Biogeochemistry of Agroecosystems

My research interests:

  • Disentangling subsoil carbon dynamics and sources in hot spots


    For this, I mainly use biomarkers of microbial biomass and necromass (13C-PLFA, amino sugars, neutral sugars, uronic acids, PHA), as well as biomarkers of root and shoot biomass (Cutin, suberin, lignin, pentoses, free lipids, e.g. terminal hydroxy fatty acids, n-alkanes). Preferably these are used with stable or radioactive isotopes.



  • Radionuclides as a toolbox for visualising soil processes,

    e.g. diffusion, rhizodeposition, biopore reuse. Here, my favorites are 137Cs, 14C and 33P, in combination with phosphor imaging. One of the main goals is to quantify and visualise biopore re-use to assess the importance of biopores on the field-scale.




My publications:


  • Ahmed, M.A., Banfield, C.C., Sanaullah, M., Gunina, A., Dippold, M.A., 2017. Utilisation of mucilage C by microbial communities under drought. Biology and Fertility of Soils 67, 31.10.1007/s00374-017-1237-6 (equal contribution)


  • Athmann, M., Kautz, T., Banfield, C., Bauke, S., Hoang, D.T.T., Lüsebrink, M., Pausch, J., Amelung, W., Kuzyakov, Y., Köpke, U., 2017. Six months of L. terrestris L. activity in root-formed biopores increases nutrient availability, microbial biomass and enzyme activity. Applied Soil Ecology 120, 135–42.10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.08.015.


  • Banfield, C.C., Braun, A.C., Barra, R., Castillo, A., Vogt, J., 2018. Erosion proxies in an exotic tree plantation question the appropriate land use in Central Chile. CATENA 161, 77–84.10.1016/j.catena.2017.10.017.


  • Banfield, C.C., Dippold, M.A., Pausch, J., Hoang, D.T.T., Kuzyakov, Y., 2017. Biopore history determines the microbial community composition in subsoil hotspots. Biology and Fertility of Soils 9, 54.10.1007/s00374-017-1201-5.


  • Banfield, C.C., Pausch, J., Kuzyakov, Y., Dippold, M.A., 2018. Microbial processing of plant residues in the subsoil – The role of biopores. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 125, 309–318.10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.08.004.


  • Banfield, C.C., Zarebanadkouki, M., Kopka, B., Kuzyakov, Y., 2017. Labelling plants in the Chernobyl way. A new 137Cs and 14C foliar application approach to investigate rhizodeposition and biopore reuse. Plant and Soil 29, 239.10.1007/s11104-017-3260-7.


  • Braun, A.C., Banfield, C.C., 2017. A Process-based model approach to predict future land-use changes and link biodiversity with soil erosion in Chile, in: Hinz, S., Braun, A., Weinmann, M. (Eds.), Object and pattern recognition in remote sensing. Whittles Publ, Dunbeath, pp. 283–307.


  • Hoang, D.T.T., Pausch, J., Razavi, B.S., Kuzyakova, I., Banfield, C.C., Kuzyakov, Y., 2016. Hotspots of microbial activity induced by earthworm burrows, old root channels, and their combination in subsoil. Biology and Fertility of Soils 52, 1105–1119.10.1007/s00374-016-1148-y.


  • Mason-Jones, K., Banfield, C.C., Dippold, M.A., 2019. Compound-specific 13 C SIP confirms synthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate by soil bacteria. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry10.1002/rcm.8407.


  • Zarebanadkouki, M., Fink, T., Benard, P., Banfield, C.. Mucilage facilitates nutrient diffusion in the drying rhizosphere. Vadose Zone Journal (accepted).