As we hear dire predictions about global climate change, we might be standing upon part of the solution — soil. Certain farming techniques can help the soil trap and hold carbon dioxide.
A team of Edinburgh researchers found that the planet’s soil can store an extra 8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases as stable organic matter. To help soil sequester or hold CO2, the farmers can adopt climate-friendly farming practices including reduced tillage, well designed crop rotations that include plants with deep root systems, use of biochar, agroforestry, planting cover crops and organic, not industrial, fertility management. Such practices can “help soils retain the equivalent of around a fifth of annual emissions released by the burning of fossils fuels.” While increasing levels of soil organic matter, farmers can also take steps to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by reducing cultivation and energy use, and also avoiding using synthetic fertilizers.
The scientists recommend the use of technology, including the Cool Farm Tool developed by the Cool Farm Alliance, to help farmers reduce their environmental impact. At www.coolfarmtool.org, farmers can download a free spreadsheet. By inputting data from their own operations, the farmers can identify practices that they can change to help mitigate global climate change.
Source: Climate-smart soils. Keith Paustian, Johannes Lehmann, Stephen Ogle, David Reay, G. Philip Robertson & Pete Smith. Nature. Volume 532. Issue 7597. Pages: 49–57. 2016.
- Janet Wallace