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Eco-Intensification Through Soil Carbon Sequestration: FEATURE Harnessing Ecosystem Services and Advancing Sustainable Development Goals Rattan Lal

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Eco-Intensification Through Soil Carbon Sequestration: FEATURE Harnessing Ecosystem Services and Advancing Sustainable Development Goals Rattan Lal doi:10.2489/jswc.74.3.55A Eco-intensification through soil carbon sequestration: FEATURE Harnessing ecosystem services and advancing sustainable development goals Rattan Lal and misuse and soil mismanagement, and ITPS 2015; Lambin et al. 2013). The objective of this article is to describe prin- causing land trauma and severe deg- additional demand for land resources is ciples and techniques of EI through soil C L radation (Steinbeck 1939; Jacks and exacerbated by soil degradation (Oldeman management and sequestration, and explain Whyte 1939; Wood 1951; Buck 2012), 1994) and conversion to nonagricultural technological options including importance must be replaced by a judicious land use uses including urbanization (Lal 2017). of CA systems. This review is based on the and prudent soil/crop/water management As much as 25% of the agricultural land hypothesis that the dilemma of degrad- to restore degraded soils and improve the resources are strongly degraded (Oldeman ing agricultural soils and increasing food environment. The rapid increase in agri- 1994; Bai et al. 2008; Bindraban et al. 2012; demand can be effectively addressed through cultural production since the 1960s has FAO and ITPS 2015; Rekacewicz 2008), restoration of soil health by SOC sequestra- been caused by massive input of fertil- and the risks of additional degradation tion and the attendant improvement in soil izers (nitrogen [N], phosphorus [P], and may be exacerbated by the projected cli- quality through the strategy of EI. potassium [K]), pesticides, energy use in mate change because of possible increase plowing and other farm operations, and in precipitation intensities (Michael et al. ECO-INTENSIFICATION AND 8 Copyright © 2019 Soil and Water Conservation Society. All rights reserved. irrigation of about 350 Mha (8.645 × 10 2005). Identifying systems of maintain- CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE Journal of Soil and Water Conservation ac) of land (Smil 2003; Tilman et al. 2001; ing or improving agronomic productivity, EI is defined as intensification of biological Arizpe et al. 2011; Gomiero 2016). How- without degrading soil fertility or pollut- processes supporting ecosystem services on ever, such an indiscriminate intensification ing the environment, is an important goal medium-term (efficiency of management through plowing, flood-based irrigation, especially in emerging economies (e.g., options) and long-term (sustainability of and high inputs of chemicals has strong India and China). Further, soils of agro- management option) basis (Gaba et al. adverse effects on the quality and func- ecosystems must be managed in a manner 2014). A system-oriented CA (Lal 2015) tionality of soil, water, air, vegetation, and that minimizes adverse impacts on the encompasses a site-specific combination of biodiversity (Benson 2014). Despite these environment. An effective erosion control, (1) NT, (2) residue mulching, (3) complex massive inputs, agronomic production of based on sound measurement techniques rotations including cover cropping during food staples has stagnated in some regions (Brandt et al. 2018), and prevention of soil the off-season, and (4) integrated nutri- (Grassini et al. 2013), and new approaches structural degradation (Grandy et al. 2002) ent management based on a judicious use 74(3):55A-61A to food production must be identified in are important considerations. Thus, there is of organic and inorganic sources of plant the face of climate change (Beddington et a need for a paradigm shift in managing nutrients. The strategy is to fine-tune a al. 2012; Foley et al. 2011; Lal 2016a, 2018). soils of agroecosystems. site-specific system that creates a positive Thus, the use of nutrients and pesticides, as Eco-intensification (EI), designed to soil/ecosystem C budget on a long-term www.swcs.org well as rates and mode of application, in restore soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil basis. Thus, the input of biomass-C into the agroecosystems must be revisited (Drink- inorganic C (SIC) stocks of degraded soils, soil (by residue retention, cover cropping, water and Snapp 2007). is an option to bring about the desired and amendments) must exceed the losses Advancing food security has numerous paradigm shift. Sustainable management of (by decomposition, erosion, and leach- dimensions: reducing waste, improving SOC, to maintain stocks above the thresh- ing). While decomposition of biomass is distribution, increasing access, enhancing old level of 1.5% to 2.0% in the root zone, essential to maintaining the desired activ- retention by improving human health, is essential to sustaining productivity while ity and species diversity of soil biota, losses and increasing agronomic production. For restoring the environment. The SOC stock of SOC by accelerated erosion (though meeting the food demand of 9.8 billion by may be enhanced by land use and man- water, wind, tillage, gravity, etc.) must be 2050 with growing preferences for animal- agement systems that create a positive C curtailed. Basic concepts of CA are also based diets, it is argued that the agronomic budget in the root zone. The strategy of EI in accord with those of EI for “produc- production may have to be increased by may be implemented through adoption of ing more from less” by enhancing the use 70% to 110% of the level in 2005 (FAO conservation agriculture (CA). Conversion efficiency and reducing losses (Lal 2010). 