# Contrasting seasonal effects of legume and grass cover crops as living mulch on the soil microbial community and nutrient metabolic limitations

*PRI Rank #13 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/legume-nitrogen-fixing-symbiosis/2026/rank-13*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #13 |
| 18m citations | 33 |
| Journal | Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.agee.2024.109374 |
| Corresponding authors | Xuelian Bao |
| Institution | Chinese Academy of Sciences, China |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/legume-nitrogen-fixing-symbiosis/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1016/j.agee.2024.109374](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2024.109374)

## Topics

legume cover crops · grass cover crops · living mulch · Soil microbial community · nutrient metabolic limitations · seasonal effects · microbial nutrient limitation · cover crop functional groups · Soil microbial community · Biological nitrogen fixation · carbon-to-nitrogen ratio · microbial metabolism · agroecosystem management · Nutrient cycling · Plant-microbe interactions

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/legume-nitrogen-fixing-symbiosis/2026. Accessed 2026-07-29.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```