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Microbially mediated mechanisms underlie soil carbon accrual by conservation agriculture under decade-long warming

Author

Listed:
  • Jing Tian

    (China Agricultural University)

  • Jennifer A. J. Dungait

    (University of Exeter, Rennes Drive
    SRUC-Scotland’s Rural College)

  • Ruixing Hou

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS))

  • Ye Deng

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Iain P. Hartley

    (University of Exeter, Rennes Drive)

  • Yunfeng Yang

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Yakov Kuzyakov

    (University of Göttingen)

  • Fusuo Zhang

    (China Agricultural University)

  • M. Francesca Cotrufo

    (Colorado State University)

  • Jizhong Zhou

    (University of Oklahoma
    University of Oklahoma
    University of Oklahoma
    University of Oklahoma)

Abstract

Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) in croplands by switching from conventional to conservation management may be hampered by stimulated microbial decomposition under warming. Here, we test the interactive effects of agricultural management and warming on SOC persistence and underlying microbial mechanisms in a decade-long controlled experiment on a wheat-maize cropping system. Warming increased SOC content and accelerated fungal community temporal turnover under conservation agriculture (no tillage, chopped crop residue), but not under conventional agriculture (annual tillage, crop residue removed). Microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) and growth increased linearly over time, with stronger positive warming effects after 5 years under conservation agriculture. According to structural equation models, these increases arose from greater carbon inputs from the crops, which indirectly controlled microbial CUE via changes in fungal communities. As a result, fungal necromass increased from 28 to 53%, emerging as the strongest predictor of SOC content. Collectively, our results demonstrate how management and climatic factors can interact to alter microbial community composition, physiology and functions and, in turn, SOC formation and accrual in croplands.

Suggested Citation

  • Jing Tian & Jennifer A. J. Dungait & Ruixing Hou & Ye Deng & Iain P. Hartley & Yunfeng Yang & Yakov Kuzyakov & Fusuo Zhang & M. Francesca Cotrufo & Jizhong Zhou, 2024. "Microbially mediated mechanisms underlie soil carbon accrual by conservation agriculture under decade-long warming," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-44647-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44647-4
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    Cited by:

    1. Luiz A. Domeignoz-Horta & Seraina L. Cappelli & Rashmi Shrestha & Stephanie Gerin & Annalea K. Lohila & Jussi Heinonsalo & Daniel B. Nelson & Ansgar Kahmen & Pengpeng Duan & David Sebag & Eric Verrecc, 2024. "Plant diversity drives positive microbial associations in the rhizosphere enhancing carbon use efficiency in agricultural soils," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Jialing Teng & Ruixing Hou & Jennifer A. J. Dungait & Guiyao Zhou & Yakov Kuzyakov & Jingbo Zhang & Jing Tian & Zhenling Cui & Fusuo Zhang & Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, 2024. "Conservation agriculture improves soil health and sustains crop yields after long-term warming," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Chengjie Ren & Zhenghu Zhou & Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo & Felipe Bastida & Fazhu Zhao & Yuanhe Yang & Shuohong Zhang & Jieying Wang & Chao Zhang & Xinhui Han & Jun Wang & Gaihe Yang & Gehong Wei, 2024. "Thermal sensitivity of soil microbial carbon use efficiency across forest biomes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.

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