Carabid beetle assemblage under diversified agroecosystems

Corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max Merrill) were planted in monoculture and strip-intercropping plots (18.3×15.5 m each) under conventional tillage and no-tillage to create differences in habitat structure. The effects of these agronomic practices on carabid beetle species composition were measured by pitfall-trap collections during three years. Although neither the number of individuals or number of species were significantly affected by treatments, analyses of variance indicated that four of the six dominant species (75.7% of the total number of carabids captured in three years) responded to tillage treatments.Harpalus pensylvanicus DeGeer andCyclotrachelus sodalis (LeConte) were more abundant in no-tillage plots, whereasPterostichus chalcites Say andScarites substriatus Haldeman were more common in conventional tillage plots.Pterostichus chalcites was also significantly more abundant in soybean plots than in intercropping or corn plots.H. pensylvanicus, a primarily herbivorous carabid, was the most common species collected. However,P. chalcites, a predaceous carabid, was the dominant species in soybean/conventional tillage plots. The results suggest that characteristics of individual species should be carefully considered for studies of communities such as carabid beetles, which have few strongly dominant species and a wide range of resource utilization.     

减量施氮对玉米-大豆套作系统下作物氮素吸收和利用效率的影响

为探索玉米-大豆套作系统中作物对N素吸收的差异特性,揭示减量施N对玉米-大豆套作系统的N高效利用机理。利用15N同位素示踪技术,结合小区套微区多年定位试验,研究了玉米单作(MM)、大豆单作(SS)、玉米-大豆套作(IMS)及不施N(NN)、减量施N(RN:180 kg N/hm2)、常量施N(CN:240 kg N/hm2)下玉米、大豆的生物量、吸N量、N肥利用率及土壤N素含量变化。结果表明,与MM(SS)相比,IMS下玉米茎叶及籽粒的生物量、吸N量降低,15N%丰度及15N吸收量增加,大豆籽粒及植株的生物量、吸N量及15N吸收量显著提高;IMS下玉米、大豆植株的N肥利用率、土壤N贡献率、土壤15N%丰度降低,15N回收率显著增加。施N与不施N相比,显著提高了单、套作下玉米、大豆植株的生物量、吸N量、15N丰度及15N吸收量;RN与CN相比,IMS下,RN的玉米、大豆植株总吸N量提高13.4%和12.4%,N肥利用率提高213.0%和117.5%,土壤总N含量提高12.2%和11.6%,土壤N贡献率降低12.0%和11.2%,玉米植株15N吸收量与15N回收率提高14.4%和52.5%,大豆的则降低57.1%和42.8%,单作与套作的变化规律一致。玉米-大豆套作系统中作物对N素吸收存在数量及形态差异,减量施N有利于玉米-大豆套作系统对N肥的高效吸收与利用,实现作物持续增产与土壤培肥。     

小麦间作豌豆对麦长管蚜及其主要天敌种群动态的影响

为探索麦田物种多样性对麦长管蚜Sitobion avenae的生态调控效应,于2007年10月至2008年7月在河北省廊坊市进行田间小区试验,系统调查了豌豆与小麦分别以2∶2,2∶4,2∶6和2∶8比例行间作(分别记作2-2间作、2-4间作、2-6间作和2-8间作)种植模式下麦长管蚜种群数量的时序动态, 同时分析了麦田主要天敌种群数量的时序动态、丰富度、多样性指数及均匀度的变化。结果表明：在麦长管蚜发生高峰期,小麦与豌豆间作麦长管蚜无翅蚜的百株蚜量（平方根转换）极显著低于单作田(P<0.01),其中小麦单作（77.38）>2-2间作（68.62）>2-4间作（68.51）>2-8间作（65.19）>2-6间作（64.94）。尽管不同种植模式下,麦长管蚜主要天敌的动态变化趋势基本一致,但间作处理的优势天敌瓢虫类和蚜茧蜂类均有较高的种群密度,天敌群落的丰富度明显提高,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数增加,但均匀度下降。总之,小麦间作豌豆不仅有效降低了麦长管蚜的种群数量,同时也增加了天敌控制害虫的稳定性和可持续性。     

Population Dynamics of Heterodera glycines in Conventional Tillage and No-Tillage Soybean/Corn Cropping Systems

