Degradable film mulching increases soil carbon sequestration in major Chinese dryland agroecosystems

Plastic film mulching (PM), which contributes to nearly half of the increased crop yields in dryland agroecosystems, exacerbates environmental burdens due to its non-degradable nature. Globally, there is a growing demand to replace non-degradable PM with degradable film mulching (DM), yet its impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC) in dryland agroecosystems remains unknown. Here, using multi-field studies and mesocosm experiments, we found that DM strongly increased but PM reduced SOC storage (0–1 m). This difference is likely attributable to the higher microbial C use efficiency in soil under DM, leading to increased microbial-derived C compared to PM. Under the high roading scenario for 2100, DM could reduce the decomposition of SOC (0–1 m) in China’s drylands by 9.0 ± 1.0 Mg ha–1 year–1 (one standard error) compared with PM. Our findings highlight that DM is a promising alternative to PM for sequestrating SOC and alleviating C loss under climate change in dryland agroecosystems. Sustainable management of soil organic carbon (SOC) in farmland is critical for mitigating climate change and improving soil health. Degradable film mulching is a promising alternative to plastic film mulching, sequestering SOC and reducing C loss in dryland agroecosystems under climate change.