The Myth of Nitrogen Fertilization for Soil Carbon Sequestration
Eric H. Jackson
Working with good people on important issues and big opportunities in global food & agriculture systems. Illegitimi non carborundum.
Scientists from the University of Illinois analyzed the results of a 50 year agricultural trial and found that synthetic nitrogen fertilizer resulted in all the carbon residues from the crop disappearing as well as an average loss of around 10,000 kg of soil carbon per hectare. This is around 36,700 kg of carbon dioxide per hectare on top of the many thousands of kilograms of crop residue that is converted into CO2 every year.
The researchers found that the higher the application of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer the greater the amount of soil carbon lost as CO2 and soil nitrogen as N2O – two major GHG gases.
This is one of the major reasons why conventional agricultural systems have a decline in soil carbon while organic systems increase soil carbon.
See full article here. Fertilization and Soil Carbon Sequestration
Ensuring customers love new products. Staff engineer and Biomass pyrolysis consultant
7 年Love seeing this data pop up now and again. I think the biggest myth is that fertilizer grows crops, when in truth, healthy soil grows crops.
Owner at GCK Organic Consulting 30+ years experience in Organics - Speaker - Regulations - Farming
7 年The most important fact about this research is that it's never been challenged by the chemical companies; usually they try to discredit any negative research as bad science. But this paper is bullet proof.
Sales Manager at Biomass Wood Energy Supply
7 年Biomasswoodenergysupply.com