The effects of no-tillage (NT), conventional tillage (CT), and crop rotation on soybean yield and population dynamics of Heterodera glycines were compared during a 7-year study in a silty clay loam soil with 6% organic matter. Either H. glycines-resistant ''Linford'' soybean or susceptible ''Williams 82'' soybean was rotated with corn and grown on 76-cm-wide rows in both tillage systems. Soybean was planted in 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000. Yield of Linford was significantly greater than Williams 82 in all years. Soybean yield was affected by tillage in 1999 and 2000. No-tillage production tended to support more reproduction (R = number of eggs at harvest/number of eggs at planting) on both cultivars. The largest R for Williams 82 were in 1998: 58.35 for NT plots and 11.78 for CT plots. For Linford, the largest R were 12.09 for NT plots in 1996, and 3.71 for CT in 1999. When corn was planted, R decreased more in NT. When soybean was planted in years subsequent to 1994, numbers of eggs at harvest (Pf) were greater for Williams 82 NT than for Williams 82 CT or Linford in both tillage systems; however, crop rotation with corn negated these population increases. The soil became suppressive to H. glycines in 1999 and was suppressive in 2000. After the 3 years of continuous soybean, Pf per 250 cm[sup3] soil were 2,870 for Williams 82 NT, 791 for Williams 82 CT, 544 for Linford NT, and 990 for Linford CT in 2000, compared with Pf of 13,100 for Williams 82 NT, 15,000 for Williams CT, 2,360 for Linford NT, and 2,050 for Linford CT in 1994. Describing population dynamics solely on the basis of R was not adequate, but also required independent examination of initial populations following overwintering and Pf after the growing season. Planting soybean either NT or CT in rotation with corn did not result in long-term increases in numbers of H. glycines eggs.     

Effects of crop diversification levels and fertilization regimes on abundance of Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) and its parasitization by Diaeretiella rapae (M’Intosh) in broccoli

1 The effects of intercropping via competition on crop yields, pest [cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae (L.)] abundance, and natural enemy efficacy were studied in the Brassica oleracea L. var. italica system. 2 From May to December 2004, insect populations and yield parameters were monitored in summer and autumn in broccoli monoculture and polyculture systems with or without competition from Brassica spp. (mustard), or Fagopyrum esculentum Moench (buckwheat), with addition of organic (compost) or synthetic fertilizer. 3 Competition from buckwheat and mustard intercrops did not influence pest density on broccoli; rather, aphid pressure decreased and natural enemies of cabbage aphid were enhanced in intercropping treatments, but this varied with the intercropped plant and season (summer vs. autumn). 4 In compost‐fertilized broccoli systems, seasonal parasitization rates of B. brassicae by Diaeretiella rapae (M’Intosh) increased along with the expected lower aphid pressure compared with synthetically fertilized plants.     

Intercropping with aromatic plants hindered the occurrence of Aphis citricola in an apple orchard system by shifting predator–prey abundances

Enhancing biological control of pests through habitat management in agricultural systems has gained increasing attention. Three different aromatic plants, ageratum (Agerarum houstonianum Mill.), French marigold (Tagetes patula L.) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), were chosen as intercrops for apple orchards to evaluate the effects of intercropping on Aphis citricola Van der Goot and its local natural enemies in China. We found that compared with natural vegetation, A. citricola abundance was significantly decreased by 29.26%, 35.80% and 38.28% in plots intercropped with ageratum, French marigold and basil, respectively. The number of natural enemies of A. citricola in plots intercropped with T. patula and O. basilicum were significantly higher than in plots of natural vegetation. Equally important, intercropping affected the composition of natural enemies and the population dynamics of A. citricola and its natural enemies. Annual cumulative numbers of natural enemies were significantly negatively correlated with A. citricola annual cumulative individual numbers except for O. tantillus. Our results demonstrate that intercropping with aromatic plants could be an effective method for biological control of A. citricola in apple orchards.     

Combining E-β-farnesene and methyl salicylate release with wheat-pea intercropping enhances biological control of aphids in North China

Combining intercropping with the release of semiochemicals may strengthen biological control of aphids as a push-pull strategy that simultaneously repels aphids and attracts their natural enemies. This hypothesis was tested in the Henan Province of China in 2016 where aphids, their natural enemies and mummies were trapped and observed on crops in three treatments: wheat-pea strip intercropping solely (control), intercropping combined with the release of E-β-farnesene (EBF) and intercropping combined with the release of methyl salicylate (MeSA). Each treatment was repeated four times. The abundance of aphids throughout the growing season (9 weeks between March and May) was significantly decreased and the abundance of natural enemies and mummies were significantly increased in treatments with releases of semiochemicals compared to intercropping solely. The effect was stronger with MeSA than with EBF on the control of Rhopalosiphum padi and pea aphids as well as on the attraction of lacewings and hoverflies. Indeed, lacewings and hoverflies were on average twice more numerous in MeSA than in the other treatments. These results show that combining wheat-pea intercropping with the release of EBF or MeSA can significantly reduce aphid density and attract their natural enemies and that this effect is strengthen with MeSA when compared to EBF.     

