Use of organic substrates for increasing soil organic matter quality and carbon sequestration of tropical degraded soil: a 3-year mesocosms experiment.

Background: Exogenous organic matter may be valuable amendments for degraded tropical soil in Northern Vietnam. Their effect on carbon storage and composition need to be evaluated. Method: The study investigates soil from mesocosms cultivated with maize and amended with four different kinds of amendments: only mineral fertilizers (control), buffalo manure, compost or vermicompost as well as biochar. Results: All organic amendments showed a positive effect on soil carbon storage and significantly influenced soil organic matter quality. The presence of biochar increased lignin-derived compounds abundance as well as both plant and microbial sugar content of soil amended with vermicompost but had no effect in the case of control soil. Conclusion: Synergistic effects between plants and different organic amendments influence carbon storage and soil organic matter composition. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]