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Emissions found to be higher from soils lacking organic matter!

  • 1.  Emissions found to be higher from soils lacking organic matter!

    Posted 02-02-2023 11:58

    Emissions from soil of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide can be drastically reduced just by adding carbon-rich manure, new research from Rothamsted Research and the University of Bristol shows.

    Doing so essentially "locks-in" nitrogen as it is no longer turned into as much nitrous oxide gas by microbes such as fungi and bacteria.

    Nitrous oxide is roughly 300 times more potent that CO2 as a greenhouse gas, and fertilized soils are its major source. The gas also contributes to ozone depletion, and human-induced emissions of the gas have increased worldwide by 30% over the last forty years—mainly through an increased use of chemical fertilizers.

    According to this latest Rothamsted-led study, published today in the journal Nature Food, arable soils receiving such inorganic fertilizers were found to retain only half the amount of nitrogen compared to soils receiving farmyard manure, with the losses mainly in the form of nitrous oxide gas.

    And the data strongly suggest this is because carbon and nitrogen are inexorably linked within soils—and to a much greater extent than ever realized.

    Continue reading on PHYS.ORG

    Source: Greater Sydney Small Farms Network.
    If you know someone who might be interested in joining the Greater Sydney Small Farms network, they can register HERE. To view previous newsletters, click HERE.


    #LandManagement

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    Emily Mason
    Sydney NSW
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