Potential of crop residues management for soil organic carbon sequestration in European countries until 2050: a simplified modelling approach

• Crop residue management strategies can increase soil organic carbon (SOC) in European agricultural soils. • Different scenarios were modeled to evaluate the effects of untreated, combusted-treated, and anaerobically digested crop residues on SOC dynamics. • Predicted climate warming by 2050 may limit SOC accumulation, but the use of treated residues can partially offset this effect. • Treated residues demonstrate greater SOC sequestration potential than untreated residues. • Future research should consider pedo-climatic variability, economic feasibility, life cycle assessment, and national-scale data to guide sustainable and effective SOC management strategies. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a key component of soil organic matter, playing a vital role in soil fertility, health, biodiversity, and food production. Enhancing SOC in agricultural soils has been proposed as a strategy to mitigate climate change. Returning crop residues to the soil is a widely recognized approach to increase SOC, although residues can also be combusted for energy or processed via anaerobic digestion for biogas. This study evaluated the carbon sequestration potential of agricultural soils across 27 European countries using scenario analysis within a modeling framework. Various crop residue management strategies were considered alongside the impacts of rising temperatures. Simulations were performed with the process-based C-TOOL model, using input data from European databases on crop cultivation, soil properties, and climate. Results indicate that treated crop residues sequester more SOC than untreated residues due to differences in decomposability. While projected temperature increases may reduce SOC accumulation, the use of treated residues still provides a positive effect across all countries. These findings highlight the dual potential of residue management for energy production and SOC enhancement in European agroecosystems. Future studies should adopt a broader systems perspective, integrating techno-economic and energy-yield analyses, while assessing SOC sequestration benefits and greenhouse gas implications of different energy conversion pathways through full life cycle analysis. Considering local pedo-climatic, socioeconomic, and policy conditions, and leveraging national-scale data, will be critical for developing sustainable, effective, and policy-relevant SOC management strategies.