马铃薯/大豆套作对3个大豆品种光合指标和产量的影响

以大豆品种中黄30(早熟)、冀豆17(中熟)和齐黄34(晚熟)单作为对照,在大田条件下,研究马铃薯/大豆套作模式中3个品种生育期叶面积指数的变化及干物质积累的特征,分析套作马铃薯收获前后对大豆光合指标、产量及其构成因素的影响.结果表明： 生育前期阴蔽导致套作大豆叶面积指数(LAI)降低,干物质积累变缓,营养生长期相对延长,不同品种套作大豆光合速率(P_n)、蒸腾速率(T_r)和气孔导度(g_s)均低于单作.生育后期套作大豆生长加快,尤其是马铃薯收获后晚熟品种增幅显著提高.此时,套作大豆受光条件得到较大改善,表现出较强的补偿效应,LAI、干物质积累、P_n和g_s相对于单作上升幅度加大,接近于单作大豆,但不同品种补偿能力不同.与单作相比,套作模式下不同大豆品种的有效荚数、单株粒数及每荚粒数均有所降低,其中早熟品种分别显著下降22.0%、36.0%、17.6%,中熟品种下降5.1%、13.1%、8.9%,晚熟品种下降5.7%、7.6%、2.1%.套作模式下,中、晚熟大豆品种的产量较早熟品种分别高92.4%和163.4%,总土地当量比(LER)分别达到1.81和1.84.表明中、晚熟大豆品种与马铃薯组合套作优势更强,有利于马铃薯收获后大豆的补偿生长,促进套作大豆产量提高,充分发挥了复合群体的产量优势.     

Evaluating the enemies hypothesis in a clover‐cabbage intercrop: effects of generalist and specialist natural enemies on the turnip root fly (Delia floralis)

• 1 The relative importance of the resource concentration hypothesis and the enemies hypothesis was investigated for the turnip root fly Delia floralis in a cabbage–red clover intercropping system compared with a cabbage monoculture.
• 2 Delia floralis egg densities were measured as well as the activity‐densities of generalist predators in a field experiment during two growing seasons. In the second year, a study of egg predation with artificially placed eggs was conducted, in addition to a predator exclusion experiment, to estimate total predation during the season. Parasitization rates were estimated from samples of pupae.
• 3 Delia floralis oviposition was greater in the monoculture during both years. The predator activity‐densities differed between treatments and study years. The known natural enemies of Delia spp., Bembidion spp. and Aleochara bipustulata showed a strong response to a cultivation system with higher activity‐densities in the monoculture. The response, however, appeared to be caused primarily by habitat preferences and not by D. floralis egg densities.
• 4 The reduction in the number of D. floralis pupae in the intercropping may be explained by a disruption in oviposition behaviour caused by the presence of clover because neither predation, nor parasitization rates differed between cultivation systems.

     

Impact of intercropping aphid-resistant wheat cultivars withoilseed rape on wheat aphid (Sitobion avenae) and its natural enemies

The effects of intercropping of wheat cultivars and oilseed rape on the densities of wheat aphid, Sitobion avenae, and their arthropod natural enemies were evaluated. Three winter wheat cultivars with different resistant levels to S. avenae were used: ‘KOK’ (high resistance), ‘Xiaobaidongmai’ (low resistance) and ‘Hongmanghong’ (susceptible). The results showed that the densities of S. avenae were significantly higher on the monoculture pattern than on either the 8-2 intercropping pattern (eight rows of wheat with two rows of oilseed rape) or the 8-4 intercropping pattern (eight rows of wheat with four rows of oilseed rape). The mean number of predators and the mummy rates of S. avenae were significantly higher in two intercropping patterns than those in the monoculture pattern. The densities of S. avenae, ladybeetles, and mummy rate of S. avenae were significantly different among different wheat cultivars. The highest densities of S. avenae and ladybeetles were found on wheat cultivar Hongmanghong. The lowest densities of S. avenae associated with high mummy rate of S. avenae were found on wheat cultivar Xiaobaidongmai. The results showed that wheat-oilseed rape intercropping conserved more predators and parasitoids than in wheat monoculture fields, and partial resistance of wheat cultivar Xiaobaidongmai had complementary or even synergistic effects on parasitoid of S. avenae.     

