A University of Sydney professor is using “digital soil mapping” to help measure soil carbon content in the field and encourage farmers to adopt the government’s Carbon Farming Initiative.
There is a growing interest in “carbon farming” among forward-looking agricultural producers in the United States. Ideas range from promoting on-farm practices such as conservation tilling and livestock rotation to establishing USDA-managed “carbon banks” to facilitate the buying and selling of agricultural carbon credits.
Biochar’s benefits for the long-term sequestration of carbon and nitrogen on American farms are clear, but new research from Rice University shows it can help farmers save money on irrigation as well. The study showed that sandy soil, in particular, gains ability to retain more water when amended with biochar.
A new study published in the journal Nature suggests that nitrous oxide — a gas that is 300 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide — is steadily increasing in the atmosphere. If emissions aren’t curbed, Earth’s temperature could rise by 3°C by 2100.
The biochar process is ingenious, turning green waste into heat before returning it to the soil as an agricultural nutrient. No wonder it’s turning a profit.
Soil specialist says a burned organic material, biochar, improves growing conditions.