SOIL CARBON AND CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS

From Kansas State University's:

Consortium for Agricultural Soils Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases (CASMGS)

http://soilcarboncenter.k-state.edu

Charles W. Rice, K-State Department of Agronomy, National CASMGS Director

(785) 532-7217 cwrice@ksu.edu

Scott Staggenborg, K-State Department of Agronomy (785) 532-7214 sstaggen@ksu.edu

Steve Watson, CASMGS Communications (785) 532-7105 swatson@ksu.edu

High-Yield Agriculture

Slows Pace of Global Warming

Investment in agricultural research is rarely mentioned as a greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation strategy. In a study published in a recent edition of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Jennifer A. Burney and co-authors estimate the net effect on GHG emissions of historical agricultural intensification between 1961 and 2005.

“We find that while emissions from factors such as fertilizer production and application have increased, the net effect of higher yields has avoided emissions of up to 161 gigatons of carbon (GtC) (590 GtCO₂e) since 1961. We estimate that each dollar invested in agricultural yields has resulted in 68 fewer kgC (249 kgCO₂e) emissions relative to 1961 technology ($14.74/tC, or ∼$4/tCO₂e), avoiding 3.6 GtC (13.1 GtCO₂e) per year. Our analysis indicates that investment in yield improvements compares favorably with other commonly proposed mitigation strategies. Further yield improvements should therefore be prominent among efforts to reduce future GHG emissions.”

The researchers estimate that if not for increased yields, additional greenhouse gas emissions from clearing land for farming would have been equal to as much as a third of the world's total output of greenhouse gases since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in 1850.

The researchers also calculated that for every dollar spent on agricultural research and development since 1961, emissions of the three principal greenhouse gases -- methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide -- were reduced by the equivalent of about a quarter of a ton of carbon dioxide -- a high rate of financial return compared to other approaches to reducing the gases.

"Our results dispel the notion that modern intensive agriculture is inherently worse for the environment than a more 'old-fashioned' way of doing things," said Burney.

-- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, June 29, 2010

http://www.pnas.org/content/107/26/12052

Also see: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100614160209.htm