Data for: Optimized crop rotations increase biomass production without changing soil carbon and nitrogen stocks
Description
To meet the growing challenges for food security, renewable resource production and climate change adaptation, optimized crop rotations (OCRs) should aim to maximize biomass production while minimizing carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) footprints. However, the effects of OCRs on aboveground biomass production and soil C and N stocks as well as the potential links between them remain poorly understood. In this study in Denmark, we simultaneously investigated biomass production and soil C and N stocks from two traditional monocultures (TMs) as well as from four OCRs. Averaged across five years, OCRs significantly increased aboveground biomass production by 23% as compared to TMs. After five years, there was no difference between OCRs and TMs in soil C and N contents in any of the soil layers (0-20, 20-50, and 50-100 cm). Moreover, OCRs had no effect on surface soil C and N stocks compared to TMs, even when examined by equivalent soil mass. Specifically, there was no relation between aboveground biomass production and the changes in soil C and N stocks. Our results highlight that it is feasible to produce more biomass through OCRs without reducing soil C and N stocks, whereas long-term observations are required.