Contributions of residue-C and -N to plant growth and soil organic matter pools under planted and unplanted conditions

Abstract Soil microorganisms are considered the most effective decomposers of applied crop residues, but it is poorly understood which communities are primarily responsible for decomposition under different conditions. A pot experiment was conducted in a greenhouse to follow the cycling of C and N derived from maize ( Zea mays L.) residues labeled with both 13 C and 15 N to a subsequent winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) crop and to soil pools under planting with winter wheat (+P) or an unplanted control (–P), both in soil maintained at field moisture capacities of 40% and 80%. Soil microbes involved in residue decomposition were investigated by 13 C phospholipid fatty acid ( 13 C-PLFA) analysis technique. At wheat maturity, a total of 68% of residue N was recovered in the +P treatments, in which 26% was recovered from wheat plants and another 42% from soil total N (TN), independent of the water regimes, while only 50% was recovered from TN in the –P treatments. More residue C was recovered as soil organic carbon in +P than –P treatments (33% vs. 27%), and the trend became more significant with soil moisture. In addition, the +P soil had 35–48% larger microbial biomass carbon (MBC) than the –P soil, and more residue C was recovered as MBC in +P than –P treatments (7% vs. 4%), suggesting the induced microbial utilization of the applied residues. The distribution of the residue-derived PLFA-C showed that only 16:1ω7c and 18:1ω7c had larger relative abundances in the +P than the –P soils, suggesting that they were mainly stimulated by the presence of wheat and that they may be the most important fatty acids to define the different recoveries of residue N and C between the planted and unplanted conditions. Our results demonstrate that the enhanced recovery of residue-C and -N by the presence of wheat plants was mainly from the induced microbial utilization of applied residues by altering the activities of specific microorganisms.