Institution: | 1.College of Natural Resources and Environment,South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou,People’s Republic of China;2.College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture,South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou,People’s Republic of China |
Abstract: | PurposeApplication of functional organisms in soil organic amendments has the potential to accelerate organic matter decomposition and stimulate C cycling. In this study, a short-term (a year) field experiment was conducted to investigate the collaborative effects of earthworms and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria on C accumulation in pig manure-amended soil.Materials and methodsA field experiment was conducted with six treatments established. The first three treatments, including control (CK), pig manure (Pm), and pig manure?+?slurry (Pm?+?S), were set up to evaluate the influences of pig manure on soil C accumulation. The other three treatments, including manure?+?slurry?+?earthworms (Te), manure?+?slurry?+?phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (Tb), and manure?+?slurry?+?earthworms?+?bacteria (T(e?+?b)), were set up to investigate the collaborative effects of functional organisms on soil C cycling. The Pm?+?S treatment was chosen as the control (T) for this purpose.Results and discussionThe results showed that the soil C pools did not increase significantly under the manure treatment. In contrast, an integrated application of manure, slurry, earthworms, and bacteria significantly increased the various C fractions, such as SOC and humin, indicating a rapid and positive effect of earthworms and bacteria on C accumulation. Besides, C sequestration by the integrated application was as high as 1.35 Mg C ha?1 soil, half of which was stabilized.ConclusionsThe T(e?+?b) was an efficient strategy to sequestrate and stabilize SOC in arid hillside soils. The bacteria increased the labile OC, especially microbial biomass C, while the earthworms were apparently essential for the increase in stable OC. |