Quantifying soil carbon sequestration from regenerative agricultural practices in crops and vineyards

Abstract

IntroductionRegenerative agriculture commonly aims to increase soil carbon sequestration, with potential benefits for human and ecosystem health, climate mitigation, and biodiversity. However, the effectiveness of various regenerative practices at increasing carbon sequestration is unclear.MethodsThis study identified and quantified the yearly soil carbon sequestration rate of regenerative practices in arable cropland and vineyard ecosystems through a literature review. We examined N=345 soil carbon sequestration measures across seven regenerative practices – agroforestry, cover cropping, legume cover cropping, animal integration, non-chemical fertilizer, non-chemical pest management, and no tillage.ResultsOur findings indicate that all seven practices effectively increased the carbon sequestration rate. There were no statistically significant differences among the practices. Combining these practices may further enhance soil carbon sequestration.DiscussionWe propose a sequence of regenerative practices that farmers can adopt, balancing ease of implementation and carbon sequestration effectiveness. To address under-studied practices, we recommend further research, including long-term monitoring studies and randomized controlled trials in perennial systems. Our recommendations aim to enhance the implementation and effectiveness of regenerative practices while mitigating the current challenge of limited sample sizes for quantifying carbon sequestration.

Agricultural Practices for Biodiversity Enhancement: Evidence and Recommendations for the Viticultural Sector

“…The implementation of different soil management approaches, when combined, can have a more significant impact than isolated practices. For instance, combining cover crops with no-tillage resulted in a higher mean soil carbon sequestration rate compared with the cover crops or no-tillage alone [63]. Combining a legume and a non-legume in cover cropping resulted in a higher mean soil carbon sequestration rate (t C/ha/yr.)…”

“…Combining a legume and a non-legume in cover cropping resulted in a higher mean soil carbon sequestration rate (t C/ha/yr.) in arable land, compared to using either cover crop alone [63].…”

“…Moreover, Sánchez-Moreno et al [72] highlighted the relevance of complementing a reduction in the use of conventional pesticides and mineral fertilizers with conservation practices, including reduced tillage or cover cropping, to protect soil health in semi-arid Mediterranean agroecosystems. Agricultural practices that involve no-tillage, along with the use of non-chemical fertilizers and non-chemical pest management, can keep organic carbon amounts below the ground [63]. This approach has the potential to support climate goals, biodiversity, long-term soil productivity, as well as human health and wellbeing [63].…”

“…Agricultural practices that involve no-tillage, along with the use of non-chemical fertilizers and non-chemical pest management, can keep organic carbon amounts below the ground [63]. This approach has the potential to support climate goals, biodiversity, long-term soil productivity, as well as human health and wellbeing [63]. A medium-term field experiment performed by López-Piñeiro et al [74] demonstrated that no-tillage practice combined with native vegetation cover had the effect of improving the soil's organic carbon and water content, along with boosting its aggregate stability and the diversity of soil microorganisms while also reducing the soil's penetration resistance.…”

“…A study by Villat and Nicholas [63] aimed to quantify the annual soil carbon sequestration of regenerative practices in vineyards, namely agroforestry, cover cropping, legume cover cropping, animal integration, non-chemical fertilizers, non-chemical pest management, and no-tillage. The results showed that all the regenerative practices, including non-chemical fertilizers, as well as non-chemical pest management, improved below-ground carbon sequestration.…”