Interactions Between Soil Texture and Cover Crop Diversity Shape Carbon Dynamics and Aggregate Stability

Vladimír Šimanský () and Martin Lukac
Additional contact information
Vladimír Šimanský: Institute of Agrochemistry and Soil Science, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture, Trieda A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia
Martin Lukac: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG1 1AF, UK

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: Increasing attention is being paid to the use of cover crops as a means of improving soil quality, particularly in relation to soil organic matter (SOM) accumulation and aggregate stability. This study evaluated the effects of soil texture, soil depth, and cover crop type on soil organic carbon (Corg), labile carbon (C L ), and soil structure under field conditions in western Slovakia. A field experiment compared two texturally distinct Phaeozem soils—silty clay loam and sandy loam —and two cover cropping strategies: pea ( Pisum sativum L.) monoculture and a four-species mixture of flax ( Linum usitatissimum L.), camelina ( Camelina sativa L.), white mustard ( Sinapis alba L.), and Italian millet ( Setaria italica L.). Fine-textured soil accumulated up to 50% more Corg and 1.5 times more C L than sandy soil, while aggregate stability was up to 90% higher. The surface layer (0–10 cm) contained more SOM, but the deeper layer (10–20 cm) showed greater aggregate stability. Pea cultivation increased total organic carbon, whereas the diverse mixture enhanced labile carbon content and promoted the formation of smaller yet more stable aggregates. Strong correlations between C L and aggregate stability confirmed the key role of labile organic matter fractions in soil structural stabilisation. Overall, the results demonstrate that the interaction between soil texture and cover crop diversity critically shapes SOM dynamics and soil structure. Combining diverse cover crops with fine-textured soils provides an effective strategy to enhance soil quality, carbon sequestration, and long-term agricultural sustainability.

Keywords: labile carbon; organic carbon; soil structure; texture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/10/2044/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/10/2044/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:10:p:2044-:d:1770223

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

More articles in Land from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().