不同类型棉田捕食性天敌的种群能量动态及其对害虫的控制作用

为充分发挥棉田捕食性天敌的生态调控作用,本文根据田间调查与室内测定的结果,以能量为统一单位,计算出了棉田捕食性瓢虫、蝽类、蜘蛛及所有捕食性天敌类种群的能流参数值,分析和比较了不同播种期、套间作和免耕法对棉田捕食性天敌种群能量获取利用的作用特点,总结出了各类天敌在不同类型棉田对害虫的控制作用规律,评价了它们在棉田生态系统中的作用与地位。     

Nitrogen mineralization and potential nitrification at different depths in acid forest soils

Yield decline of cereals grown in monoculture may be alleviated with alternative crop management strategies. Crop rotation and optimized tillage and fertilizer management can contribute to more sustainable food and fiber production in the long-term by increasing diversity, maintaining soil organic matter (SOM), and reducing adverse effects of excessive N application on water quality. We investigated the effects of crop sequence, tillage, and N fertilization on long-term grain production on an alluvial, silty clay loam soil in southcentral Texas. Crop sequences consisted of monoculture sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench,) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr), wheat/soybean double-crop, and rotation of sorghum with wheat/soybean. Grain yields tended to be lower with no tillage (NT) than with conventional tillage (CT) early in the study and became more similar after 11 years. Nitrogen fertilizer required to produce 95% to maximum sorghum yield was similar for monoculture and rotation upon initiation of the experiment and averaged 16 and 11 mg N g^-1 grain with NT and CT, respectively. After 11 years, however, the N fertilizer requirement became similar for both tillage regimes, but was greater in monoculture (17 mg N g^-1 grain) than in rotation (12 mg N g^-1 grain). Crop sequences with double-cropping resulted in greater land use efficiency because similar or lower amounts of N fertilizer were required to produce equivalent grain than with less intensive monoculture systems. These more intensive crop sequences produced more stover with higher N quality primarily due to the inclusion of soybean in the rotation. Large quantities of stover that remained on the soil surface with NT led to greater SOM content, which increased the internal cycling of nutrients in this soil. In southcentral Texas, where rainfall averages nearly 1000 mm yr^-1, more intensive cropping of sorghum, wheat, and soybean with moderate N fertilization using reduced tillage can increase grain production and potentially decrease N losses to the environment by cycling more N into the crop-SOM system.     

大豆-柑桔间作系统中作物对磷的吸收利用特性

微区试验和^32P同位素示踪技术研究大豆-柑桔间作系统中大豆和柑桔对不同土层中磷的吸收特征表明,大豆-柑桔间作大豆与柑桔对浅层磷具有强烈竞争作用,大豆和柑桔对浅层磷的利用率分别降低41．5％和14．7％,浅层磷肥对大豆和柑桔的供应量分别降低346．8mg／区和148．1mg／区。柑桔对土壤深层磷的吸收能力比大豆强,单作大豆对浅层磷的利用率比单作柑桔高104．8％,而对35cm和55cm土层磷的利用率分别比单作柑桔低25．6％和878．3％。大豆基本不能利用55cm及其以下的磷,利用率小于0．1％。大豆-柑桔间作可以提高大豆对深层磷肥的利用率,间作大豆对35cm和55cm土层磷肥的利用率比单作大豆分别高32．3％和175．0％。     

