Effects of organic amendments and crop cultivation on soil organic carbon storage, phosphorus components, and microbial respiration in stratified soils.
Li X, Romanyà J, Fu Q, Zhan X, Zhang S
Soil Health
Every time you top-dress your vegetable beds with compost and let deep-rooted plants like daikon or comfrey grow alongside, you're stacking two soil-building forces that science now confirms work better together than either does alone.
Researchers tested what happens when you combine compost-like organic fertilizer with crop plants versus doing each alone. They found that organic fertilizer feeds soil microbes and locks nutrients near the surface, while plant roots carry those benefits deeper into the soil. Using both together does more for soil health than simply adding the effects of each separately.
Key Findings
Skipping organic inputs long-term cut soluble carbon by 33–56% and accelerated the breakdown of organic phosphorus by 27%, depleting nutrient reserves.
Organic fertilizer alone boosted surface soil carbon by 18–22% and stimulated microbial activity by 30%, but concentrated nutrients unevenly near the top.
Combining organic fertilizer with crop cultivation synergistically increased carbon sequestration and improved phosphorus distribution deeper in the soil, with crops alone raising subsoil organic phosphorus ratios by 50%.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Adding organic fertilizer to the soil surface while growing deep-rooted crops together is the best combination for building healthy, carbon-rich soil. Each factor alone helps, but together they amplify each other's benefits for carbon storage and nutrient balance.
Abstract Preview
Organic fertilization and planting interactively regulate soil carbon (C) storage, phosphorus (P) components, and microbial respiration, providing insights for optimizing fertilization regimes in f...
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