Soil carbon and cover crops

In this week’s science-focused episode of Carbon Removal Newsroom, hosts Radhika Moolgavkar of Nori and Holly Jean Buck of the University at Buffalo are joined once again by co-host Dr. Jane Zelikova, executive director of the Soil Carbon Solutions Center and joint faculty in crop and soil science at Colorado State University.

We’re looking at two recently published studies which explore the challenges and opportunities around managing croplands and rangelands to draw down and store atmospheric carbon while making agriculture more sustainable.

We start by answering the questions, what is soil organic matter? How is it related to carbon? Then we look at how the results of the first study link to the broader fields of conservation agriculture, soil health, and soil carbon sequestration.

Next we look at the second study, which examines how management of cover crops in temperate climates influences soil organic carbon stocks.

Last, we discuss the upcoming USDA policies that might affect soil carbon, and finishing the episode with a good news story of the week.

Resources

Soil organic matter protects US maize yields and lowers crop insurance payouts under drought. Daniel A Kane et al. 2021, Environmental Research Letters, March 2021

Management of cover crops in temperate climates influences soil organic carbon stocks: a meta-analysis. McClelland et al. 2020, Ecological Applications, December 2020

Off-Season 'Cover' Crops Expand as US Growers Eye Low-Carbon Future

USDA Launches First Phase of Soil Carbon Monitoring Efforts

Soil Health Congressional Bill Tracker

Kiss the Ground