Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment最新文献

{"title":"Effect of pusa decomposer-mediated rice residue management on phosphorus fractionation in aggregate size classes under a rice–wheat system","authors":"Chinthala Mounika ,&nbsp;Ranjan Bhattacharyya ,&nbsp;T.K. Das ,&nbsp;Livleen Shukla ,&nbsp;Shrila Das ,&nbsp;D.R. Biswas ,&nbsp;B.B. Basak ,&nbsp;Peram Nagaseshi Reddy ,&nbsp;Sumitra Kumawat ,&nbsp;Avijit Ghosh ,&nbsp;Soora Naresh Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109994","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109994","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Several alternatives to rice residue management have been proposed, there remains a notable gap in understanding how these practices, particularly the use of microbial decomposers and residue management affect soil phosphorus fractions and related biological properties in a rice-wheat cropping system. To address this gap, a three-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the impacts of different rice residue management strategies with and without the application of the Pusa Decomposer on soil phosphorus fractions and biological indicators in bulk soils and soil aggregates. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design comprising five treatments: full residue burning, full residue retention, full residue incorporation, full residue retention with Pusa Decomposer, and full residue incorporation with Pusa Decomposer, each replicated four times. After the wheat harvest in the third year, soil samples were collected from two depths and analysed for various phosphorus pools and biological indicators. The results showed that the full residue incorporation with Pusa Decomposer treatment significantly increased labile water soluble phosphorus, sorbed phosphorus, easily mineralizable organic phosphorus) moderately labile phosphorus fractions (sodium hydroxide extractable inorganic phosphorus, sodium hydroxide extractable organic phosphorus), as well as total phosphorus, total inorganic phosphorus and enzymatic activities compared to the residue burning treatment, with consistently higher values observed in bulk soils than soil aggregates. Full residue incorporation treatment exhibited the highest levels of hydrochloric acid extractable phosphorus and residual phosphorus which were notably more concentrated in aggregates than in bulk soils. Across all treatments, the topsoil (0–5 cm) consistently contained greater concentrations of phosphorus fractions and biological indicators compared with the 5–15 cm soil layer. Principal Component Analysis revealed that decomposer-amended treatments full residue incorporation with Pusa Decomposer and full residue retention with Pusa Decomposer enhanced labile phosphorus fractions and microbial activity, while conventional practices like residue burning was associated with reduced biological phosphorus cycling and dominance of stable phosphorus pools. Overall, this study highlights that integrating residue incorporation practices with microbial consortia such as Pusa Decomposer is an effective strategy to enhance soil phosphorus availability and stimulate soil biological activity in an intensive rice–wheat system, offering a pathway towards more sustainable nutrient management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109994"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145093995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cover crops and integrated management reduce pesticide residues in soils and water: Pathways towards cleaner production in Argentine agriculture","authors":"Virginia C Aparicio ,&nbsp;Roberto Rizzalli ,&nbsp;Hernán Panaggio ,&nbsp;Fernando Andrade ,&nbsp;José Luis Costa","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109998","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109998","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The potential of cover crops and integrated management as a cleaner production strategy for grain systems in the Argentinian Pampas <strong>was assessed</strong> in this study. A four-year field comparison of conventional farmer practices with cover crops and integrated management, through practices aimed at reducing pesticide use <strong>was conducted</strong>. Glyphosate, (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) acetic acid and atrazine <strong>were the pesticides most frequently applied</strong> under both systems. A 14.9 % lower number of pesticide applications <strong>was recorded</strong> under cover crops and integrated management, with glyphosate + (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) acetic acid + atrazine <strong>being represented</strong> as the most common mixture. Clear contamination patterns <strong>were observed</strong>: (i) in soils, 33 % higher glyphosate concentrations at 0–2 cm depth <strong>were detected</strong> under conventional farmer practices, while accumulation of transformation products (aminomethylphosphonic acid, hydroxy-atrazine), consistent with enhanced biological degradation, <strong>was favoured</strong> by cover crops and integrated management; (ii) in leachate water, consistently higher atrazine and (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) acetic acid concentrations <strong>were found</strong> under conventional farmer practices, whereas no significant differences between systems <strong>were