By Scout Nelson
The complexity of carbon-related topics in agriculture, including carbon offsets, greenhouse gases, and climate change, can be daunting. SDSU Extension recognizes the challenge in providing agricultural producers with clear, science-based information on these critical issues.
It's crucial to understand these concepts, as they affect various aspects of farming, from fuel usage to crop production decisions.
Soil health is crucial for sustainable agriculture, with organizations like SDSU Extension and USDA focusing on improving soil and water resources. The South Dakota Soil Health Coalition's "Soil Health Principles" guide educational efforts, advocating for practices like soil cover, tillage reduction, root growth, crop rotation diversification, and livestock integration.
The Argonne National Laboratory's GRET model is a crucial tool for assessing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. It simplifies crop and soil management assessments and aligns with the Five Soil Health Principles, providing valuable insights into the environmental impact of agricultural activities, making it a crucial tool for federal lawmakers.
GREET's inputs include crop type, energy consumption, fertilizer and lime usage, and herbicide and insecticide applications. The model also considers the location, cover crop usage, manure application, and tillage practices. Its outputs reveal the greenhouse gas emissions from each input and the net carbon status of the soil.
The GREET model, based on analysis, aligns with Soil Health Principles to some extent. It acknowledges the benefits of reduced or no-till practices on soil carbon but lacks options for perennial crops and detailed cover crop composition. It also considers crop rotation but is limited to certain crops and a single crop year. It only accounts for manure application without addressing specifics.
Photo Credit: south-dakota-state-university
Categories: South Dakota, Crops