Page 5 - June2021_MS_Chesterfield

Organic agriculture’s proven ability to lock carbon away in the soil is a critical tool for combatting climate change. Now, a study directed by the University of Maryland in collaboration with The Organic Center digs down into the specific ways that organic farmers can take their climate change fighting power to the next level.
Researchers analyzed over 4,000 scientific articles to put numbers behind the soil carbon-building techniques that organic farmers use, and to identify the best strategies for carbon sequestration. The results of
this meta-analysis, published in the scientific journal Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, show that by adopting certain best management practices, organic growers can significantly boost the amounts of carbon captured in their soil – upping their soil organic carbon by an average of 18 percent, and increasing microbial biomass carbon by an average of 30 percent above organic’s normal carbon storage.
“This important study helps amplify organic’s advantage when it comes to mitigating climate
change and building soil health by quantifying the carbon sequestration potential of specific organic soil management practices,” said Dr. Jessica Shade, Director of Science Programs for The Organic Center.
The project builds on the extensive work The Organic Center has completed to support soil health and climate change mitigation. The Center has built a network of studies that fit together to provide critical information for battling climate change. As a companion piece to the published scientific study, The Organic Center has developed a report that succinctly describes the findings and puts them into perspective with other research.
Organic soil amendments are top in carbon sequestration
The study looked at three best management practices: the use of organic soil amendments, conservation tillage and cover crops. While all three farming practices boosted carbon sequestration, the study found that
The terms soil amendments and fertilizer are often used interchangeably but they can perform very different functions. Soil amendments condition the
soil; they enhance the texture of the soil which enables roots to grow deeper and stronger, and water infiltration to improve. While doing so, they can also provide nutrients to the plant. Synthetic fertilizers provide nutrients without improving soil texture quality, and soil texture quality is key to the amount of carbon a soil can store.
“Our meta-analysis confirms findings from individual studies that consistent addition of organic amendments is the most promising best management practice to replenish soil C, improve soil health, and build climate- resilient agricultural systems,” according to the study.
Adoption of conservation tillage in organic farming systems increased carbon sequestration by 14 percent over conventional tillage practices, the study found. Cover crops were found to increase carbon storage in more shallow soil depths, and the sequestration power of cover crops was found to increase over the years they are planted.
Looking toward the future, The Center has several projects that will leverage the findings from this project. A project in collaboration with the University of California Berkeley connects organic farm practices for managing carbon sequestration and soil health to farmer yields. Another project, in collaboration with Harvard University, takes a look at the climactic impacts of organic agriculture from cradle to grave, identifying the positive aspects that organic has to offer mitigation.
The Organic Center is a small organization achieving big results by sharing (In)credible science, credibly sourced. For more information on The Organic Center,
visit www.organic-center.org.
using best practices in organic soil amendments like compost and manure had the biggest impact on carbon sequestration, and in a short period of time.
STUDY SHOWS HOW ORGANIC FARMERS CAN BEST FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE
www.ota.com
According to the study, using best practices when it comes to biological soil amendments boosts carbon sequestration by an average 24 percent. And because much of that carbon was found in the top 20 inches of soil, using organic amendments is one of the most impactful strategies to quickly replenish carbon back into the soil, which improves soil health and builds resilience to climate changes. The importance of
soil amendments isn’t a surprise; past research has estimated that fertilizer accounts for around 75 percent of total agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
3