detected</strong> for glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid; (iii) in groundwater, mixtures of glyphosate, aminomethylphosphonic acid and atrazine <strong>were identified</strong>, indicating diffuse regional contamination not constrained by management. Through these findings, cover crops and integrated management <strong>are positioned</strong> as a transitional pathway by which pesticide residues <strong>can be reduced</strong> without fully removing chemical dependence. However, the persistence of aminomethylphosphonic acid in soils and the presence of pesticide cocktails in groundwater <strong>are highlighted</strong> as issues requiring complementary monitoring to ensure long-term sustainability. Policy promotion of cleaner agricultural transitions aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 6 (Clean water) and 15 (Life on land) <strong>is supported</strong>, while critical gaps in the understanding of metabolite dynamics <strong>are identified</strong>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109998"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Substitution of lithogenic with pedogenic soil carbonates in Korean coastal rice paddy under desalinization: Evidences from δ13C","authors":"Seo-Woo Park ,&nbsp;Nuri Baek ,&nbsp;Eun-Seo Shin ,&nbsp;Bo-Seong Seo ,&nbsp;Se-In Lee ,&nbsp;Kwang-Seung Lee ,&nbsp;Seok-In Yun ,&nbsp;Hyun-Jin Park ,&nbsp;Sang-Mo Lee ,&nbsp;Woo-Jung Choi","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109993","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109993","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rice paddies on coastal tidal flats contain high soil inorganic carbon (SIC) contents; however, the changes in SIC sources (lithogenic and pedogenic) with desalinization after rice cultivation remain unclear. This study distinguished the sources of SIC in the coastal soils using a stable C isotope ratio (δ¹³C) and examined how these sources change with desalinization. The presence of SIC in the coastal soils was confirmed through comparative analyses with SIC-free inland soils. For coastal soils, the total SIC accounted for 4.3–77.3 % of the total C. Although total SIC showed no correlation with soil salinity, it was positively correlated (r = 0.97 and <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) with the total calcium (Ca), highlighting the critical role of Ca in SIC formation. The δ¹³C of the two pedogenic sources was –25.8 ± 0.6 ‰ for rice residue and –26.2 ± 1.6 ‰ for soil organic C (SOC), which differed significantly from those of lithogenic (e.g., seashells) sources (–2.6 ± 1.6 ‰). The δ¹³C of total SIC ranged from –26.1 ‰ to –9.2 ‰, indicating varying contributions from both lithogenic and pedogenic sources. The contributions of pedogenic SIC to total SIC varied widely from &lt; 30–100 % and were influenced positively by SOC and negatively by salinity. Moreover, desalinization increased SOC levels and microbial activity, which serve as the primary source and pathway for pedogenic SIC formation. These findings indicate that the proportion of pedogenic SIC to total SIC increases with higher SOC levels, while the contribution of lithogenic SIC decreases through desalinization of the coastal paddy soils after rice cultivation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109993"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145094001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of warming and elevated CO2 on gross nitrogen dynamics and N2O emissions disappeared under combined treatment in waterlogged paddy soils","authors":"Xiaoshun Tu ,&nbsp;Jing Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaoyu Liu ,&nbsp;Nyumah Fallah ,&nbsp;Yves Uwiragiye ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Huang ,&nbsp;Zucong Cai ,&nbsp;Scott X. Chang ,&nbsp;Yi Cheng ,&nbsp;Christoph Müller","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109989","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109989","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rice fields feed almost half of the world's population with the help of soil nitrogen (N) cycling and the resulting N supply. The ongoing global climate change is expected to alter soil N cycling, potentially creating positive feedback to warming through enhanced emissions of nitrous oxide (N₂O), a potent greenhouse gas. Yet, the effects of climate change factors on process-specific soil N dynamics and N₂O emissions in paddy fields remain unclear. Here, the ¹⁵N dilution method was used to quantify gross N transformation rates of waterlogged paddy soils exposed to warming and free air carbon dioxide (CO₂) enrichment (T-FACE) for 9 years. The effects of single CO₂ enrichment and warming on soil N dynamics were obscured by their combined effects in this study. Gross rates of N mineralization, NH₄⁺ immobilization, and nitrification significantly increased under warming (by 63 %, 58 %, and 16 %, respectively) and under elevated CO₂ (by 60 %, 64 %, and 15 %, respectively). Meanwhile, the N₂O emission rates increased by 10- and 35-fold under warming and elevated CO₂, respectively. In contrast, none of these N-related variables were altered when combined, indicating an antagonistic interaction. Under either elevated CO₂ or warming, soil organic matter quantity and quality primarily regulated gross N transformations and N₂O emissions with the