Database: Optimized cropping rotations increase biomass production without changing soil carbon stock

To meet the twin key challenges from food security and climate change, optimized cropping rotations (CRs) should aim to maximize biomass production while minimizing carbon (C) footprints. However, the effects of CRs on biomass production and soil carbon stock (SCS) remain poorly understood, because they are not frequently studied within the same agroecosystem. In this study, we simultaneously investigated biomass production and SCS from three conventional agricultures and from four CRs in central Denmark. Averaged across the five-year rotations, CRs significantly increased biomass production by 32%. Meanwhile, CRs had no effect on the SCS, even when examined by equivalent soil mass method (by considering changes in soil bulk density). Changes in biomass production were not significantly correlated with the corresponding changes in SCS, whereas relatively increases in SCS were closely associated with lower biomass production variability. Our results highlight that future optimized CRs should aim to enhance biomass production and SCS simultaneously, not only for the climate mitigation benefits but also for increasing biomass production stability.