Preliminary Estimates of the Potential for Carbon Mitigation in European Soils Through No-Till Farming

Smith, P.; Powlson, D.; Glendining, M.; Smith, J.

doi:10.3334/CDIAC/TCM.003

Title: Preliminary Estimates of the Potential for Carbon Mitigation in European Soils Through No-Till Farming

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Abstract

in this paper we estimate the European potential for carbon mitigation of no-till farming using results from European tillage experiments. Our calculations suggest some potential in terms of (a) reduced agricultural fossil fuel emissions, and (b) increased soil carbon sequestration. We estimate that 100% conversion to no-till farming would be likely to sequester about 23 Tg C y–11 in the European Union or about 43 Tg C y–1 in the wider Europe (excluding the former Soviet Union). In addition, up to 3.2 Tg C y–1 could be saved in agricultural fossil fuel emissions. Compared to estimates of the potential for carbon sequestration of other carbon mitigation options, no-till agriculture shows nearly twice the potential of scenarios whereby soils are amended with organic materials. Our calculations suggest that 100% conversion to no-till agriculture in Europe could mitigate all fossil fuel-carbon emissions from agriculture in Europe. However, this is equivalent to only about 4.1% of total anthropogenic CO2-carbon produced annually in Europe (excluding the former Soviet Union) which in turn is equivalent to about 0.8% of global annual anthropogenic CO2-carbon emissions.For access to the data files, click this link to the CDIAC data transition website: http://cdiac.ess-dive.lbl.gov/programs/CSEQ/terrestrial/PeteSmithetal98/PeteSmith98.html

Authors:

Smith, P.; Powlson, D.; Glendining, M.; Smith, J.

University of Aberdeen, School of Biological Sciences; OSTI
University of Aberdeen, School of Biological Sciences

Publication Date:: Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 UTC 2003

Other Number(s):: doi:10.3334/CDIAC/TCM.003; cdiac:doi 10.3334/CDIAC/tcm.003

Research Org.:: Environmental System Science Data Infrastructure for a Virtual Ecosystem

Sponsoring Org.:: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council of the United Kingdom

Collaborations:: Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC)

Subject:: 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON SEQUESTRATION-TERRESTRIAL; SOIL ORGANIC CARBON; carbon sequestration; soil organic carbon; tillage

OSTI Identifier:: 1389520

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.3334/CDIAC/TCM.003

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                    Smith, P., Powlson, D., Glendining, M., and Smith, J. Preliminary Estimates of the Potential for Carbon Mitigation in European Soils Through No-Till Farming.  United States: N. p., 2003. 
        Web.  doi:10.3334/CDIAC/TCM.003.

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                    Smith, P., Powlson, D., Glendining, M., & Smith, J. Preliminary Estimates of the Potential for Carbon Mitigation in European Soils Through No-Till Farming.  United States.  doi:https://doi.org/10.3334/CDIAC/TCM.003

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                    Smith, P., Powlson, D., Glendining, M., and Smith, J. 2003.  
"Preliminary Estimates of the Potential for Carbon Mitigation in European Soils Through No-Till Farming".  United States.  doi:https://doi.org/10.3334/CDIAC/TCM.003.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1389520. Pub date:Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 UTC 2003

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@article{osti_1389520,

  title        = {Preliminary Estimates of the Potential for Carbon Mitigation in European Soils Through No-Till Farming},

  author       = {Smith, P. and Powlson, D. and Glendining, M. and Smith, J.},

  abstractNote = {in this paper we estimate the European potential for carbon mitigation of no-till farming using results from European tillage experiments. Our calculations suggest some potential in terms of (a) reduced agricultural fossil fuel emissions, and (b) increased soil carbon sequestration. We estimate that 100% conversion to no-till farming would be likely to sequester about 23 Tg C y–11 in the European Union or about 43 Tg C y–1 in the wider Europe (excluding the former Soviet Union). In addition, up to 3.2 Tg C y–1 could be saved in agricultural fossil fuel emissions. Compared to estimates of the potential for carbon sequestration of other carbon mitigation options, no-till agriculture shows nearly twice the potential of scenarios whereby soils are amended with organic materials. Our calculations suggest that 100% conversion to no-till agriculture in Europe could mitigate all fossil fuel-carbon emissions from agriculture in Europe. However, this is equivalent to only about 4.1% of total anthropogenic CO2-carbon produced annually in Europe (excluding the former Soviet Union) which in turn is equivalent to about 0.8% of global annual anthropogenic CO2-carbon emissions.For access to the data files, click this link to the CDIAC data transition website: http://cdiac.ess-dive.lbl.gov/programs/CSEQ/terrestrial/PeteSmithetal98/PeteSmith98.html},

  doi          = {10.3334/CDIAC/TCM.003},

  journal      = {},

  number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 UTC 2003},

  month        = {Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 UTC 2003}

}

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3334/CDIAC/TCM.003

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