PEPR FairCarboN CANETE project: launch of a decomposition experiment with isotopically labelled crop residues

CANETE investigates carbon and nitrogen uses by soil microorganisms across cropping, grassland, and forest ecosystems in France. While one component of the study examines a set of nine ecosystems, this four‑month experiment will focus specifically on microbial processes during the decomposition of isotopically labelled crop residues (¹³C and ¹⁵N) in the topsoil. The labelling will enable precise tracking of the fate of carbon and nitrogen within microorganisms, their mineralization, and their transformation into the different soil pools.

Ecosystems representing diverse nitrogen‑fertilization management regimes were selected. Soils from four management treatments are being examined:

1. XylsoSylve system at Pierroton – an intensive woody‑biomass production system with optimised nitrogen nutrition;

2. CA‑SYS agro‑ecology platform at Époisses – fertilization based solely on the introduction of leguminous plants.

3. Two treatments from the Agro‑Ecological Systems, Biogeochemical Cycles and Biodiversity (ACBB) site at Estrées‑Mons – large‑crop fields comparing a conventional, heavily fertilized regime with a less‑fertilized regime that incorporates legume rotations.

The crop residues used in the experiment are flax, wheat and rye. Microbial processes will be analyzed in collaboration with the IAM, EcoSys and METIS laboratories.

This experiment will provide detailed information on decomposition processes in soils that have a low nitrogen supply.

Site web du projet : https://www.pepr-faircarbon.fr/projets/canete

Contact : Gwenaëlle Lashermes, gwenaelle.lashermes@inrae.fr; Gonzague Alavoine, Gonzague.alavoine@inrae.fr