underlying driver of fungi. Together, these findings suggest that single-factor manipulative experiments may have overestimated the impacts of global change factors on soil N dynamics, highlighting the need to investigate the interactions among multiple global change factors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109989"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145107590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A decade-long study on conservation agriculture explores its potential for sustainable productivity, profitability, and environmental stewardship in rice ecosystems of South Asia","authors":"Tapas Kumar Das ,&nbsp;Babulal Dudwal ,&nbsp;Jitesh Kumar Baghel ,&nbsp;Sourav Ghosh ,&nbsp;Rishi Raj ,&nbsp;Ranjan Bhattacharyya ,&nbsp;Arti Bhatia ,&nbsp;M.C. Meena ,&nbsp;Abir Dey ,&nbsp;Ajit Ram Sharma ,&nbsp;Suman Sen ,&nbsp;Chaitanya Prasad Nath","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109990","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109990","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Conservation agriculture (CA) has emerged as a promising strategy for achieving sustainable crop production and climate change mitigation. The long-term impacts of CA on productivity, profitability, soil health, and environmental sustainability, however, is less understood in rice-based systems, particularly when compared with the conventional puddled transplanted rice–conventional till wheat (PTR–CT) system. A 10-year long field study was conducted in a randomized complete block design, involving two conventional till (CT)-, and six zero till (ZT)-based rice-wheat systems. There were three perfect CA systems of which two were double cropping ZT direct-seeded rice (DSR) - ZT wheat (ZTW) system. One of these had rice (rr) and wheat (w&lt;em&gt;r&lt;/em&gt;) residue retention, while the other had rice (rr), wheat (w&lt;em&gt;r&lt;/em&gt;), and brown manure (bm) crop residues. The third perfect CA system involved a triple cropping system with legume intensification, and, the residues of rice, wheat, and mungbean (ZTmb-ZTrr-ZTwr) retained on the soil surface to compare with the PTR-CT. The decade-long study revealed that the CA-based ZTmb-ZTrr-ZTwr system gave 16 % and 15 % higher wheat yield and rice-wheat system productivity, respectively (p &lt; 0.05) although it had 9 % lower rice yield (p &lt; 0.05) than PTR–CT. This system had 14 % lower sustainable yield index of rice, but 16 % and 7 % higher sustainability of wheat yield and system yield than that of PTR-CT, respectively. Besides, it fetched an additional net income of ₹ 11,800 ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; from wheat and ₹35,900 ha⁻¹ from the entire system over PTR–CT (p &lt; 0.05). There was a significant improvement in soil fertility in this ZTmb-ZTrr-ZTwr system (p &lt; 0.05) over PTR-CT with respect to nitrate-N (93 %↑), available P (52 %↑), available K (84 %↑), Zn (49 %↑), and Mn (55 %↑), besides the increase in soil organic carbon by 46 % and total organic carbon by 51 %. Environmentally, this CA practice led to significant reduction in methane emissions by 83 % and global warming potential by 47 % compared with the PTR–CT. Furthermore, the yield-scaled emission of greenhouse gases declined by 43 % in rice, 55 % in wheat, and 54 % in rice-wheat system under this ZTmb-ZTrr-ZTwr treatment compared with conventional PTR–CT practice (p &lt; 0.05). Thus, this CA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system could offer long-term yield stability, economic gain, soil health improvement and climate resilience, and would be a viable alternative to conventional PTR–CT system with potential for scalability in global rice ecologies. The yield of direct-seeded rice usually varies/fluctuates over the years due to weeds intensity, Fe-deficiency, prevailing climate (rainfall, temperature), and intermittent water stress. Therefore, some strategic researches are required on a cropping system mode under conservation agriculture for effective management of weeds, nutrients, and water towards stabilizing the yield of direct-seeded rice.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/di","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109990"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145107611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantitative source apportionment of deep nitrate in a typical black soil critical zone: Vertical partitioning and legacy effects in Northeast China","authors":"Shunhua Yang ,&nbsp;Yue Dong ,&nbsp;Yonghui Shi ,&nbsp;Huayong Wu ,&nbsp;Xiaodong Song ,&nbsp;Gan-Lin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109986","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109986","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding nitrate accumulation processes in deep soil layers is critical for mitigating groundwater contamination risks in intensively managed agricultural regions. This study investigated the sources and vertical partitioning of nitrate within a typical 10-meter critical zone of black soil in Northeast China, employing depth-resolved soil sampling, ¹⁵N-NO₃⁻ and δ¹⁸O-NO₃⁻ isotopic tracers, and Bayesian mixing model. Results demonstrated that soil organic nitrogen was the dominant nitrate source across all depths, contributing 53.5–61.3 %, reflecting legacy nitrogen release from decades of organic matter accumulation. Chemical