Grain agriculture and the end of the fossil fuel era DOI Creative Commons
Timothy E. Crews

Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 1 - 6

Published: May 28, 2024

First paragraphs: A great deal of attention is currently focused on how agriculture in highly industrialized coun­tries contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emis­sions, and certain farming innovations might curb the emissions nitrous oxide methane draw down carbon dioxide from atmos­phere. What not being discussed agricul­ture general, grain particular, will need change as society phases out its dependency fossil fuels order achieve (C) neutrality. Over last century U.S., number farmers land declined by about 66%, close proportion increase average farm size (U.S. Department Agriculture Economic Research Service [USDA ERS], n.d.). Integral these trends has been simplification systems which practices like fertility-generating rotations have replaced with lower-diversity monocultures maintained applications fuel–based fertilizers pesticides (Crews & Peoples, 2004). Between fuel–powered mechanization input intensi­fication, energy used grow maize state Nebraska 99.7% 0.3% human labor (Grassini Cassman, 2012; Pimentel Pimentel, 2008). Even organic often require prodigious fuel inputs intensive tractor tillage, manure hauling, mechanical harvesting (Smith et al., 2015). In con­trast our modern grain-producing agroeecosys­tems, ancestral agroecosystems natural ecosys­tems all types—forests, grasslands, deserts, tundra—have remained productive for millennia no inputs. this commentary I explore use U.S. set a global context, approaches reducing dependency, including shift perennial polycultures that rely ecological intensification place energy-intensive .

Language: Английский

Potential U.S. Production of Liquid Hydrocarbons From Biomass With Addition of Massive External Heat and Hydrogen Inputs DOI Creative Commons

Thomas Charlton,

Charles Forsberg, Bruce E. Dale

et al.

GCB Bioenergy, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 17(2)

Published: Jan. 28, 2025

ABSTRACT We estimate the U.S. potential to convert biomass into liquid hydrocarbons for fuel and chemical feedstocks, assuming massive low‐carbon external heat hydrogen inputs. The is first a carbon feedstock only secondarily an energy source. This analysis done three estimates of available derived from 2023 Department Energy/U.S. Agriculture “Billion‐Ton Report” two augmented cases with maximum annual production 1326, 4791, 5799, 7432, 8745 million barrels diesel equivalent per year five cases. Constraints, such as assuring long‐term soil sustainability by recycling nutrients some back soils, result in being 70%–80% these numbers. currently consumes about 6900 year. Long‐term hydrocarbon consumption are between 50% 75% current consumption. External additions conversion processes are, respectively 25, 91, 111, 142, 167 tons system strongly negative because nutrient soils improve productivity.

Language: Английский

Citations

2
Perennial cropping systems increased topsoil carbon and nitrogen stocks over annual systems—a nine-year field study DOI Creative Commons
Yiwei Shang, Jørgen E. Olesen, Poul Erik Lærke

et al.

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 365, P. 108925 - 108925

Published: Feb. 9, 2024

Enhancing biomass yield simultaneously with soil carbon (C) sequestration is a key aim of climate-smart cropping systems. Perennialization believed to be suitable mitigation strategy for climate change the potential enhancing C stocks. Based on nine-year field experiment in Denmark, we measured changes and nitrogen (N) stocks, yield, stability three perennial (low-fertilized miscanthus, high-fertilized festulolium, no N-fertilized grass-legume mixture) two annual (continuous triticale maize) We found that topsoil (0–20 cm) 0–100 cm stocks N varied significantly between Over nine years, increased by an average 1.4 Mg ha−1 systems, while they decreased 3.4 The 6.8 systems 2.3 system, but 2.5 maize system. Topsoil 0.18 0.08 Changes did not differ Miscanthus, showed highest (17.1, 16.7, 16.4 year−1, respectively). There were significant differences among stability. This study demonstrated obtaining higher compared maintaining high supporting perennialization as promising option agriculture.

Language: Английский

Citations

9
Soil carbon maintained by perennial grasslands over 30 years but lost in field crop systems in a temperate Mollisol DOI Creative Commons
Clarissa L. Dietz, Randall D. Jackson, Matthew D. Ruark

et al.

Communications Earth & Environment, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 5(1)

Published: July 3, 2024

Abstract To mitigate climate change, some seek to store carbon from the atmosphere in agricultural soils. However, our understanding about how agriculture affects soil organic is muddied by studies (1) lacking longitudinal data, (2) ignoring bulk density changes, or (3) sampling only surface better understand trends, here we measured changes over 30 years density-corrected, full-soil-depth (90 cm) stocks under 6 cropping systems and a restored prairie Mollisol of southern Wisconsin, USA. Cash-grain alfalfa-based lost carbon. Prairie rotationally-grazed pasture maintained Average losses for cash-grain were −0.80 (±0.12) −0.54 (±0.13) Mg C ha −1 yr , respectively. Sensitivity analysis showed that incomplete methodologies overestimated improvements. Our findings using more comprehensive methods demonstrate inadequacy row-crop need well-managed grasslands protect productive soils Upper Midwest

Language: Английский

Citations

7
Patterns and determinants of microbial- and plant-derived carbon contributions to soil organic carbon in tea plantation chronosequence DOI
Quan Tang, Wei Li,

Wenxia Dai

et al.

