Recently, the Innovation Team of Fertilizer and Fertilization Technology at the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, reported that long-term cultivation and utilization of green manure can significantly promote efficient carbon sequestration in dryland soils. The findings were published in the journal Soil and Tillage Research.

Soil organic carbon is a fundamental component for maintaining soil fertility and supporting ecosystem functions. Increasing soil carbon stocks in farmland also helps offset atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions and mitigate climate change. Green manure and cattle manure are two typical organic fertilization strategies, both proven to increase soil organic carbon content. However, due to significant differences in biochemical composition, nutrient stoichiometry, and decomposability, they may regulate soil carbon stabilization through distinct pathways. Their long-term effects and underlying mechanisms on soil carbon sequestration have remained unclear.

Based on long-term field experiments, the researchers combined Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) with high-throughput sequencing to systematically analyze the molecular composition of soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) and microbial communities under green manure and cattle manure applications. The study revealed distinct mechanisms by which the two approaches regulate soil carbon sequestration.

Results showed that in calcareous desert soils, both long-term green manuring and cattle manure application exert significant legacy effects on soil DOM composition, microbial community structure, and soil carbon sequestration. Notably, green manuring exhibited higher carbon sequestration efficiency per unit of carbon input. Further analysis indicated that the two fertilization strategies shaped different DOM molecular compositions and drove fungal communities toward contrasting ecological strategies, ultimately leading to significant differences in carbon sequestration outcomes.

This study advances understanding of how DOM–microbe interaction networks and soil carbon accumulation processes respond to long-term different organic fertilization practices. It also provides important scientific support for optimizing agricultural carbon pool management and developing climate change mitigation strategies.

The study's first author is postdoctoral researcher Shi Siwei, with Researcher Cao Weidong serving as the corresponding author. The research was supported by the National Key Laboratory for Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-Arid Farmland in Northern China, the National Key Research and Development Program, the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program (ASTIP), and the China Agriculture Research System (CARS).

Citation:

Shi, S.W., Gao, S.J., Zhou, G.P., Chang, D.N., Liu, R., Liang, T., Zhang, J.D., Che, Z.X., Cao, W.D., 2026. Green manuring outperforms cattle manure in soil carbon sequestration by reshaping dissolved organic matter composition and fungal life strategies. Soil and Tillage Research 261, 107158.

Original link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2026.107158.