DOES BURNING OF HARVESTING RESIDUES INCREASE SOIL CARBON STORAGE?

the influence of 31 years of stubble burning on the carbon storage as well of chemical composition of soil organic matter (som) was studied in agricultural soil of a long-term field experiment. additionally, the potential of black carbon (bc) produced by burning of harvesting residues, to be lost by horizontal as well as vertical transport was quantified during a rainfall simulation experiment. our results show that 31 years of stubbie burning as a regular agricultural practice did not change carbon storage or the chemical composition of som. this is most likely due to a small quantitative input of highly stable aromatic carbon into the soil. a significant portion of bc deposited on the soil surface by the fire may have been exported from the site as shown during the rainfall simulation experiment.