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Lime application combined with complementary sustainable management practices increases crop yields, but liming is only modestly applied in Serbia. This study investigated the influence of liming (1000 kg/ha) combined with the common application of mineral fertilizers on maize yield and the chemical properties of pseudogley soil. The experiment was conducted near Kraljevo, Western Serbia, on the maize hybrid ZP 606 sown in a two-year monoculture. The experiment had three treatments: fertilizer, fertilizer + lime, and a control treatment. The soil is acid, poor in humus, and contains an increased content of mobile aluminum. There was a significant increase in yield under the fertilizer and lime + fertilizer treatments, compared to the control. The yield of maize in the limed treatment was 4.4–9% higher than in the fertilizer treatment. The positive effects of liming on soil are related to an increase in pH, base saturation, and available phosphorus, and a decrease in available aluminum. In the fertilizer treatment, there was a small decrease in pH and base saturation, whereas the amount of aluminum remained high, indicating that the further application of fertilizers without lime can increase aluminum content and foster its toxicity. The long-term sustainability of maize production in Serbia should include liming as a regular management practice on pseudogley soil, with the utilization of smaller doses of lime because of the potential CO2 effects. To improve soil health, food, and environmental security, and to incorporate new crops, developing a framework promoting liming as a sustainable management practice is of high importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbially mediated soil organic matter is an extremely sensitive pool that indicates subtle changes in the quality parameters. The calculation of different carbon pools (organic carbon—OC, labile carbon—PMC, light carbon—LFC and microbial carbon—MBC), their sequestration rate (Csr) and efficiency (Cse), as affected by 50 yrs. of mineral fertilization, was carried out. The C sequestration rates between the fertilized plots were not significantly different except for the control plot. The sensitivity index, which indicates the response of soil organic matter to changes in different carbon fractions, demonstrated a strong correlation with the amount of light-fraction organic matter (OM). The use of mineral N over 50 years resulted in increase of soil labile C, but did not result in greater C sequestration efficiency. The results give a deeper insight into the behavior of carbon pools and can serve as a reliable basis for further studies focused on neutral carbon emissions and effective C sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]