Plant and Soil, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: May 12, 2024

Language: Английский

Citations

4
Carbon Stock Dynamics in Biosphere Reserves and Mountainous Forest Ecosystems DOI Creative Commons
Ermias Debie, Tesfaye Wasihun Abro

Trees Forests and People, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 100789 - 100789

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Predicting bulk density in Brazilian soils for carbon stocks calculation: a comparative study of multiple linear regression and Random Forest models using continuous and categorical variables DOI Creative Commons
Wharley Pereira dos Santos, Carlos Manoel Pedro Vaz,

Ladislau Martin‐Neto

et al.

Discover Soil., Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 2(1)

Published: Feb. 3, 2025

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Estimating Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential in Portuguese Agricultural Soils Through Land-Management and Land-Use Changes DOI Open Access

Mariana Raposo,

Paulo Canaveira,

Tiago Domingos

et al.

Sustainability, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 17(3), P. 1223 - 1223

Published: Feb. 3, 2025

Soil carbon sequestration (SCS) is a nature-based, low-cost climate mitigation strategy that also contributes to the adaptation of agricultural systems. Some land-use and land-management practices potentially lead an enhancement soil organic (SOC) sink, such as no-till, use cover crops, leaving residues on fields, improving variety legume species in grasslands reducing grazing intensity. However, uncertainties remain both estimating measuring impact application certain practices, these vary with soil, historic land use. IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel Climate Change) guidelines are commonly used estimate SOC potentials at different tiers. Here, IPCC’s tier 1 methodology was applied (1) potential nine (2) emission or four current land-change trends for n = 7092 unique sites mainland Portugal. The conversion irrigated crops improved resulted highest average unit (1.05 tC ha−1 yr−1), while cropland poor degraded pasture (abandonment) loss (−0.08 yr−1). abandonment results national up 0.09 MtC yr−1, improvement pastures has potential, equal 0.6 yr−1 (2.2 MtCO2eq about 4% Portugal’s emissions 2021, if all managed areas. enable comparison between uses; however, enhance accuracy, higher tailored Portuguese context should be developed.

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Carbon stocks, technological development, and milk yields of dairy cattle silvopastoral production systems in the Andean-amazon region of Colombia DOI Creative Commons
Karol Henry Mavisoy Muchavisoy, Edwin Castro-Rincón, Adrián Rolando Riascos Vallejos

et al.

Agroforestry Systems, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 99(2)

Published: Feb. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Crop Rotation With Ley and Nitrogen Fertilisation Reduced Soil Carbon Loss in Three Swedish Long‐Term Field Experiments DOI Creative Commons
Rong Lang, Martin A. Bolinder, Gunnar Börjesson

et al.

European Journal of Soil Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 76(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

ABSTRACT Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks by improving cropland management practices has great potential to mitigate climate change. Long‐term field experiments (LTEs) are valuable study effects on properties and crop yield. Yet most LTE studies limited the topsoil, farming systems integrating multiple strategies often not assessed. This used three Swedish LTEs assess of rotations fertilisation SOC changes. One arable rotation with only annual crops a ley annuals, perennial receiving manure were investigated at different application rates mineral fertilisers. We analysed changes in content distribution depths, calculated C inputs phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) evaluate how affected relation microbial communities. Both lost 0–20 cm topsoil from 1966 2019 across sites, but sandy site more than clayey sites. The nitrogen (N) reduced losses. In 2019, top 25 3.3 ± 1.6 Mg ha −1 higher compared 2.9 N highest rate no fertilisation. However, positive decreased depth became negative some depths. As result, differences an equivalent 60 declined 0.6 2.4 for 1.0 had significantly belowground rotation, highly associated SOC. Compared total PLFAs, bacterial PLFAs ratio bacteria fungi partly attributed application. Our supports beneficial leys amendments crops. It also highlights risk losing subsoil, especially under Site characteristics helped explain large variation, which must be considered when developing local accrual cropland.

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Advancing apple orchard management through soil organic carbon: A systems‐based review DOI

Muhammad Iqbal Jakhro,

Maliha Habib,

Bingnian Zhai

et al.

Soil Use and Management, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 41(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Abstract Modern agricultural systems face the challenge of balancing high productivity and ecological sustainability. Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a key role in connecting productive functions apple orchards by acting as bridge between human activities natural processes. This review highlights new research on how SOC can transform landscapes orchards. not only serves reservoir nutrients but also acts central concept to link different aspects systems. Agronomic management practices, such precise handling crop residues, innovative soil amendments, diverse cover cropping systems, have proven effective improving essential ecosystem orchard management. These methods enhance nutrient cycling, promote beneficial microbes, increase resilience farming By viewing interconnected networks that serve multiple purposes, this study moves beyond conventional one‐size‐fits‐all approaches farming. is critical factor delivering services. emphasizes tailored site‐specific practices help achieve balance environmental health. We recommend adopting an integrated approach for focuses continuous learning targeted actions across levels operations.

Language: Английский

Citations

0