Organic amendments are a key method in enhancing chemical, physical and biological properties of degraded soils. Low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) released by plant roots are the major components of organic materials surrounding soil and play a determinant role in agricultural ecosystems. The Mollisols region in China is suffering soil erosion threatening the agricultural productivity in the region.

Associated Prof./Dr. MIAO Shujie of Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and her team assessed the modulating of cattle manure addition on soil LMWOAs concentration with three levels of simulated-erosion, 0, 10 and 30 cm of topsoil removal during 7-yr repeated application (2004 to 2011).

By sampling the soil samples at the flowering stage in soybean and the jointing stage in corn, and measuring oxalate, malate, malonate, lactate, maleate, formate and acetate concentrations in rhizospherel and bulk soil.

The research results indicated that addition of cattle manure would be an effective approach in modifying soil biological properties through the increases in LMWOAs to eroded Chinese Mollisols.

The research observation has been published in Plant and Soil, 2013 (584): 369-577, doi: 10.1007/s11104-013-1594-3