carbon powerhouse of the soil. knowledge and experience innovative ideas practical solutions what...
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Carbon
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Powerhouse of the Soil
Knowledge and Experience Innovative Ideas Practical Solutions
What We’ll Cover
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• Why is soil carbon good?
• How does it get there?
• Why does it reduce?
• How can we manage it?
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No Silver Bullets
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Why is Soil Carbon Good?
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• What did Cutler say? (1908)
• What did Kellogg say? (1936)
• What did Roosevelt say? (1947)
• What did Lal say? (2003)
• What did Garnaut say? (2008)
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Is Anything New?
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“Used to be anybody could farm. All you needed was a strong back...
But nowadays you need a good educationto understand all the advice you get
so you can pick out what will do the least harm.”
Vermont saying, mid-1900’s
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The Soil in Balance
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Courtesy of Chemistry Centre, WA
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Management Out of Balance
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Courtesy of Chemistry Centre, WA
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Why is Organic Carbon Important?
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• Affects nearly every soil factor positively
• Supplies energy and supports life
• A ‘sponge’ and ‘buffer’
• Acts as a shock absorber
• Creates ‘resilient’ soils
• “Greater soil carbon, greater profits”
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Your Biggest Asset Is?
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The Status Quo?
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What did Roosevelt say?
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“The Nation that destroys its soils
destroys itself”
Franklin Roosevelt
Letter to all State Governors on a Uniform Soil Conservation Law
(26 February 1937)
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Where is all that Carbon?
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● The Air
● The Living
● The Dead
● The Very Dead - Humus
● (The Memory - Recalcitrant)
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The Living – carbon accumulators
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Building soil carbon requires plants and the
power of photosynthesis – the carbon pump Converts solar energy into carbohydrates
Uses CO2 and water. Limiting factor is water
Convert carbohydrates to complex molecules Provides fuel that drives living processes Provides food and fibre in crops Captures and shares carbon in soil 30-40% of captured carbon exuded by roots
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The Dead
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Crop residues & particulate organic carbon Contributes to the ‘labile’ pool
• Source of soluble nutrients
• Relatively quick to break down
• Carbon used up as energy
source for biology and released
as carbon dioxide
• Only 10%-20% becomes stable humus
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The Very Dead – ‘resistant’ & stable
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Humus and related compounds –
compete with clay for P to make it
plant available Chelates and hormones (auxins) Play a role in all key soil functions High CEC – holds nutrients in soil Important in supplying nutrients High water holding capacity Improves soil performance
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The Memory - Recalcitrant
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Usually charcoal Biochar attracting interest Decompose slowly Unavailable for microbes Mainly physical effects Hold water and nutrients
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What did Cutler say?
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“The depletion of the soil humus supply is apt to be a fundamental cause of lowered crop yields.”
Hills, Jones and Cutler, 1908
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Where do composted products fit?
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“Carbon Concentrate”
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How do You Make Compost
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•Correct ingredients and recipe:
•Physical structure•C: N ratio
•Blending and moisture critical
•Monitoring the process;
•High temperature pasteurisation•Convert organic matter to humus
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Why do Carbon levels Reduce?
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•Overuse of fertilisers – breaks down carbon
•N and P = primary limiting factors for microbes
•Drying and wetting cycles – boom and bust
•Bare ground – microbial bloom when rains
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What did Kellogg say?
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“... generally, the type of soil management that gives the greatest immediate return leads to a deterioration of soil productivity,
/...whereas the type that provides the highest income over the period of a generation leads to the maintenance or improvement of productivity.”
Charles Kellogg, 1936
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Farm Productivity
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Production per unit of;• Energy
– Nitrogen and – Other artificial fertilisers– Pesticides– Diesel fuel (energy)
• Water– Irrigated water– Natural rainfall
MEASURE, UNDERSTAND and RE-DESIGN
SOC adds energy &reduces this input
SOCimproves this input
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Soil Organic Carbon
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Improves: Capture and use of
rainfall Fertiliser efficiency Soil biology
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What did Lal say? – climate change
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/…soil C sequestration is a very cost-effective option, a “bridge to the future” that buys us time in which to develop those alternative energy options
Dr Rattan LalOhio State university
US Senate Committee Hearing, 8th July 2003
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Rattan Lal also said…
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This potential is realizable through promotion of … conservation tillage, growing cover crops, improving judicious fertilizer use and precision farming, and composting.”
Dr Rattan LalOhio State university
US Senate Committee Hearing, 8th July 2003
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What did Garnaut say?
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• “The most significant opportunities may be in the area of soil carbon sequestration”
Ross Garnaut
Garnaut Report30th September 2008
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What Can I Do? – Carbon Farming
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Grazing management
No till farming
Conservation tillage
Pasture cropping
Natural sequence farming
Biological farming
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What can I do about it?
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Get passionate about soil• Learn• Talk• Dig
• Touch• Feel• Smell• Taste
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What can I do about it?
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• Maximise plant growth, especially roots
• Retain plant residues • Ground cover at all times,
minimise erosion losses• Convert annual to perennial• Convert cropping to pasture• Continuous pasture builds SOC
fastest• Don’t overuse fertilisers,
especially N
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What else did Roosevelt say?
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“The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation.
It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”
(22 May 1932)
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THANK YOU
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• Come and visit us for a chat.
• Visit www.cwise.com.au •
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Policy Perspective
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November 2008
Nurture and Protect the Soil Resource
SustainableSociety
Increase soil carbon
Soil Protection Policy
Value the carbon in soil
Reward farmer for carbon
Greenhouse gas abatement
Community health budget
Food Quality
Food security
Global Warming
Land-Use Planning Policy
What policy driver here?
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Sustainable Society
Social & Environmental Aspects
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Manage the Soil
Healthy Farm Families
Thriving and Prosperous Rural Communities
Increase soil carbon
Less erosion
Improved soil structure
Better water use
Reduced salinitySoil Fertility
Biodiversity
Healthy Ecology
Healthy Profit
Environmental services delivered by farmers