Growing soil organic carbon in dryland agricultural systems

Abstract

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a crucial role in dryland agricultural systems, improving resilience, productivity and delivering a range of ecosystem services including carbon (C) sequestration and broader ecosystem health. Although the net primary production (NPP) is the principal source of C inputs to soil, plant–microbe interactions can help increase NPP and stimulate plant C inputs to the soil through a variety of mechanisms. Additionally, the soil microbial community plays a crucial role in the loss (CO2 respiration) and stabilisation of SOC. With improved understanding of soil microbiomes and plant–microbe interactions, there are new emerging strategies in which microorganisms may be harnessed either directly or indirectly to increase the amount of C added and stabilised in dryland soils.