Effects of Adding Different Corn Residue Components on Soil and Aggregate Organic Carbon

Ninghui Xie, Liangjie Sun, Tong Lu, Xi Zhang, Ning Duan, Wei Wang, Xiaolong Liang, Yuchuan Fan () and Huiyu Liu ()
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Ninghui Xie: CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Liangjie Sun: Northeast Key Laboratory of Conservation and Improvement of Cultivated Land, College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110161, China
Tong Lu: Northeast Key Laboratory of Conservation and Improvement of Cultivated Land, College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110161, China
Xi Zhang: Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Ning Duan: Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Wei Wang: Institute of Ulanqab Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Ulanqab 012000, China
Xiaolong Liang: CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Yuchuan Fan: College of Jiyang, Zhejiang A&F University, No. 77 Puyang Road, Zhuji 311800, China
Huiyu Liu: Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 84 Dongling Road, Shenyang 110161, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a vital role in maintaining soil fertility and ecosystem sustainability, with crop residues serving as a key carbon input. However, how different maize residue components influence SOC stabilization across aggregate sizes and fertility levels remains poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of maize roots, stems, and leaves on SOC dynamics and aggregate-associated carbon under low- and high-fertility Brown Earth soils through a 360-day laboratory incubation. Results revealed that residue incorporation induced an initial increase in SOC, followed by a gradual decline due to microbial mineralization, yet maintained net carbon retention. In low-fertility soil, leaf residues led to the highest SOC content (12.08 g kg −1 ), whereas root residues were most effective under high-fertility conditions (18.93 g kg −1 ). Residue addition enhanced macroaggregate (>0.25 mm) formation while reducing microaggregate fractions, with differential patterns of SOC distribution across aggregate sizes. SOC initially accumulated in 0.25–2 mm aggregates but gradually shifted to >2 mm and <0.053 mm fractions over time. Root residues favored stabilization in high-fertility soils via mineral association, while stem and leaf residues promoted aggregate-level carbon protection in low-fertility soils. These findings highlight the interactive roles of residue type and soil fertility in regulating SOC sequestration pathways.

Keywords: soil fertility; maize residue; soil organic carbon; aggregate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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