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Sequestering carbon in soils of agro-ecosystems

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  • Lal, R.

Abstract

Soils of the world's agroecosystems (croplands, grazing lands, rangelands) are depleted of their soil organic carbon (SOC) pool by 25-75% depending on climate, soil type, and historic management. The magnitude of loss may be 10 to 50 tons C/ha. Soils with severe depletion of their SOC pool have low agronomic yield and low use efficiency of added input. Conversion to a restorative land use and adoption of recommended management practices, can enhance the SOC pool, improve soil quality, increase agronomic productivity, advance global food security, enhance soil resilience to adapt to extreme climatic events, and mitigate climate change by off-setting fossil fuel emissions. The technical potential of carbon (C) sequestration in soils of the agroecosystems is 1.2-3.1 billion tons C/yr. Improvement in soil quality, by increase in the SOC pool of 1 ton C/ha/yr in the root zone, can increase annual food production in developing countries by 24-32 million tons of food grains and 6-10 million tons of roots and tubers. The strategy is to create positive soil C and nutrient budgets through adoption of no-till farming with mulch, use of cover crops, integrated nutrient management including biofertilizers, water conservation, and harvesting, and improving soil structure and tilth.

Suggested Citation

  • Lal, R., 2011. "Sequestering carbon in soils of agro-ecosystems," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(Supplemen), pages 33-39, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:36:y:2011:i:supplement1:p:s33-s39
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    1. Farrelly, Damien J. & Everard, Colm D. & Fagan, Colette C. & McDonnell, Kevin P., 2013. "Carbon sequestration and the role of biological carbon mitigation: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 712-727.
    2. Anna A. Romanovskaya & Vladimir N. Korotkov & Polina D. Polumieva & Alexander A. Trunov & Victoria Yu. Vertyankina & Rodion T. Karaban, 2020. "Greenhouse gas fluxes and mitigation potential for managed lands in the Russian Federation," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 661-687, April.
    3. Dorota Wichrowska & Małgorzata Szczepanek, 2020. "Possibility of Limiting Mineral Fertilization in Potato Cultivation by Using Bio-fertilizer and Its Influence on Protein Content in Potato Tubers," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-16, September.
    4. repec:bla:afrdev:v:29:y:2017:i:s2:p:163-178 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Jayne, T.S. & Mason, Nicole M. & Burke, William J. & Ariga, Joshua, 2016. "Agricultural Input Subsidy Programs in Africa: An Assessment of Recent Evidence," Food Security International Development Working Papers 245892, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    6. Song, Biao & Almatrafi, Eydhah & Tan, Xiaofei & Luo, Songhao & Xiong, Weiping & Zhou, Chengyun & Qin, Meng & Liu, Yang & Cheng, Min & Zeng, Guangming & Gong, Jilai, 2022. "Biochar-based agricultural soil management: An application-dependent strategy for contributing to carbon neutrality," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    7. Nath, Arun Jyoti & Lal, Rattan, 2017. "Managing tropical wetlands for advancing global rice production: Implications for land-use management," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 681-685.
    8. Li, Guochun & Niu, Wenquan & Ma, Li & Du, Yadan & Zhang, Qian & Gan, Haicheng & Siddique, Kadambot H.M., 2024. "Effects of drip irrigation upper limits on rhizosphere soil bacterial communities, soil organic carbon, and wheat yield," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    9. Jónsson, Jón Örvar G. & Davíðsdóttir, Brynhildur & Nikolaidis, Nikolaos P. & Giannakis, Georgios V., 2019. "Tools for Sustainable Soil Management: Soil Ecosystem Services, EROI and Economic Analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 109-119.
    10. Getnet, Kindie & Mekuria, Wolde & Langan, Simon & Rivington, Mike & Novo, Paula & Black, Helaina, 2017. "Ecosystem-based interventions and farm household welfare in degraded areas: Comparative evidence from Ethiopia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 53-62.
    11. Jianzheng Li & Zhongkui Luo & Yingchun Wang & Hu Li & Hongtao Xing & Ligang Wang & Enli Wang & Hui Xu & Chunyu Gao & Tianzhi Ren, 2019. "Optimizing Nitrogen and Residue Management to Reduce GHG Emissions while Maintaining Crop Yield: A Case Study in a Mono-Cropping System of Northeast China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-16, September.
    12. Timothy Capon & Michael Harris & Andrew Reeson, 2013. "The Design of Markets for Soil Carbon Sequestration," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 32(2), pages 161-173, June.
    13. Willenbockel, Dirk, 2014. "Reflections on the prospects for pro-poor low-carbon growth," MPRA Paper 69863, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Chennault, Carrie M. & Valek, Robert M. & Tyndall, John C. & Schulte, Lisa A., 2020. "PEWI: An interactive web-based ecosystem service model for a broad public audience," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 431(C).
    15. Jayne, Thomas S. & Mason, Nicole M. & Burke, William J. & Ariga, Joshua, 2018. "Review: Taking stock of Africa’s second-generation agricultural input subsidy programs," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 1-14.
    16. Bethwell, Claudia & Sattler, Claudia & Stachow, Ulrich, 2022. "An analytical framework to link governance, agricultural production practices, and the provision of ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    17. Yosefin Ari Silvianingsih & Kurniatun Hairiah & Didik Suprayogo & Meine van Noordwijk, 2021. "Kaleka Agroforest in Central Kalimantan (Indonesia): Soil Quality, Hydrological Protection of Adjacent Peatlands, and Sustainability," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-20, August.
    18. Lybbert, Travis J. & Sumner, Daniel A., 2012. "Agricultural technologies for climate change in developing countries: Policy options for innovation and technology diffusion," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 114-123.
    19. Wassenaar, T. & Doelsch, E. & Feder, F. & Guerrin, F. & Paillat, J.-M. & Thuriès, L. & Saint Macary, H., 2014. "Returning Organic Residues to Agricultural Land (RORAL) – Fuelling the Follow-the-Technology approach," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 60-69.
    20. Mohamed E. A. El-sayed & Mohamed Hazman & Ayman Gamal Abd El-Rady & Lal Almas & Mike McFarland & Ali Shams El Din & Steve Burian, 2021. "Biochar Reduces the Adverse Effect of Saline Water on Soil Properties and Wheat Production Profitability," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-11, November.
    21. Sabine Zikeli & Sabine Gruber & Claus-Felix Teufel & Karin Hartung & Wilhelm Claupein, 2013. "Effects of Reduced Tillage on Crop Yield, Plant Available Nutrients and Soil Organic Matter in a 12-Year Long-Term Trial under Organic Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(9), pages 1-19, September.
    22. Tran, Dat Q. & Kurkalova, Lyubov A., 2017. "Testing for complementarity between the use of continuous no-till and cover crops: an application of Entropy approach," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 259149, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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