fertilizers exhibited depth-dependent contributions, peaking at 45.4 % in intermediate layers (1–5 m) due to nitrification-enhanced leaching, while manure and sewage showed preferential transport to deeper layers (&gt;5 m; 10.3 %). Atmospheric deposition contributed minimally (&lt;4 %), confirming anthropogenic dominance. Notably, the vertical persistence of chemical fertilizers-derived nitrate revealed a delayed contamination mechanism, where ammonium fertilizers underwent rapid nitrification and subsequent leaching. The study quantitatively decodes stratification mechanisms of nitrate sources throughout black soil critical zone, emphasizing the need to optimize organic-inorganic nitrogen management and monitor legacy nitrogen fluxes to safeguard groundwater quality while maintaining agricultural productivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109986"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145107677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Keystone taxa play a critical role in regulating soil multifunctionality in Eucalyptus plantations","authors":"Yukun Lu ,&nbsp;Lijun Chen ,&nbsp;Josep Peñuelas ,&nbsp;Huili Wang ,&nbsp;Jizhao Cao ,&nbsp;Shiqi Ren ,&nbsp;Lichao Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109988","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109988","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a key raw material in the paper industry, <em>Eucalyptus</em> has been widely cultivated in commercial plantations; however, the ecological impacts of these plantations require systematic evaluation. Soil multifunctionality is vital in maintaining ecosystem services, enhancing sustainability, and regulating nutrient balance. Long-term <em>Eucalyptus</em> cultivation can disrupt soil nutrient balance; however, its effects on soil multifunctionality remain unclear. This study compared single-generation (SG) and multiple-generation (MG) <em>Eucalyptus</em> plantations with an evergreen broadleaf forest (CK) to assess how prolonged <em>Eucalyptus</em> cultivation alters soil nutrient stoichiometry, subsequently affects keystone taxa diversity, and ultimately reduces soil multifunctionality. The MG plantations exhibited pronounced nutrient stoichiometric imbalances, with soil C/N, C/P, C/K, N/P, N/K, and P/K ratios reduced by 60.17–83.27 % relative to CK, accompanied by a 19.9 % decrease in the Chao1 richness and a 6.1 % decrease in the Shannon index of keystone taxa. Long-term <em>Eucalyptus</em> planation reduced soil multifunctionality from 0.187 to − 0.355, largely via nutrient stoichiometry driven erosion of keystone-taxa diversity. Keystone taxa, especially <em>Proteobacteria</em>, <em>Actinobacteriota</em>, and <em>Chloroflexi</em>, played critical roles in regulating nutrient cycling. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) and threshold indicator taxa analysis (TITAN) revealed that nutrient stoichiometry and enzymatic activity influenced soil multifunctionality directly and indirectly by modulating keystone taxa diversity and community structure. These findings underscore the essential role of keystone taxa diversity in maintaining soil functions and offer new insights into microbial–nutrient interactions regulating ecosystem services. This study provides valuable guidance for <em>Eucalyptus</em> plantation management, emphasizing the need to consider microbial and nutrient interactions in balancing industrial productivity with ecological sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109988"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145061331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nocturnal insect communities altered by land-use change contribute little to coffee pollination in the Western Ghats, India","authors":"H. Rama Narayanan ,&nbsp;Smitha Krishnan ,&nbsp;Anand M. Osuri","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109966","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109966","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wild insects pollinate numerous agricultural crops, but the role of nocturnal pollinators, while increasingly acknowledged, remains poorly understood. We examined nocturnal insect communities and pollination in agroforests of robusta coffee (<em>Coffea canephora</em>) – a crop that exhibits floral traits suggestive of nocturnal pollination – in India’s Western Ghats mountains. Specifically, we (1) compared nocturnal insect communities of a shaded robusta coffee agroforest and a nearby secondary tropical rainforest using light screens, and (2) assessed nocturnal and diurnal pollination of coffee using floral exclosure experiments in the agroforest and in a former coffee agroforest located within the secondary rainforest. Nocturnal pollinators visiting light screens were 21 % fewer in the agroforest than the rainforest, mainly due to reduced numbers of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera in the former. Lepidoptera and Coleoptera differed in genus richness and composition between habitats, with the agroforest having fewer Lepidoptera and more Coleoptera genera than the rainforest. Coffee pollination success was largely attributable to diurnal pollinators in both the agroforest and rainforest. While nocturnal pollination effects were absent in the agroforest, we found some evidence of nocturnal pollination in the secondary rainforest, where