Abstract:
Objective Effect of rice straw or/and rice root additions on the particulate organic carbon and mineral-associated organic carbon in pedogenic horizon of paddy red soil were investigated based on the incubation experiment in the lab.
Method Soil samples were separately collected from the redox layer 1(Br1), plough bottom layer (Ap2) and hydroponic surface layer (Ap1) across the paddy red soil profile, which was located at the Sunjia Watershed, Jiangxi Province, China. Rice straw (S), rice root (s) and their mixture (S + R) were added into the tested soils based on equal carbon content, and they were cultured 210 days. The total organic carbon (TOC), particulate organic carbon (fPOC), occluded particulate OC (oPOC) and mineral bound OC (MOC) were gradually extracted by Sixs’ method after 30, 60, 120 and 210 days of incubation.
Result Additions of rice straw (S), rice root (R) and their mixture (S + R) with equal carbon content could significantly increase the TOC, fPOC, oPOC and MOC in Ap1, Ap2 and Br1 layers of paddy red soil. With the extension of culture time, theTOC, oPOC and MOC in all pedogenic horizons were significantly decreased , while the fPOC was significantly increased. The increments of TOC in treatments of R and S + R were obviously higher than that in treatment S; and the increment of TOC in Br1 soil was also significantly higher than that in Ap1 and Ap2 soils.
Conclusion In practical agricultural production, the mixture of rice straw and root should be returned deeply to the Br1 layer (20-40 cm) of paddy red soil, those could effectively improve the soil organic carbon sequestration.