Pradip Dey
Title: Non-technological soil management anchored climate-resilient agriculture policy: An important perspective
Abstract: In the euphoria of technological component which are, indeed, important, we often forget the crucial non-technological components. The absence of these non-technological components often assume major role in the success or failure of technology. Five non-technological components, viz., land governance, extension & advisory services, finance & market, local governance & cooperation, and indigenous technological knowledge are important towards the development of a sustainable soil management anchored climate-resilient agriculture policy. The adaptive management approaches that allow alignment with local realities are keys to successful implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) on the ground are also important. Adoption of ambitious global SDG goals for climate action does not provide answers regarding how to achieve these goals on the ground without considering gender sensitive land tenure security, involving different stakeholders in policy-making processes, adoption of ICT, incorporating externalities for making economic decisions, accounting for capital invested in the face of climate change, strengthening local and community governance structures, and development of voluntary guidelines on sustainable land management in sync with local law. Region specific amalgamation of verified indigenous technological knowledge should also be incorporated for speedy implementation and effective outcome within a specific time horizon. Limited financing for the SDGs requires achieving multiple benefits for investment, linking sustainable land management actions to other goals at the local level with cooperation from international, domestic and local private players including NGOs/CBOs for climate-resilient agriculture.
Patricia Marie
Title: Soil Organic Carbon: A Farmer’s Most Faithful Ally
Abstract: Organic carbon is a vital aspect for ensuring soil quality and health and the largest active fraction is found in soils. Agriculture is one of several anthropogenic activities that can alter soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, which are the net result of carbon inputs and outputs. Through terrestrial carbon sequestration, crops have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the atmosphere, and thus function as climate change mitigation tools. Second to this, SOC can improve the physical, biological, and chemical properties of soils which can lead to higher yields. Therefore, farmers are teaming up with SOC by implementing practices for its conservation. However, soils themselves generate CO2 emissions because of natural microbial activities. For SOC to work in favor of farmers, it’s vital to understand which soil properties can be improved by higher SOC stocks over time. The value of SOC and its relation to environmental sustainability, crop productivity, climate change mitigation efforts and human health is often limited to the public eye, despite efforts made within academia to spread the knowledge. For this reason, it’s important to simplify and explain basic scientific concepts regarding SOC, particularly to how its stabilization and conservation can benefit farmers, and ultimately, the public itself. The purpose of this talk is to create awareness of carbon’s ubiquity and value, especially in agricultural settings.
Thomas Doohan
Title: Drivers of Soil Organic Matter Stabilization in Ohio Soils
Abstract: Soil C sequestration is a leading strategy for combating global climate change, but its efficacy is limited by the quality of the soil organic C (SOC) stored. SOC is stabilized through a variety of different mechanisms: the inherent composition of the material itself, occlusion within aggregates, and complexation with different soil. SOC stabilized by mineral associations are generally thought to be the most stable or resistant to decomposition and therefore the best form of SOC to increase for the purpose of C sequestration. However, the formation of mineral-associated SOC is not fully understood. This research sought to elucidate what soil properties in Ohio are linked with mineral-associated SOC and other C in other SOC fractions.
To understand what soils properties were linked with SOC stabilization, 111 soils from the four major physiographic regions of Ohio (i.e. Lake Planes, Till Planes, Glaciated Alleghany Plateau, and Unglaciated Alleghany Plateau) underwent a physical-chemical-density fractionation to separate three fractions (tPOM, si + c, and rSOC) controlled by different stabilization mechanisms. SOC fractions were analyzed via a mixed-modeling approach against existing soil characterization, mineralogy, and mid-infrared (MIRS) data to determine what relationships existed.
Potassium content was positively and significantly (p < 0.05) linked with SOC in all fractions. Minerals illite and smectite were significantly and positively linked with SOC in the resistant fractions si + c and rSOC. MIRS peak area 3630 (linked with 2:1 phyllosilicates) was significantly and positively correlated with SOC in the si + c and rSOC fractions