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Title: SOIL ORGANIC CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND AGRICULTURAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN USA

Author
item Franzluebbers, Alan

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy Meetings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2004
Publication Date: 11/1/2004
Citation: Franzluebbers, A.J. 2004. Soil organic carbon sequestration and agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in the southeastern USA [Abstract]. American Society of Agronomy Meetings. 31 October-4 November 2004, Seattle, Washington. CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Agricultural impacts on greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation potential have not been thoroughly characterized in the southeastern USA. This review paper synthesized available information in the region. Combining cover cropping with no tillage enhanced soil organic C (SOC) sequestration (0.53 Mg/ha/yr) compared with no tillage and no cover cropping (0.28 Mg/ha/yr). By increasing cropping system complexity, SOC could be increased by 0.22 Mg/ha/yr, irrespective of tillage. Accounting for C cost of production and transport, SOC sequestration could be optimized at 0.24 Mg/ha/yr with application of 107 kg N/ha/yr on N-responsive crops, irrespective of tillage. Poultry litter application led to SOC sequestration of 0.47 Mg/ha/yr (17% of C applied). Land that was previously cropped and converted to forages sequestered SOC at a rate of 1.08 Mg/ha/yr during an average of 11 years. By expanding research on SOC sequestration into more diverse pasture and manure application systems and gathering much needed data on methane and nitrous oxide fluxes under almost any agricultural operation in the region, a more complete analysis of greenhouse gas emissions and potential mitigation from agriculture in the region would be possible.