Articles | Volume 10, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-151-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-151-2024
Original research article
 | 
20 Feb 2024
Original research article |  | 20 Feb 2024

Mulch application as the overarching factor explaining increase in soil organic carbon stocks under conservation agriculture in two 8-year-old experiments in Zimbabwe

Armwell Shumba, Regis Chikowo, Christian Thierfelder, Marc Corbeels, Johan Six, and Rémi Cardinael

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Cited articles

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Angers, D. A., Bolinder, M. A., Carter, M. R., Gregorich, E. G., Drury, C. F., Liang, B. C., Voroney, R. P., Simard, R. R., Donald, R. G., Bevaert, R. P., and Martel, J.: Impact of tillage practices on organic carbon and nitrogen storage in cool, humid soils of eastern Canada, Soil Till. Res., 41, 191–201, https://doi.org/10.4141/S96-111, 1997. 
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Short summary
Conservation agriculture (CA), combining reduced or no tillage, permanent soil cover, and improved rotations, is often promoted as a climate-smart practice. However, our knowledge of the impact of CA on top- and subsoil soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in the low-input cropping systems of sub-Saharan Africa is rather limited. Using two long-term experimental sites with different soil types, we found that mulch could increase top SOC stocks, but no tillage alone had a slightly negative impact.