Organic input is a widely recognized amendment for soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and soil quality improvement. A short-term (2-yr) field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of green manure (GM) planting, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw return and farmyard manure application, and their interactions on SOC sequestration in a rain-fed winter wheat system in Northwest China. Ten combinations of two cultivation practices, conventional wheat monoculture (G0) and green manure-winter wheat rotation (G), and five fertilization methods during the wheat season: (a) no basal fertilization (B0), (b) basal chemical fertilization (B), (c) basal chemical fertilization plus wheat straw return (B + S), (d) basal chemical fertilization plus manure application (B + M) and (e) basal chemical fertilization plus wheat straw return and manure application (B + S+ M) were tested. Compared with theircontrols, M, S, and G increased the SOC stock in the 0-to-10-cm soil layer by an average of 20.7, 6.8, and 6.3%, respectively, and increased in the 10-to-20-cm soil layer by an average of 15.8, 4.7, and 6.6%, respectively. Manure exhibited a 55.9% carbon sequestration efficiency (CSE) in the 0-to-20-cm soil layer, followed by GM and wheat straw which exhibited CSEs of 27.7 and 19.3%, respectively. Nevertheless, combinations of G, M, and S, increased the SOC stock in cumulative manners without significant interactions. Positive relationships (P < .05) existed between the SOC sequestration and cumulative C input in both G0 and G. Therefore, G, S, and M, and their combinations were all effective for SOC sequestration in this cropping system.The G + M+ S was optimal for promoting SOC sequestration over the short term.