Accrual rates of soil organic carbon in response to stover treatment: Multi-location analysis

Authors: OJEKANMI, ABIMBOLA - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); Johnson, Jane

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/11/2020
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Corn non-grain biomass (stover) retention is a critical soil management practice with consequential improvement in soil functions, productivity and reduction of carbon loss through emissions. Quantifying short- to medium- term (5 to 20 year) variation and rates of soil organic carbon (SOC) accruals (accumulation, retention and sequestration) in response to corn residue treatment will further support the need for balance allocation of biomass between soil conservation and use as stock for bioethanol. This suggests the need to quantify the change in SOC - over time and estimate SOC accrual rates, while assessing for the effect of soil, landscape position, climate and other management factors on SOC accrual rate. Relevant data from ten USDA-Agricultural Research Service experimental sites across the United states such as the Greenhouse gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement (GRACEnet) and Resilient Economic Agricultural Practices (REAP) experiments were compiled. This consists of plots with replicated stover treatments, soil sampling up to 30cm and a consistent method of SOC analysis. Accrual rates of SOC in soil and other metric of SOC retention were determined over 3 to 24 years by fitting linear model on the time series data. Significant variation in SOC accrual rates were observed from site to site, while observing significant (p < 0.05) increasing or decreasing effect of soil moisture, soil temperature gradient and other management factors on the accrual rates.