Download Soil organic carbon and agriculture

Soil organic carbon
and agriculture
KATARINA HEDLUND LUND UNIVERSITY
Agriculture and soil threats
Intensification
of agriculture
Decline in: soil carbon biological ac2vity
soil biodiversity
Lead to: soil erosion soil compac2on reduced resistance to pests reduced nutrient provisioning Long term decline of soil-C in Europe
Brady et al 2015 Agronomy Journal
Yield increase and soils?
kg/ha
Wheat Scania Sweden
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
1960
1970
1980
1990
Year
2000
2010
2020
How can we change Soil C ?
Management
C decline per year
Intensive cereal production
-1.0%
UK
Inorganic fertilisers
-0.5%
SE
Farm yard manure (5 ton/ha)
-0.2%
SE
Straw addition (3 ton/ha)
-0.2%
DK
Management
C increase per year
Cover crops
0.2%
FR
Straw addition (12 ton/ha)
0.3%
DK
Farm yard manure (35 ton/ha)
0.4%
UK
Ley 2 yrs (in 8 yr rotation)
0.3%
SE
Miscanthus grass
2.0%
US
Soil carbon and evidence
•  Systematic Rewiew (Global scope)
–  Soil carbon and agricultural management
–  25000 publications
–  750 papers used in review
•  Management
–  Tillage
–  Amendents
–  Fertilisers
–  Crop rotations
http://www.eviem.se/en/projects/Soil-organic-carbon-stocks/
Systematic map
– review of global evidence
25000 papers checked
750 in the database to be used in meta-analyses
Systematic map – review of evidence
Interactive map – with metadata and links
to published evidence
Open access during 2015
Soilservice project
Soil management across EU
Greece
Sweden
Production function
relates C to yield
Brady et al 2015 Agronomy Journal
Optimal use of soil C
Optimal fertiliser use
Sweden Denmark Sweden Denmark England Germany England Germany Nitrogen kg/ha Yield t/ha Optimal yield
11 9 7 200 150 100 5 50 3 0 0.75 1.25 1.75 2.25 % soil Carbon 2.75 3.25 0.75 1.25 1.75 2.25 % soil Carbon 2.75 3.25 Agriculture and yield gaps
Global demands of: Food and feed Nature areas Biomass produc2on Yield gap:
Potential production – Current production
Soil carbon and agriculture in Europe?
SOC in agricultural land 2009
g/kg
Wheat yield
100 kg/ha
Filling yield gaps (wheat) with natural capital
(20 years)
Business as usual
0.3% SOC/yr increase rate
100kg/ha
Nelson E, Brady M, Hedlund K in prep
"Natural Capital”
Soil biodiversity and soil carbon?
http://bankofnaturalcapital.com/category/ecosystem-services/agriculture/