Regional Study of No‐Till Effects on Carbon Sequestration in the Midwestern United States

• DOI: 10.2136/sssaj2007.0336
• Publication Date: 2009-01-22T02:59:04Z
• Authors: Sheila F. Christo...; Rattan Lal; Umakant Mishra
• Keywords: Soil carbon

No‐till (NT) agriculture has been promoted as one of the optimal management practices that preserves soil and water, increases organic C (SOC) compared with conventional tillage (CT) practices. Information on SOC sequestration in NT systems, however, based measurements from surface (<30 cm) little is known about extent across entire 0‐ to 60‐cm profile. We conducted a regional study farming assess whole profile 12 contrasting but representative soils Midwestern United States, each within Major Land Resource Area (MLRA: 98, 111C, 114B, 122 Indiana; 111A, 111B, 111D, 124, 126 Ohio; 127 147 Pennsylvania). Soils gentle terrain were sampled paired CT fields well an adjacent woodlot MLRA. The N concentrations greater 5‐cm than MLRA 124. concentration was at 10 30 cm MLRAs 98 126. total pool for did not differ between eight actually under 127, 126, resulting negative rates conversion these three MLRAs. This suggests must be examined ecosystem budget assessed when elucidating vs. fields.