coffee flowers accessible to diurnal and nocturnal pollinators had higher pollination success (60 %) than flowers accessible to diurnal pollinators alone (46 %). In summary, the nocturnal insect community of coffee agroforestry, which is distinct from the rainforest community, contributes little to coffee pollination. However, a greater contribution of nocturnal pollination under less intensive coffee cultivation is a possibility that warrants further exploration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109966"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145061330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Root development as a driver of mineral-associated organic matter formation in cover crop systems of high-latitude agriculture","authors":"Thiago M. Inagaki ,&nbsp;Frederik Bøe ,&nbsp;Ievina Sturite ,&nbsp;Alice Budai ,&nbsp;Anders Aas ,&nbsp;Daniel Rasse","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109968","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109968","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cover crops enhance soil quality and organic matter stability, yet the mechanisms linking belowground inputs to persistent soil organic matter (SOM) remain unclear. This study examined the effects of diversified cover cropping in barley systems on root biomass, SOM fractions, soil structure, microbial activity, and yield in central Norway (63.9° N), three years post-implementation. Six treatments were tested: (1) Control (barley without NPK), (2) Biochar-Fertilizer (barley + NPK + 3 Mg ha⁻¹ biochar), (3) Monocrop (barley), (4) Ryegrass (barley + ryegrass), (5) Clover (barley + ryegrass + white/red clover), and (6) Chicory (barley + ryegrass + red clover + chicory + bird’s-foot trefoil). Ryegrass and Clover systems produced 28.65 g m^-² more root biomass at 0–13 cm (p &lt; 0.05) and, along with Monocrop, stored 2.2 Mg ha^-¹ more mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) carbon and 0.2 Mg ha^-¹ more MAOM nitrogen at 0–20 cm than other treatments. The Chicory system improved soil structure and biology, with higher aggregate stability, lower bulk density, and greater microbial abundance. Barley yields remained consistent across treatments, suggesting that cover cropping and low biochar inputs do not reduce productivity. Strong correlations (p &lt; 0.01) between root biomass and MAOM stocks highlight root development as a key driver of SOM stabilization via organo-mineral associations. These findings underscore the role of root-enhancing cover crops in promoting MAOM formation and long-term SOM persistence, offering valuable insights for sustainable soil management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109968"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145061332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enclosure duration modulates the coordination of plant functional traits and soil organic carbon sequestration in semi-arid grasslands","authors":"Ruoyu Jia ,&nbsp;Qi Sun ,&nbsp;Bo Tang ,&nbsp;Weicheng Sun ,&nbsp;Entao Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaoming Lu ,&nbsp;Yang Wang ,&nbsp;Yongfei Bai","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109985","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109985","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Overgrazing leads to significant degradation of semi-arid grasslands, while enclosure serves as an essential nature-based restoration strategy. Despite its importance, the effects of varying enclosure durations on plant functional traits and ecosystem functions remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated a 41-year grazing exclusion chronosequence in a temperate steppe ecosystem, quantifying community-weighted means (CWM) of twelve key leaf and root traits, species and functional diversity, aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), and soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration. This comprehensive approach enabled us to examine how different enclosure durations influence plant resource-use strategies and the coordination of above- and below-ground traits, along with their cascading effects on ANPP and SOC. Our findings reveal that prolonged enclosure enhances traits related to light capture and nutrient conservation. In contrast, short-term enclosure and continuous grazing strengthen correlations between leaf and root traits associated with resource acquisition, thereby reinforcing the leaf-root economic spectrum and increasing trait correlation networks. This coordination enhances ANPP but often at the expense of SOC due to accelerated nutrient and carbon cycling. Conversely, long-term enclosure promotes traits for light acquisition and greater mycorrhizal dependence, facilitating SOC sequestration even without further increases in ANPP. Notably, CWM traits emerged as better predictors of changes in ANPP and SOC than species or functional diversity metrics. These results highlight the critical role of plant functional traits in balancing productivity and SOC sequestration in response to varying enclosure durations, emphasizing the significance of trait-based approaches in grassland restoration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"396 ","pages":"Article 109985"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145047566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}