September 3, 2010 – A new
report – Agriculture’s Role in Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Capture –
commissioned by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of
America, and Soil Science Society of America, examines the evidence for
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sequestration in America’s major
agro-ecosystems.
September 3, 2010 – A new
report – Agriculture’s Role in Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Capture –
commissioned by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of
America, and Soil Science Society of America, examines the evidence for
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sequestration in America’s major
agro-ecosystems.
The report summarizes
current knowledge of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane
(CH4) emissions and capture across six regions – Northeast, Southeast, Corn
Belt, Northern Great Plains, Southern Great Plains, and Pacific – as influenced
by cropping system, tillage, and soil management. The report also outlines
conservation agricultural systems and practices including: no-till, reduced
tillage, cover crops, leguminous green manures, and nutrient-use efficiency –
that, when adopted, will result in increased capture and reduced emissions of
these GHGs. Additionally, critical knowledge gaps for research are identified.
According to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, approximately six percent of U.S. GHG
emissions are linked to agricultural activities. Agricultural practices that
promote good stewardship of the land will also reduce GHG emissions and
maximize soil carbon sequestration, ultimately reducing agriculture’s
environmental footprint.
The report finds that
although soil carbon sequestration and GHG emissions from agriculture have been
investigated for several decades, field validation of models is sorely lacking.
Finally, specific areas requiring further research to reduce emissions and
optimize capture of GHGs from agro-ecosystems, including coordinated, long-term
field studies and full lifecycle analyses for major cropping systems, are
identified.
The full report can be
viewed online at:
https://www.agronomy.org/files/science-policy/ghg-report-august-2010.pdf.
