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Soil Carbon Storage is Not Always Influenced by Tillage Practices
MADISON, WI, February 23, 2009--The practice of no-till has increased considerably during the past 20 years. Soils under no-till usually host a more abundant and diverse biota and are less prone to erosion, water loss, and structural breakdown than tilled soils. Their organic matter content is also often increased and consequently, no-till is proposed as a measure to mitigate the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. However, recent studies show that the effect of no-till on carbon sequestration can be variable depending on soil and climatic conditions, and nutrient management practices.
Researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Québec City) investigated the impacts of tillage (no-till vs. moldboard plowing) and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on carbon storage in a clay loam soil under cool and humid conditions in eastern Canada. Corn and soybeans had been grown in a yearly rotation for 14 years. The results of the study were reported in the 2009 January-February issue of the Soil Science Society of America Journal.
The authors concluded that their investigation indicates â
Soil Science Society of America Journal is the flagship journal of the SSSA. It publishes basic and applied soil research in soil chemistry, soil physics, soil pedology, and hydrology in agricultural, forest, wetlands, and urban settings. SSSAJ supports a comprehensive venue for interdisciplinary soil scientists, biogeochemists, and agronomists.