Tian et al. (2025): Stover return enhances the transformation and sequestration of photosynthetic carbon through regulating soil food web
Yijia Tian, Xinchang Kou, Tingting An, Liangjie Sun, Qi Li, Wenju Liang, Xiaoke Zhang, IN: Journal of Cleaner Production, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.146910
In agroecosystems, the biological fixation of atmospheric carbon by crops through photosynthesis is one of the most important precursors of soil carbon sequestration. Residue return as a conservational agricultural management practice replenishes soil carbon substrates and triggers soil food web. However, there is still a lack of studies on the priming effect of residue return on photosynthetic carbon transformation and turnover, and then soil carbon sequestration through regulating soil food web, which hinders us from evaluating the efficiency and sustainability of resource utilization. To analyze the priming effect of residue return, stover return (SR) and stover removal (CK) were conducted in the maize field experiment. Then the situ ¹³C labeling microplot experiment was further carried out to trace crop photosynthetic carbon turnover pathway into soil on the basis of the field experiment.