Vegetable and Forage Crops Production Research Site Logo
ARS Home About Us Helptop nav spacerContact Us En Espanoltop nav spacer
Printable VersionPrintable Version     E-mail this pageE-mail this page
Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture
Search
  Advanced Search
 
Programs and Projects
Subjects of Investigation
Prosser ARS in the News
Beans
BioFuel
Peas
Potatoes
Weeds
Ornamentals/IR-4
 

Research Project: SUSTAINABLE CROPPING SYSTEMS FOR IRRIGATED SPECIALTY CROPS AND BIOFUELS

Location: Vegetable and Forage Crops Production Research

Title: Cropping systems to improve carbon sequesteration for mitigation of climate change

Authors
item Wang, Qingren -
item Li, Yuncong -
item Alva, Ashok

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: September 1, 2010
Publication Date: September 1, 2010
Citation: Wang, Q., Li, Y., Alva, A.K. 2010. Cropping Systems to Improve Carbon Sequesteration for Mitigation of Climate Change. Journal of Environmental Protection. 1:207-215.

Interpretive Summary: Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are major emmissions from agriculture which are referred to as greenhouse gasses. Increses in emissions of these gases may contribute to climate change. One strategy to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide is to capture these emissions by growing biomass and incorporation of this biobass into the soil, so that carbon from the atmosphere is stored in the soil. This process is termed as "Carbon Sequestration". This paper describes various practical and environmentally friendly strategies to enchance carbon sequestration. In addition to mitigating increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, this process also helps improve soil quality and crop productivity in low fertility soils.

Technical Abstract: The recent trend of increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere has led to an elevated concern and urgency to adopt effective measures for carbon (C) sequestration to mitigate the climate change. Among all GHGs, carbon dioxide (CO2) is most important one with the greatest concentration and strongest radiative forcing among all. Reducing the release of CO2 to the atmosphere through “green energy” technologies or fossil fuel energy alternatives, such as wind, solar and hydraulic energies, is a major challenge. However, removal of atmospheric CO2 by terrestrial ecosystems via C sequestration and converting the sequestered C into the soil organic C has provided a great opportunity with a promising potential for mitigation of GHG emission and climate change. Soil is an ideal reservoir for storage of organic C since soil organic C has been depleted from land misuse and inappropriate management of soil through the long history. To optimize the efficiency and effectiveness in C sequestration in agriculture, cropping systems such as crop rotation, intercropping, cover cropping, etc., play critical role by influencing optimal yield, total organic C sequestered with biomass accumulation and that remained in the soil. Indeed, there are multiple benefits of soil C sequestration. It can restore the degraded soil, enhance the land productivity, improve the diversity, protect the environment and reduce atmospheric CO2, thus, enhances migration of climate change.

   

 
Project Team
Collins, Harold - Hal
Alva, Ashok
Boydston, Rick
 
Publications
   Publications
 
Related National Programs
  Bioenergy (213)
  Crop Protection & Quarantine (304)
  Agricultural System Competitiveness and Sustainability (216)
 
Related Projects
   Hyperspectral and multispectral image analyses of potatoes under different nutrient management with center pivot irrigation
   SOIL AND WATER MANAGEMENT TO IMPROVE CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND MITIGATE TRACE GAS EMISSIONS
   PHYSIOLOGY OF NITROGEN UPTAKE AND OPTIMAL PARTITIONING IN POTATO PLANTS
 
 
Last Modified: 05/18/2013
ARS Home | USDA.gov | Site Map | Policies and Links 
FOIA | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Policy | Nondiscrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | White House