CHARTING THE FOUNDATIONS OF SOIL HEALTH: DISCOVERING THE PLANT-MICROBE-SOIL INTERACTIONS THAT GOVERN SOM DYNAMICS

ObjectivesWe will quantify the effects of different cover crop species, new litter inputs, and litter x cover crop species interactions on MAOM, POM, enzyme activity, aggregate stability and microbial community composition and function.We will investigate the role of soil health status in governing SOM cycling processes during cover crop growth and following incorporation.We will quantify the role of different mechanisms in driving decomposition losses and SOM formation from root- and shoot-derived C and N.We will evaluate whether microbial community growth dynamics are linked to soil health status and determine whether these growth dynamics contribute to SOM accrual through in vivo transformation pathways.