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DIVISION S-3-SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY

Carbon Dynamics of Surface Residue– and Root-derived Organic Matter under Simulated No-till

^a USDA-ARS National Soil Tilth Laboratory, 2150 Pammel Dr., Ames, IA 50011 USA

cindyc{at}nstl.gov

No-till practices have the potential to increase soil organic C, but little is known about the relative contribution of surface residue and roots to soil organic C accumulation. In a simulated no-till experiment, we studied the fate of ¹⁴C-labeled surface residue and in situ roots during a 1-yr incubation. Soil samples collected during the incubation were chemically dispersed and separated into five particle size and density fractions. The organic C, ¹⁴C, and total N content of each fraction was determined. Alkali traps were used to measure ¹⁴C losses due to respiration. After 360 d, 66% of the ¹⁴C contained in the surface residue on Day 0 had been respired as ¹⁴CO₂, 11% remained in residue on the soil surface, and 16% was in the soil. In comparison, 56% of the root-derived ¹⁴C in the soil was evolved as ¹⁴CO₂ and 42% remained in the soil. The large (500–2000 µm) and small (53–500 µm) particulate organic matter (POM) fractions together contained 11 to 16% of the initial root-derived ¹⁴C in the soil. In contrast, POM contained only 1 to 3% of the inital surface residue–derived ¹⁴C. These data show clear differences in the partitioning of surface residue– and root-derived C during decomposition and imply that the beneficial effects of no-till on soil organic C accrual are primarily due to the increased retention of root-derived C in the soil.

Abbreviations: hPOM, heavy particulate organic matter • LSD, least significant difference • POM, particulate organic matter • SOM, soil organic matter

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