Work

Single compost application rates for organic carbon retention in Albic Retisols: field and model-based trials

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Using compost in agriculture benefits waste management and soil health. The practical recommendation for the single application rate of compost in terms of the microbial community functioning for carbon retention still needs to be specified. It could be both economically and ecologically viable. The study combines two trials to ascertain: (1) short-term dynamics in indices of C retention (organic and microbial carbon content) and loss (basal respiration and soil respiration in situ) after a single application of compost to Albic Retisols at low and high (30 and 70 Mg dry mass ha −1 , respectively) rates for 1.5 years in a field trial; (2) long-term effects of compost application rates from 10 to 100 Mg ha −1 on the retention of a stable C pool considering two climate change scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) using the DeNitrification–DeComposition model. The short-term trial revealed that the low application rate of compost was more effective due to higher soil capacity to assimilate C into microbial biomass in relation to C loss under conditions of accelerated organic matter decomposition. The long-term modeling trial demonstrated that a stable pool of C can be maintained for two decades following a single application of compost at a rate of at least 30 Mg ha −1 . The results suggest that the single application of compost at rates of 30 Mg ha −1 shows promise for the retention of C in the stable pool over a period of at least two decades for Albic Retisols under the milder rate of climate change.

Source: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2026.1945623