Carbon Sequestration Not So Simple in Biomass Crop Production
by Ann Perry (USDA/Biomass Magazine) Findings at the USDA are providing information about the soil carbon dynamics that play a crucial role in lifecycle assessments of bioenergy production. These studies at the Agricultural Research Service, USDA’s chief intramural scientific research agency, support the USDA priority of developing new sources of bioenergy.
Retaining carbon in the soil—called carbon sequestration—significantly affects soil fertility and greenhouse gas emissions, so it has a major impact on the long-term sustainability of bioenergy crop production. In one study, an ARS team conducted a 9-year investigation examining the impact fertilizer and harvest treatments had on soil carbon sequestration in biomass crops.
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The team concluded that calculating soil carbon sequestration rates for bioenergy crops needs to factor in the effects of crop selection, soil differences, environmental conditions, and management practices. Additionally, the deep-rooted nature of these plants requires soil sampling to a depth of 5 feet to account for the increases in soil carbon.
Results from this study were published in Bioenergy Research. READ MORE and MORE (USDA Agricultural Research Service) and MORE (Agricultural Research) Abstract
