The effects of co-application of organic fertilizer and limestone powder on soil organic carbon and its fractions in rubber plantations: associations with microbial necromass carbon and Fe/Al oxides
- 1Yunnan Key Laboratory of Sustainable Utilization Research on Rubber Tree, Jinghong, Yunnan, China
- 2Yunnan Institute of Tropical Crops, Jinghong, Yunnan, China
Abstract
Introduction: Rubber plantations serve as significant carbon reservoirs within China’s terrestrial ecosystems. To provide a scientific foundation for improving soil fertility management, this study investigated the response of soil organic carbon and its components in rubber plantations to different soil amendments.
Methods: Soil samples were collected from the 0–20 cm horizon of acidic soils in second-generation rubber plantations in Jinghong City, Yunnan Province. A laboratory incubation experiment was then conducted with four treatments: an unamended control (CK), organic fertilizer alone (T1), limestone powder alone (T2), and a combined organic fertilizer and limestone powder treatment (T3). The effects of these amendments on soil organic carbon and its fractions, iron and aluminum oxides, and microbial necromass carbon were systematically evaluated.
Results: The results demonstrated that under T3, Organic carbon (SOC) increased significantly by 12.80%, relative to CK (p < 0.05). Treatments T2 and T3 significantly enhanced microbial necromass carbon (by 6.92–10.90%), fungal necromass carbon (by 6.60–11.32%), and bacterial necromass carbon (by 7.79–9.74%) compared to CK (p < 0.05). T3 also significantly increased amorphous (Feo, Alo) and complexed (Fep, Alp) iron and aluminum oxides (p < 0.05). Two-way ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between organic fertilizer and limestone powder on POC, MAOC, MNC, and oxide forms, indicating an interactive regulatory effect on the distribution of carbon fractions and the transformation of mineral forms. Regression and correlation analyses showed microbial necromass carbon and Fe/Al oxides significantly positively correlated with SOC and its fractions, suggesting close associations among necromass accumulation, oxide protection, and SOC fraction changes. VPA showed that the shared explanatory power of microbial and mineral variables for SOC stabilization exceeded their respective pure effects.
Conclusion: In summary, microbial necromass carbon, iron and aluminum oxides, and pH are closely related to soil organic carbon and its components. The combined application of organic fertilizer and limestone powder is highly effective in mitigating soil acidification and increasing SOC, microbial necromass carbon, and iron and aluminum oxides, and can serve as a reference for soil fertility management and carbon pool regulation in acidified soils of tropical rubber plantations.
Related
- Effects of long-term application of organic fertilizer from distillers’ grains on the soil microbiome
- Effects of chemical fertilizer application on soil properties, banana ( Musa paradisiaca ) yields, and soil microbiomes in a long-term cultivation field
- Co-application of organic fertilizer and composite microbial inoculant improves soil quality and cotton yield in saline-alkaline cotton fields of southern Xinjiang
- Environmental impacts of global industrial and smallholder oil palm plantations: historical dynamics and future climate risks
- Limestone exposures of North-West Laos containing Carboniferous or Permian fossils
BibTeX
@article{yang2026effects,
title = {{The effects of co-application of organic fertilizer and limestone powder on soil organic carbon and its fractions in rubber plantations: associations with microbial necromass carbon and Fe/Al oxides}},
author = {Jifen Yang and Shunjun Geng and Xiaoling Shi and Qianghao Zhang and Chunxia Yang},
journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2026.1970224},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1970224},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The effects of co-application of organic fertilizer and limestone powder on soil organic carbon and its fractions in rubber plantations: associations with microbial necromass carbon and Fe/Al oxides
AU - Jifen Yang
AU - Shunjun Geng
AU - Xiaoling Shi
AU - Qianghao Zhang
AU - Chunxia Yang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/12
JO - Frontiers in Microbiology
DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2026.1970224
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1970224
AB - Introduction: Rubber plantations serve as significant carbon reservoirs within China’s terrestrial ecosystems. To provide a scientific foundation for improving soil fertility management, this study investigated the response of soil organic carbon and its components in rubber plantations to different soil amendments. Methods: Soil samples were collected from the 0–20 cm horizon of acidic soils in second-generation rubber plantations in Jinghong City, Yunnan Province. A laboratory incubation experiment was then conducted with four treatments: an unamended control (CK), organic fertilizer alone (T1), limestone powder alone (T2), and a combined organic fertilizer and limestone powder treatment (T3). The effects of these amendments on soil organic carbon and its fractions, iron and aluminum oxides, and microbial necromass carbon were systematically evaluated. Results: The results demonstrated that under T3, Organic carbon (SOC) increased significantly by 12.80%, relative to CK (p < 0.05). Treatments T2 and T3 significantly enhanced microbial necromass carbon (by 6.92–10.90%), fungal necromass carbon (by 6.60–11.32%), and bacterial necromass carbon (by 7.79–9.74%) compared to CK (p < 0.05). T3 also significantly increased amorphous (Feo, Alo) and complexed (Fep, Alp) iron and aluminum oxides (p < 0.05). Two-way ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between organic fertilizer and limestone powder on POC, MAOC, MNC, and oxide forms, indicating an interactive regulatory effect on the distribution of carbon fractions and the transformation of mineral forms. Regression and correlation analyses showed microbial necromass carbon and Fe/Al oxides significantly positively correlated with SOC and its fractions, suggesting close associations among necromass accumulation, oxide protection, and SOC fraction changes. VPA showed that the shared explanatory power of microbial and mineral variables for SOC stabilization exceeded their respective pure effects. Conclusion: In summary, microbial necromass carbon, iron and aluminum oxides, and pH are closely related to soil organic carbon and its components. The combined application of organic fertilizer and limestone powder is highly effective in mitigating soil acidification and increasing SOC, microbial necromass carbon, and iron and aluminum oxides, and can serve as a reference for soil fertility management and carbon pool regulation in acidified soils of tropical rubber plantations.
SN - 1664-302X
ER -