Effect of different fertilization modes on soil organic carbon sequestration in acid soils

Abstract

ABSTRACTA meta-analysis of 297 treatment data from the Vezaiciai Branch of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry long-term field experiment published from 2006 to 2015 was used to characterize the changes in SOC under different fertilization treatments and residue management practices in Lithuania’s acid soil. A meta-analysis was performed to quantify the relative annual change (RAC) of SOC content and the average RAC rate of SOC under four fertilization modes (farmyard manure (FYM) (40 t ha−1)); alternative organic fertilizers (in the manure background (40 t ha−1)); FYM (60 t ha−1); alternative organic fertilizers (in the manure background (60 t ha−1)) in two soil backgrounds (naturally acid and limed soil). The average RAC under four fertilization modes was 1.46 g kg−1 yr−1, indicating that long-term fertilization had considerable SOC sequestration potential. Incorporation of alternative organic fertilizers in unlimed soil showed negative effects (−0.39 and −0.66 g kg−1 yr−1) in the observed long-term experiment. The RAC in the limed soil with incorporated organic fertilizers (FYM and alternative organic fertilizers), compared to the control, and varied from 0.25 g kg−1 yr−1 in the treatment with incorporated alternative organic fertilizers (in the manure background (40 t ha−1)) to 0.71 g kg−1 yr−1 in the soil with FYM (60 t ha−1). In this study, the average RAC rate of SOC under organic fertilization treatments in limed soil (5.07–6.54%) was longer than organic fertilization in unlimed soil (2.11–3.49%), which might be attributed to the application of organic manure that would result in a slow release of fertilizer efficiency. Our results indicate that the application of manure (40 or 60 t ha−1) showed the greatest potential for C sequestration in agricultural soil and produced the longest SOC sequestration duration.