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Title: REGIONAL SOIL CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN IOWA USING EPIC-CENTURY MODEL

Author
item Doraiswamy, Paul
item Hunt Jr, Earle
item Daughtry, Craig
item IZAURRALDE, C. - PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATL
item McCarty, Gregory

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/2/2004
Publication Date: 10/31/2004
Citation: Doraiswamy, P.C., Hunt, E.R., Daughtry, C.S., Izaurralde, C., McCarty, G.W. 2004. Regional soil carbon sequestration in Iowa using Epic-Century Model [abstract]. American Society of Agronomy. 2004 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The potential for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration through landuse and management of agricultural systems is of great interest worldwide. Agricultural soils can be a source of CO2 when not properly managed but can also be a sink for sequestering CO2 through proper soil and crop management. This research describes concepts of soil carbon cycling in agricultural production systems using the EPIC-CENTURY biogeochemical model. A study was conducted in central IOWA (50 km X 100 km) to assess the baseline level of soil carbon from soil survey data and simulate changes in soil carbon over the next 50 years under different tillage practices and crop residue management for corn and soybean crop. Other scenarios evaluated included the level of management required to optimize maximum soil carbon sequestration without reduction in crop yield levels. The model simulation results showed potential gains in soil carbon in top layers of the soil for conservation tillage which were within acceptable range reported from field scale studies.