Agricultural management strategies to actively promote subsoil carbon storage

作者：Davey L. Jones, Emily C. Cooledge, Daisy Alston, David R. Chadwick · 发表于：Soil and Tillage Research · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.still.2025.106846 · 被引用次数：15 · 研究领域：Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics、Bioenergy crop production and management、Soil Management and Crop Yield

Agricultural subsoils (> 0.2 m depth) are a vital carbon (C) sink, offering significant stable, long-term C storage due to their undisturbed and protective soil physicochemical properties and low microbial activity. Full of untapped potential, the subsoil is a critically important C reservoir for global C sequestration that has been underutilised and overlooked both by policymakers and researchers, resulting in significant research gaps with wide-reaching impacts on regional and global C modelling. However, subsoil environments often present inherent challenges for biological C inputs, including increased compaction, acidity, oxygen deficiency, and nutrient limitations that constrain root development and microbial activity. Recent advances in agricultural management have identified several key strategies to promote subsoil C sequestration, including mechanical interventions (e.g., deep tillage, straw burial), chemical amendments (e.g., biochar, mineral additions), biological approaches (e.g., deep-rooting crops and forage species), and land use transitions (e.g., cropland conversion to grassland or agroforestry systems). Here, we critically examine the current evidence for different subsoil C storage and protection strategies, focusing on their mechanisms, efficacy, and practical implications for agricultural systems. We identify key research gaps and the balance between the co-benefits (e.g., improved soil structure, reduced nutrient leaching at depth) and negative impacts (...