Agricultural Options to Enhance Terrestrial Sequestration

  • No-till or reduced-till farming: Fall wheatBy not tilling farmland, agriculturalists avoid exposing the rich organic top soil layer. In addition to sequestering carbon in the soil, farmers can save labor and fuel costs, reduce soil erosion and preserve precious nutrients under a no-till land management.
  • Diversified crop rotation: Changing from a monoculture crop production to a more diversified rotation cropping can increase the organic carbon content in soil. Diversifying crop rotation also helps in the prevention of weeds, disease, and insects.
  • Reduce summer fallow: Fallow land has the highest erosion potential in any cropping system. Rotating crops may reduce soil losses by up to 30% compared to continuous cropping. Moreover, reducing the frequency of summer fallow allows for more soil moisture content while at the same time storing more carbon in the soil.
  • Vegetation buffers: Vegetation buffers are strips of land with permanent vegetation designed to intercept water runoff and minimize soil erosion. Buffers can reduce the amount of sediment and nutrients, such as organic carbon, that is removed during soil erosion.
  • Other conservation measures that reduce soil erosion: There are other tillage practices that help to reduce soil loss while simultaneously conserving valuable nutrients and minerals in the soil. For example, compared to conventional fall plowing, using a mulch tiller during the fall can reduce soil erosion by up to 40%. corn Other conservation methods include planting crops perpendicular to the slope can prevent soil loss by blocking wind and other weathering processes. Utilizing snowfences, waterways, and other manufactured means of erosion control should also be considered.
  • Using higher residue crops, such as corn, grain sorghum and wheat: Good management of crop residues can play an important role in hindering soil erosion. The cover provided by certain crops, such as most grains, prevents soil compaction, allowing for a greater soil moisture and carbon content.
  • Winter cover crops: Closely related to residue crops, cover crops help reduce the erosive forces of weather and water by acting as a shelter for the soil underneath. Certain crops, such as wheat, rye, and corn prevent wind, water, and other climatic variables from disturbing the soil.
  • Selecting varieties and hybrids that store more carbon: Certain types of plants and crops yield higher carbon storage, like corn, than other types of vegetation. Other varieties of plants, such as perennials, require less maintenance and can remain in the soil longer before requiring replanting, thus enriching the soil and increasing carbon storage.
  • Reduce soil inputs: hayBy minimizing the amount of added chemicals, fertilizers, and other liquids and substances to soil, the possibility of erosion is reduced.
  • Convert marginal agricultural land to grassland or forest: Environments with high amounts of vegetation, such as grasslands and forests, can store large amounts of carbon. Converting fallow or marginal agricultural lands to other less- intensive land uses increases soil carbon content because soils are not subjected to tillage and other disturbances that lead to soil erosion.