Influence of perennial forages on subsoil organic carbon in a long-term rotation study in Uruguay

Gentile, Roberta; Martino, Daniel; Entz, Martin H.

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2004.05.002

Cited by 39 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Perennial forages also generally improve soil OM (Chan et al, 2011) and, in the context of diversified cropping systems, support higher populations and activity of soil microor-ganisms than annual crops (King and Hofmokel, 2017). Additional benefits of deeply rooted perennial forages include bringing subsoil nutrients into active nutrient cycles; utilizing subsoil moisture to improve water use efficiency; reducing ground water contamination by NO 3 − (Stewart et al, 1968;Russelle et al, 2001); and adding organic C to the subsoil in forms that sequester CO 2 (Gentile et al, 2005). New varieties of perennial grasses, such as tall fescue, should further improve environmental benefits, given their greater forage yields and opportunities for better nutritional balance for dairy herds (Brink et al, 2010).…”

Section: Perennial Crops Provide Multiple Benefitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invited review: Sustainable forage and grain crop production for the US dairy industry

Martin

Russelle

Powell

et al. 2017

Journal of Dairy Science

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A resilient US dairy industry will be underpinned by forage and crop production systems that are economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable. Land use for production of perennial and annual forages and grains for dairy cattle must evolve in response to multiple food security and environmental sustainability issues. These include increasing global populations; higher incomes and demand for dairy and other animal products; climate change with associated temperature and moisture changes; necessary reductions in carbon and water footprints; maintenance of soil quality and soil nutrient concerns; and competition for land. Likewise, maintaining producer profitability and utilizing practices accepted by consumers and society generally must also be considered. Predicted changes in climate and water availability will likely challenge current feed and dairy production systems and their national spatial distribution, particularly the western migration of dairy production in the late 20th century. To maintain and stabilize profitability while reducing carbon footprint, particularly reductions in methane emission and enhancements in soil carbon sequestration, dairy production will need to capitalize on genetic and management innovations that enhance forage and grain production and nutritive value. Improved regional and on-farm integration of feed production and manure utilization is needed to reduce environmental nitrogen and phosphorus losses and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Resilient and flexible feed production strategies are needed to address each of these challenges and opportunities to ensure profitable feeding of dairy cattle and a sustainable dairy industry.

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Section: Perennial Crops Provide Multiple Benefitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invited review: Sustainable forage and grain crop production for the US dairy industry

Martin

Russelle

Powell

et al. 2017

Journal of Dairy Science

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“…After 8 years of running the experiment (1995-2003), Terra et al [24] reported a significant SOC reduction of 17% in the 0-15 cm depth under the continuous crop (CC) relative to the other rotations containing a high proportion of perennial pastures in their cycles (LR and PP) ( Figure 4). The authors suggested that despite using no-till CC, SOC decreased relative to its original conditions, while pastures had the ability to recover SOC that had been lost during the cropping phase [18]. Soil organic carbon reduction in CC was due to a negative carbon (C) balance generated by biomass extraction by grazing cattle, while the higher content of SOC in pasture-based rotations was related to the greater biomass partitioned to the root systems compared to CC [24].…”

Section: Some Key Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ‘Palo a Pique’ Long-Term Research Platform: First 25 Years of a Crop–Livestock Experiment in Uruguay

et al. 2020

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Mixed crop–livestock long-term experiments (LTE) are critical to increase the understanding of sustainability in complex agroecosystems. One example is the ‘Palo a Pique’ LTE which has been running for 25 years in Uruguay (from 1995 to present), evaluating four pasture–crop rotations under livestock grazing with no-till technology in soils with severe limitations. The results demonstrate that cropping systems reduced soil organic carbon (SOC) compared with permanent pastures, and that perennial pastures rotating with crops were critical to mitigate SOC losses. Data from the ‘Palo a Pique’ LTE has contributed to the establishment of new national policies to secure the sustainability of agricultural-based systems. Although the original purpose of the LTE was oriented to crops and soils, a demand for sustainable livestock intensification has gathered momentum over recent years. As a result, the current approach of the ‘Palo a Pique’ LTE matches each pasture–crop rotation with the most suitable livestock strategy with the common goal of producing 400 kg liveweight/ha per year. General approaches to the pursuit of sustainable livestock intensification include shortening the cycle of production, diversifying animal categories, increasing liveweight gain and final animal liveweight, and strategic livestock supplementation. Prediction of trade-offs between environmental, economic, and production indicators can be addressed through monitoring and modeling, enabling the timely anticipation of adverse sustainability issues on commercial farms. The ‘Palo a Pique’ LTE serves as a framework to address contemporary and future questions dealing with the role of ruminants on climate change, competition for land, nutrient dynamics, and food security.

