The choices
farmers make—the crops they grow, whether or not they plow (till or no-till),
and the amount of
fertilizer they use—can influence both crop yields and
greenhouse gas
emissions.
(November 14, 2015) Soil
can help with climate change by storing carbon through a process called “carbon
sequestration.” However, the amount of carbon soil can store depends on choices
made by farmers and other landowners.
The choices farmers make—the crops they grow, whether or not
they plow (till or no-till), and the amount of fertilizer they use—can
influence both crop yields and greenhouse gas emissions. Soil organic matter
has large amounts of carbon, which is also an important part of the greenhouse
gases carbon dioxide and methane. Microorganisms decompose soil organic matter,
obtaining energy and producing either carbon dioxide if there is lots of oxygen
in the soil or methane if there is little oxygen. Tillage adds oxygen to the
soil and increases soil organic matter decomposition rates. Other management
choices, including combinations of the crops raised and the tillage methods
chosen, have the ability to increase soil organic matter, effectively removing
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Until recently, most farmers chose to regularly plow their
fields. Now however, no-till farming is becoming a more popular practice. When
farmers decide to engage in no-till farming, they do not plow the soil in their
fields. Instead, they plant their crops with minimal soil disturbance. By not
plowing the soil, farmers release less carbon dioxide into the air.
Additionally, by not plowing their fields, farmers decrease the likelihood of
soil erosion occurring as well as store more water in the soil.