冲标记技术，研究了大豆-玉米接力条形间作系统中大豆（Glycine max L.）光合碳流的变化。我们发现，间作大豆在R3期恢复光照显著提高了光合活性叶面积（16.7% %）、光截获（24.2% %）和光合C同化（16.7% %）。这触发了补偿性根系生长，增加了13.8% %的地下碳分配，减缓了38.6% %的微生物生物量碳周转，表明更有效的碳稳定。因此，间作大豆对土壤的碳贡献是单作大豆的1.8倍（354.4比192.9 kg C ha - 1），其中80% %来自轻度恢复阶段。长期（10年）间作使土壤大团聚体（> 2 mm）增加25.5% %，有机碳含量增加15.0% %。我们的研究结果表明，光照恢复诱导补偿性根系生长，不仅抵消了早期遮阳效应，而且显著提高了根系沉积和有机碳的固存。本研究建立了间作系统中光捕获、光合作用和地下碳分配之间的机制联系，强调了间作系统作为可持续土壤碳封存策略的潜力。

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来源期刊

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

11.70

自引率

9.10%

发文量

392

审稿时长

26 days

期刊介绍： Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment publishes scientific articles dealing with the interface between agroecosystems and the natural environment, specifically how agriculture influences the environment and how changes in that environment impact agroecosystems. Preference is given to papers from experimental and observational research at the field, system or landscape level, from studies that enhance our understanding of processes using data-based biophysical modelling, and papers that bridge scientific disciplines and integrate knowledge. All papers should be placed in an international or wide comparative context.