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“…Year‐round soil cover serves to prevent erosion (De Baets, Poesen, Meersmans, & Serlet, ), decrease N leaching (Blombäck, Eckersten, Lewan, & Aronsson, ) and increase main crop productivity (Lal, ). Poeplau and Don () showed that cover cropping can also minimise SOC loss between rotations; systems avoiding or reducing fallow have been demonstrated to increase soil C stocks independently of other factors (Gentile et al, ; Goglio, Bonari, & Mazzoncini, ; Goglio, Smith, Grant, et al, ).…”

Section: Selection and Assessment Of Scs Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cover crops are grown primarily to maintain soil cover during winter fallow periods (Ruis & Blanco-Canqui, 2017), and may serve to prevent N leaching (Cicek, Martens, Bamford, & Entz, 2015) or provide nutrition to the main crop (Alliaume, Rossing, Tittonell, Jorge, & Dogliotti, 2014;Dabney et al, 2010); these functions can be combined, as in crucifer-legume mix cover crops (Couëdel, Alletto, Tribouillois, & Justes, 2018 (Blombäck, Eckersten, Lewan, & Aronsson, 2003) and increase main crop productivity (Lal, 2004). Poeplau and Don (2015) showed that cover cropping can also minimise SOC loss between rotations; systems avoiding or reducing fallow have been demonstrated to increase soil C stocks independently of other factors (Gentile et al, 2005;Goglio, Bonari, & Mazzoncini, 2012;.…”

Section: Implement Cover Croppingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterising the biophysical, economic and social impacts of soil carbon sequestration as a greenhouse gas removal technology

Sykes

MacLeod

Eory

et al. 2019

Global Change Biology

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To limit warming to well below 2°C, most scenario projections rely on greenhouse gas removal technologies (GGRTs); one such GGRT uses soil carbon sequestration (SCS) in agricultural land. In addition to their role in mitigating climate change, SCS practices play a role in delivering agroecosystem resilience, climate change adaptability and food security. Environmental heterogeneity and differences in agricultural practices challenge the practical implementation of SCS, and our analysis addresses the associated knowledge gap. Previous assessments have focused on global potentials, but there is a need among policymakers to operationalise SCS. Here, we assess a range of practices already proposed to deliver SCS, and distil these into a subset of specific measures. We provide a multidisciplinary summary of the barriers and potential incentives towards practical implementation of these measures. First, we identify specific practices with potential for both a positive impact on SCS at farm level and an uptake rate compatible with global impact. These focus on: (a) optimising crop primary productivity (e.g. nutrient optimisation, pH management, irrigation); (b) reducing soil disturbance and managing soil physical properties (e.g. improved rotations, minimum till); (c) minimising deliberate removal of C or lateral transport via erosion processes (e.g. support measures, bare fallow reduction); (d) addition of C produced outside the system (e.g. organic manure amendments, biochar addition); (e) provision of additional C inputs within the cropping system (e.g. agroforestry, cover cropping). We then consider economic and non‐cost barriers and incentives for land managers implementing these measures, along with the potential externalised impacts of implementation. This offers a framework and reference point for holistic assessment of the impacts of SCS. Finally, we summarise and discuss the ability of extant scientific approaches to quantify the technical potential and externalities of SCS measures, and the barriers and incentives to their implementation in global agricultural systems.

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Influence of perennial forages on subsoil organic carbon in a long-term rotation study in Uruguay

Cited by 39 publications

References 8 publications

Invited review: Sustainable forage and grain crop production for the US dairy industry

Invited review: Sustainable forage and grain crop production for the US dairy industry

The ‘Palo a Pique’ Long-Term Research Platform: First 25 Years of a Crop–Livestock Experiment in Uruguay

Characterising the biophysical, economic and social impacts of soil carbon sequestration as a greenhouse gas removal technology

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