梨园芳香植物间作区中国梨木虱与其天敌类群的相互作用

为探讨间作芳香植物对梨园中国梨木虱与其天敌类群相互作用的影响,在梨园中设置不同种类的芳香植物间作处理,以清耕区为对照,研究不同芳香植物间作区中国梨木虱及其天敌类群组成、种群消长动态、时间生态位的变化,并进行灰色关联度分析。结果表明,不同处理区中国梨木虱及其天敌类群数量和发生频率、组成及时序特征、时间生态位宽度与重叠存在明显差别。在梨树年生长周期中,薄荷间作区的中国梨木虱的时间生态位宽度明显增大,多数天敌的时间生态位宽度显著增加,中国梨木虱与天敌种群发生量分布较均匀,但发生的高峰不明显,时间生态位重叠指数均较大,表现出时序上的同步性和跟随性。孔雀草间作区、罗勒间作区、自然生草区的中国梨木虱的生态位宽度较薄荷间作区小,有明显的高峰期,天敌的生态位宽度较对照大,无明显的高峰期。一些天敌种群如跳小蜂、丽草蛉、茧蜂、姬蜂与中国梨木虱在时序上同步性较大,跟随现象明显;而龟纹瓢虫、异色瓢虫和七星瓢虫等天敌种群与中国梨木虱在时序上同步性较差,跟随现象较弱。灰色关联度分析结果表明,薄荷间作区跳小蜂、孔雀草间作区中华大草蛉、罗勒间作区龟纹瓢虫和中华大草蛉、自然生草区丽草蛉、茧蜂、赤眼蜂对中国梨木虱的影响程度较其它种群大。结果显示,梨园间作芳香植物可能通过改变中国梨木虱及其天敌类群的组成、时序特征和生态位特征等控制中国梨木虱的发生。     

Influence of compaction from wheel traffic and tillage on arbuscular mycorrhizae infection and nutrient uptake by Zea mays

Interactive effects of seven years of compaction due to wheel traffic and tillage on root density, formation of arbuscular mycorrhizae, above-ground biomass, nutrient uptake and yield of corn (Zea mays L.) were measured on a coastal plain soil in eastern Alabama, USA. Tillage and soil compaction treatments initiated in 1987 were: 1) soil compaction from tractor traffic with conventional tillage (C,CT), 2) no soil compaction from tractor traffic with conventional tillage (NC,CT), 3) soil compaction from tractor traffic with no-tillage (C,NT), and, 4) no soil compaction from tractor traffic with no-tillage (NC,NT). The study was arranged as a split plot design with compaction from wheel traffic as main plots and tillage as subplots. The experiment had four replications. In May (49 days after planting) and June, (79 days after planting), root biomass and root biomass infected with arbuscular mycorrhizae was higher in treatments that received the NC,NT treatment than the other three treatments. In June and July (109 days after planting), corn plants that received C,CT treatment had less above-ground biomass, root biomass and root biomass infected with mycorrhizae than the other three treatments. Within compacted treatments, plants that received no-tillage had greater root biomass and root biomass infected with mycorrhizae in May and June than plants that received conventional tillage. Corn plants in no-tillage treatments had higher root biomass and root biomass infected with mycorrhizae than those in conventional tillage. After 7 years of treatment on a sandy Southeastern soil, the interactive effects of tillage and compaction from wheel traffic reduced root biomass and root biomass infected with mycorrhizae but did not affect plant nutrient concentration and yield. ei]J H Graham     

Relationship of Heliothis zea predators, parasitoids and entomopathogens to canopy development in soybean as affected by Heterodera glycines and weeds

The influence of canopy development in soybean on the survival of corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), egg and larval stages and population dynamics of arthropod fauna were evaluated in field trials during 1986–88 in eastern North Carolina. Soybean canopy size decreased as soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines Ichinohe (Nematoda: Heteroderidae), initial population densities increased. Plant species composition of the soybean canopy was affected by weed population densities. Mortality of H. zea larvae due to parasitism and infection with entomopathogens was greater in closed canopy and (or) weedy soybeans than in very open and (or) weed free soybeans. Predation and parasitism of corn earworm eggs were similar across nematode and weed density treatments. Natural enemy populations increased to highest levels during July in closed canopy and (or) weedy soybeans, coinciding with availability of largest prey population reservoirs. A delay in colonization of very open and (or) weed free soybeans by beneficial arthropods until mid to late August allowed greater H. zea larval survival than in closed canopy and (or) weedy soybeans. Arthropod species richness was generally greatest in closed canopy and (or) weedy soybeans during mid to late July, with differences becoming nonsignificant in August and early September. Mean and maximum ambient temperatures were higher and relative humidities lower in open canopy than in closed canopy plots. These conditions were less favorable for development of pathogens and natural enemies.     

