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ARS Home » Northeast Area » University Park, Pennsylvania » Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #267241
Title: Cropland management in the eastern united states for improved soil organic carbon sequestration

Author
item Dell, Curtis
item Novak, Jeffrey

Submitted to: Elsevier
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/19/2011
Publication Date: 6/1/2012
Citation: Dell, C.J., Novak, J.M. 2012. Cropland management in the eastern united states for improved soil organic carbon sequestration. In: Liebig, M.S., Franzluebbers, A.J., Follett, R.F., editors. Managing Agriculutral Greenhouse Gases: Coordinated Agricultural Research through GRACEnet to Address our Changing Climate. San Diego, CA: Elsevier. p. 23-41.

Interpretive Summary: An interpretive summary is not required.

Technical Abstract: Estimating the potential to sequester C in the cropland soils of the Eastern United States is challenging because diversity in geography and climate results in the production of a wide range of crops with variable practices. Recent data indicated that poultry litter application is the most consistent way to increase soil organic C (SOC) sequestration in the eastern US. The use of cover crops in conjunction with NT also increases potential for SOC sequestration. Reviews from 2005 estimated that adoption of no-till (NT) can sequester 0.41 (plus or minus 0.46) megagrams C hectare per year in the southeastern US but little or no C is sequestered in the northeast. However, more recent studies in the southeastern US and elsewhere indicate that gains in SOC near the surface of NT soils may be offset by depletion lower in the soil profile. Earlier studies, where soils were not sampled to a sufficient depth, may have missed C-depleted layers resulting in over-estimation of SOC sequestration.