Soil carbon turnover and balance in the priming effects of basalt, montmorillonite, and kaolinite in a Luvisol soil

Purpose Basalt weathering has the potential to absorb and sequester CO 2 as inorganic carbon, while its weathering byproducts, montmorillonite and kaolinite, have the capacity to stabilize organic carbon. Nonetheless, the practical viability of basalt weathering in achieving the stabilization of inorganic carbon and its impact on organic carbon dynamics in the soil priming effect (PE) remains unclear. Methods An incubation experiment was conducted by adding 13 C-glucose with or without basalt, montmorillonite, or kaolinite to a Luvisol soil planted with peach ( Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) for more than 20 years. CO 2 emission and its 13 C value were continuously measured to calculate the PE and soil net carbon balance. Results After a 28-day incubation, basalt resulted in an increase in soil pH from 5.32 to 7.17 and showed a 143.7% and 168.6% increase in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and soil inorganic carbon (SIC), respectively. Subsequently, basalt induced the highest cumulative PE among all treatments, with the activities of soil β-glucosidase (S-β-GC), soil leucine amino peptidase (S-LAP), and soil catalase (S-CAT) being the highest. Furthermore, kaolinite significantly decreased emissions of CO 2 -C, glucose mineralization, and cumulative PE ( P