供磷水平对间套作物根系酸性磷酸酶活性的影响

选择小麦／大豆和小麦／玉米２种模式,用盆栽法和根系栽培法研究了不同供磷水平对间套作物根系酸性磷酸酶（ＡＰase)活性的影响,试验得出：间套种植种植根系Ａpase的分泌量,套作大表兄弟经单作大豆平均提高３５．９％,而小麦和玉米在间套种植时也有不同程度地提高,说明间套种植有利于土壤有机磷向有效化方向转化,大豆不论单作还是间套作其根系ＡＰase都远高于相应小麦,而小麦又高于玉米,说明大豆利用土壤的潜在的能力大于小麦,而小麦又高于玉米,可见,禾谷类的小麦与大豆间套后不但能改善小麦的氮素营养状况还使磷素营养也得以好转。     

The effects of soil tillage on beneficial invertebrates within the vineyard

1 Tillage, commonly used in agroecosystems, can influence the abundance of invertebrates through factors such as habitat change and food availability.
2 The effects of tillage on the composition and abundance of invertebrates were examined in a vineyard near Mildura in Victoria, Australia, focusing particularly on groups that might act as natural enemies in vineyards. We used pitfall traps at ground level and sticky traps in the canopy.
3 The collections were first sorted to order. Beetles (Coleoptera) were sorted to family and ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) to genus.
4 Ants were the only group to be affected by tillage when all months were considered. The same genera occurred in both treatments but the abundance of several genera was reduced by tillage. Families of several beetles, including predators, increased in tilled areas. Spider, millipede, centipede and earwig numbers were decreased by tillage. In the canopy, Trichogrammatidae and other parasitoids decreased in abundance after tillage.
5 These results indicate that tillage influences the composition of invertebrates and has the potential to negatively affect the abundance of beneficial groups.     

Methyl salicylate attracts natural enemies and reduces populations of soybean aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in soybean agroecosystems

Methyl salicylate, an herbivore-induced plant volatile, has been shown to attract natural enemies and affect herbivore behavior. In this study, methyl salicylate was examined for its attractiveness to natural enemies of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), and for its direct effects on soybean aphid population growth rates. Methyl salicylate lures were deployed in plots within organic soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] fields. Sticky card traps adjacent to and 1.5 m from the lure measured the relative abundance of natural enemies, and soybean aphid populations were monitored within treated and untreated plots. In addition, exclusion cage studies were conducted to determine methyl salicylate's effect on soybean aphid population growth rates in the absence of natural enemies. Significantly greater numbers of syrphid flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) and green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) were caught on traps adjacent to the methyl salicylate lure, but no differences in abundance were found at traps 1.5 m from the lure. Furthermore, abundance of soybean aphids was significantly lower in methyl salicylate-treated plots. In exclusion cage studies, soybean aphid numbers were significantly reduced on treated soybean plants when all plants were open to natural enemies. When plants were caged, however, soybean aphid numbers and population growth rates did not differ between treated and untreated plants suggesting no effect of methyl salicylate on soybean aphid reproduction and implicating the role of natural enemies in depressing aphid populations. Although aphid populations were reduced locally around methyl salicylate lures, larger scale studies are needed to assess the technology at the whole-field scale.     

Soil carbon storage potential of direct seeding mulch-based cropping systems in the Cerrados of Brazil

No‐tillage cropping systems with direct seeding into a mulch of plant residues from cover crops – the so‐called direct seeding mulch‐based cropping (DMC) systems – have been adopted widely over the last 10–15 years in the Cerrado region of Brazil. They are replacing the traditional soybean monoculture with bare fallow using conventional tillage (CT) practices. The objective of this study was to examine how DMC practices affect soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and to assess their potential for enhanced soil carbon (C) storage. The approach was to determine soil C stocks along a chronosequence of fields under DMC, and then to apply the generic decomposition and yield (G'DAY) plant–soil model to analyse the soil C storage potential for a number of cropping systems. Forty‐five fields were selected on a plateau of Ferralsols in the central Cerrado region to represent a chronosequence of 0–12 years under continuous DMC. Before DMC the fields had been under CT soybean monoculture following the clearing of the native savannah. An average increase in SOC stocks of 0.83 Mg C ha^?1 yr^?1 in the 0–20 cm topsoil was measured. The corresponding increase in total soil nitrogen was 79 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1. The G'DAY model predicted a net accumulation of 0.70–1.15 Mg C ha^?1 yr^?1 in the 0–40 cm topsoil for the first 12 years, depending on the type of soil and DMC system. Model predictions showed that less soil C was accumulated under DMC systems that commenced immediately after clearing the native savannah. Gains in soil C under DMC were primarily due to the introduction of a second crop that caused higher net primary productivity, leading to higher plant C inputs to soil. A rough estimation shows that the conversion of 6 million ha of CT soybean monoculture to DMC in the Cerrados would enhance soil C storage by 4.9 Tg C yr^?1 during at least the first 12 years following the conversion to DMC.