Linking crop diversification to microbial energy allocation and organic carbon storage in soil.

Crop diversification is a potentially attractive agricultural practice for enhancing organic C storage in soils. The aim of EnergyLink is to understand the link between crop diversity and the processing of organic C by the soil microbiome across a pan-European pedo-climatic gradient. The central hypothesis is that greater crop diversity results in more efficient microbial use of C, thus enhancing the potential of soils to store C. The underlying mechanisms will be elucidated by combining molecular level methods in a bioenergetics framework. Data will inform models describing the turnover of soil organic matter and implement future climate scenarios. The project will proivde policy relevant data on which to base future CAP instruments and contribute to the devlopoment of carbon farming.