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Organic residues management (ORM) alter plant traits and soil properties by changing nutrient and carbon cycling. It is unclear how ORM (mulching, compost, and their combination) applied for 18 months creates a mechanism to promote changes in a P. pyrifolia field. Our aim was to evaluate the influence of ORM on P. pyrifolia nutritional status, plant traits, yield, and carbon sequestration in a 16-year subtropical P. pyrifolia field. For this purpose, we performed an experiment in a randomized block design, using a factorial scheme 2 × 2, with the use of Compost and Mulching (e.g., presence and absence). The highest values of leaves N content, plant height, stem biomass, root biomass, total biomass, yield, and above- and belowground carbon (C) density were found on plots that received compost as the ORM. For soil organic C stock, the highest values were found on plots where mulching was applied. Finally, the highest values of total C density were found on plots that received the combination of Mulching and Compost. Our findings suggest that: (i) the use of Compost is the best alternative to promote leaves N content, plant height, stem dry biomass, root dry biomass, and total dry biomass, plant yield, and above- and belowground C density into a 16-year P. pyrifolia field into subtropical conditions; and (ii) the soil organic C stocks were improved using just the mulching treatment. The results highlight the importance of considering just one organic residue practice based on a sustainable way to improve both plant production and carbon sequestration, no differences were found between the use of compost and the combination of compost and mulching.

The use of mulching, compost, and their interaction on organic residue (OR) decomposition rate (k), time of residue decay, primming effect, and soil organisms’ community composition was tested in a 16-year P. pyrifolia field experiment conducted from January 2020 to June 2021. A 2 × 2 factorial design was used with compost and mulching as the two factors within four blocks. OR decomposition was characterized by using litter bags with different mesh, and soil organisms were identified at family level. The half-decay rate (hd), total-decay rate (td), and remaining residue mass (Rm) varied among the organic residue management and mesh-type. The highest values of k and primming effect were found in litter bags with 15 mm2 size containing compost in the plots that received compost. For soil organisms’ abundance and richness, the highest values were found on plot that received both mulching and compost. The observed results suggested that the OR management determined organic matter decomposition, soil organisms’ abundance and richness in an Acrisols of the Southern Brazil. Soil organisms were the main factors contributing to the data variance (e.g., Acaridae, Blattidae, Chrysopidae, Halictophagidae, and Forficulidae).

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