Cover crop mixtures increase ecosystem multifunctionality in summer crop rotations with low N fertilization

Cropping diversification with cover crop mixtures combined low N fertilization represents an ecological alternative that may promote sustainability. Our objective was to evaluate changes on soil organic fractions and structure, biomass, main yield 5 years after the introduction of two mixtures, oats+forage radish (CC1) radish+vetch (CC2), in a soybean-soybean maize-soybean sequence maize. After years, from sequences crops had higher concentrations carbon (SOC) (23.3 vs 20.1 g kg−1), nitrogen (SON) (2.4 2.0 particulate (POC) (4.4 2.9 kg−1) at 0–5 cm depth than controls without crops, association C input aboveground which averaged 2.2 3.0 Mg ha−1 year−1 for CC1 CC2, respectively. Soil aggregation more stable (33.4 16.4%), it positively related SOC (R2 = 0.44, p < 0.01) POC 0.50, concentrations. CC2 proportion macropores mesopores over 300 μm 10–30 depth, Maize affected by rainfall: similar among treatments dry growing seasons (<5.0 ha−1) control humid (9.2 7.9 ha−1). Soybean except seasons, when yielded (3.4 2.8 This study demonstrates summer increase ecosystem multifunctionality including vetch mixture increases its production potential benefits, especially sequence.