Long-term fertilization effects on soil organic carbon sequestration in an Inceptisol

Limited information is available on long-term fertilization impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in deep soils and C pools within bulk soils and aggregates. Hence, the major objectives of this study were to evaluate long-term (44 years) fertilization impacts on: (i) soil aggregation, labile and recalcitrant C pools within bulk soils and aggregates and (ii) deep soil C accumulation versus sequestration. Treatments were: no mineral fertilizer or manure (control), 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (N), N and phosphorus (NP), N, P and potassium (NPK), 150% recommended NPK (150% NPK), and NPK + farmyard manure (FYM) (NPK + FYM). Labile C, recalcitrant C, total SOC and glomalin in bulk soils and their aggregates were determined in the 0-15 and 15-30 cm soil layers. In addition, total SOC, labile and recalcitrant C contents were measured in the 30-60 and 60-90 cm soil layers. Results revealed that C accumulation and sequestration in NPK + FYM over control plots were 0.74 and 0.22 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, respectively, in 0-90 cm soil layer with >50% of the accumulated C in deep soil layers (30-90 cm). In 0-15 cm layer, despite NPK + FYM and NPK plots had similar amounts of soil macroaggregates, microaggregates were 27% higher with NPK + FYM than NPK, causing higher aggregate stability. Plots with NPK and NPK + FYM had more labile: recalcitrant C ratios in bulk soils than control, NP and N plots. The NPK + FYM plots also had highest recalcitrant C pools within macro- and microaggregates. Glomalin was generally positively correlated with all labile C pools in both soil layers. Additionally, mean weight diameter (MWD) was positively correlated with aggregate-associated C and glomalin within bulk soils. Overall, NPK + FYM management practice not only had higher C accumulation and sequestration in surface and deep soils, but also had better aggregation and ∼26% greater carbon management index than NPK in soil surface and hence should be adopted.