Adoption of no-till management on croplands has become a controversial approach for storing carbon in soil due to conflicting findings.Yet, no-till is still promoted as a management practice to stabilize the global climate system from additional change due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, including the 4 per mille initiative promoted through the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. We evaluated the body of literature surrounding this practice, and found that SOC storage can be higher under no-till management in some soil types and climatic conditions even with redistribution of SOC, and contribute to reducing net greenhouse gas emissions. However, uncertainties tend to be large, which may make this approach less attractive as a contributor to stabilize the climate system compared to other options. Consequently, no-till may be better viewed as a method for reducing soil erosion, adapting to climate change, and ensuring food security, while any increase in SOC storage is a co-benefit for society in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
1.Colorado State Univ, Nat Resource Ecol Lab, Ft Collins, CO 80523 USA 2.Colorado State Univ, Dept Ecosyst Sci & Sustainabil, Ft Collins, CO 80523 USA 3.CSIRO Agr & Food, Locked Bag 2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia 4.Food & Agr Org United Nations FAO, Climate & Environm Div, Rome, Italy 5.Colorado State Univ, Dept Stat, Ft Collins, CO 80523 USA 6.Agr & Agri Food Canada, Swift Current, SK S9H 3X2, Canada 7.Nat Resources Inst Finland, FI-31600 Jokioinen, Finland 8.Natl Univ La Plata, Sch Agron & Forest Engn, Diag 113-N 469, RA-1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Recommended Citation:
Ogle, Stephen M.,Alsaker, Cody,Baldock, Jeff,et al. Climate and Soil Characteristics Determine Where No-Till Management Can Store Carbon in Soils and Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emissions[J]. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS,2019-01-01,9