Tracing Rhizodeposition Contributions to Soil Organic Carbon under Long-Term Tillage in a Wheat-Maize System Using
Wen-Sheng Liu1,2,3, Hong-Xuan Duan1,2,3, Yu-Xuan Che1,2,3
1State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Abstract:
Transferring photosynthetic C to soil organic C (SOC) via rhizodeposition is essential for soil health and soil C sequestration. This study employed 13C isotope labeling to quantify rhizodeposition C transfer and examined its relationship with soil properties and microbial communities in a 15-year long-term tillage experiment. The treatments included no-tillage (NTS), plow tillage (CTS), and rotary tillage (RTS), all implemented with straw return. The results showed that the rhizodeposition C transfer and microbial community compositions varied between wheat and maize. Rhizosphere-specific taxa, such as Galbitalea in wheat and Priestia in maize, were enriched under NTS. Compared to CTS, RTS increased rhizosphere 13C-SOC by 65% in wheat, while NTS increased it by 99% in maize, thereby enhancing rhizodeposition C transfer. Furthermore, NTS facilitated fungal community stability and DOC turnover, collectively promoting rhizodeposition C transfer. Optimizing crop-specific tillage strategies can enhance C transfer, improve soil health, and mitigate climate change.
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