REGULAR ARTICLE Estimation of rhizodeposition at field scale: upscaling of a 14C labeling study

# The Author(s) 2012. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Background and aims Rhizodeposition of plants is the most uncertain component of the carbon (C) cycle. By existing approaches the amount of rhizodeposition can only roughly be estimated since its persistence in soil is very short compared to other organic C pools. We suggest an approach to quantify rhizodeposition at the field scale by assuming a constant ratio between rhizodeposited-C to root-C. Methods Maize plants were pulse-labeled with 14CO2 under controlled conditions and the soil 14CO2 efflux was separated into root and rhizomicrobial respiration. The latter and the 14C activity remaining in the soil corresponded to total rhizodeposition. By relatin