2002; Alexandratos and Bruinsma 2012; of conventional plowing to CA (based on The goal is to produce more per unit area Bruinsma 2009; Gomiero 2016), along no-till [NT], mulch farming and cover of land, fertilizers and pesticides, irrigation, with increase in the cropland area by as cropping, complex rotation, and integrated energy, and emission of greenhouse gases. much as 150 Mha (3.71 × 108 ac) (FAO nutrient management) may enhance SOC With this strategy, the land area needed for concentration and also reverse the soil cereal production can be decreased rather Rattan Lal is a distinguished university profes- degradation trends. While CA is neither a than increased (Lal 2016a). sor of soil science and the director of the Car- panacea nor a one-size-fits-all, the goal is Whereas the usefulness of CA has been bon Management and Sequestration Center at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. to make it work for site-specific conditions recognized since the 1940s (Faulkner because of numerous cobenefits. Thus, the 1943), its adoption on about 180 Mha JOURNAL OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION MAY/JUNE 2019—VOL. 74, NO. 3 55A (4.45 × 108 ac) of cropland (Kassam et al. CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE AND al. (2014) indicated that SOC concentra- 2019) is primarily limited to large-scale SOIL ORGANIC CARBON: SOME tion in 0 to 30 cm (0 to 11.81 in) depth commercial farms in North and South SUCCESS STORIES was significantly higher in NT than con- America, Australia, and New Zealand. There are some examples of positive ventional tillage by 10% more in Vertisol Declining soil quality (physical, chemical, results of CA on agronomic yield and and 8% more in Cambisol, but no differ- and biological) and incidence of weeds SOC sequestration. In the Loess Plateau of ence in Luvisol. The average SOC stock are addressed in large-scale farming by China, Lu et al. (2018) reported a positive in 0 to 30 cm depth was 29.4 Mg C ha–1 inputs of agrochemicals and use of other net ecosystem C value for a mulch-based (13.11 tn C ac–1) under NT and 27.4 Mg energy-based inputs. However, lack of CA system and a negative value with con- C ha–1 (12.22 tn C ac–1) under conven- appropriate seeding drills and competing ventional moldboard plowing. Further, Lu tional tillage, an average increase of 0.4 Mg uses of crop residues remain to be serious and colleagues observed that conversion C ha–1 y–1 (0.18 tn C ac–1 yr–1). obstacles to adoption of CA by resource- from plowing to CA caused SOC seques- On a long-term basis, effectiveness of poor small landholders (Johansen et al. tration at the rate of 0.84 to 2.69 Mg C CA on SOC sequestration depends on a 2012). Capital and labor constraints also ha–1 y–1 (0.37 to 1.2 tn ac–1 yr–1). In the wide range of interacting factors includ- limit adoption of CA by small landhold- southeastern United States, Franzluebbers ing climate (especially the rainfall and its ers (Grabowski 2011). Thus, there is a (2010) observed that the rate of SOC distribution) along with soil temperature strong need to link researchers, farmers, sequestration with adoption of CA was regimes, soil properties, the amount and –1 –1 Copyright © 2019 Soil and Water Conservation Society. All rights reserved. and industry stakeholders to promote the 0.45 ± 0.04 Mg C ha y (0.20 ± 0.02 quality of the input of biomass, and the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation adoption of CA (Naresh et al. 2014). tn C ac–1 yr–1). Analyzing data from long- soil biodiversity. Virto et al. (2012) con- There are also concerns regarding a term field experiments in the United cluded that the C input differences may possibility of low crop yields and low States, Allmaras et al. (2000) reported the be the main factor explaining the vari- or no accumulation of SOC by CA in SOC storage in the order of NT > non- ability in SOC storage in CA compared to degraded and depleted soils of both large moldboard tillage > moldboard tillage inversion-tilled systems. Removal of stub- and small landholder farmers. With the system. Based on a 24-year study con- ble for grazing and other uses can reduce use of crop residue mulch and a system- ducted in southern Illinois, United States, SOC stocks. Modeling studies in the state based approach, however, adoption of CA Olson et al.
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