Cover crop workshop, Oct 21 st 2009 Bradford Farm Maetee Patana-Anake*, Tim Reinbott # and Bill Jacoby* *Biological Engineering # Bradford Farm Research and Extension Mizzou Review Carbon Footprint & Sequestration using Winter Cover Crops

Outline Terminologies – Carbon footprint & sequestration Factor of carbon footprint Cover crop selection & performance comparison Practices in cultivation Summary

Terminologies

Carbon Footprint the total set of carbon dioxide emission ∆Carbon Footprint = Net Carbon Emission – Net Carbon Storage Carbon Sequestration Storage of CO2 into other form of C Cover crop : CO2  Biomass

Cover crops selection & Performance comparison

Winter Cover Crop Selection Rye (Secale cereale L.) Provide organic matter (Biomass) Weed reduction Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) Provide Nitrogen Reference :Reinbott et al. 2004

Cover Crop Management Applying different mix of cover crop (% by weight) No cover crop Rye only (R100) Rye and Vetch(R74V26) Vetch only (V100) No tillage practice & fertilizer applied Level of C and N are not significantly influenced by tillage practice ReferenceZotarelli et al 2009., Sainju et al. 2006

Result – Sweet Corn yield (1) Cover crop showing less performance as increasing of Nitrogen fertilizer N is mainly contributed by Hairy Vetch N contribution is range between 35 and 75 kg/ha Result from Zotarelli et al Sweet corn marketable fresh yield (Mg/ha) as affected by previous cover crop (R = rye, V = hairy vetch) in 2006 Cover crop treatment N rate, kg/ha Fallow R R67V V

Result – Corn yield (2)

Result – Cover crop biomass yield C is mainly contributed by Rye C contribution from cover crop ranging from 0.4 to 2.3 Mg/ha C is estimate 37% of biomass yield (above ground and below ground) ReferenceSainju et al Biomass, C concentration, and N concentration of winter cover crops Cover CropBiomass yield (kg/ha)C (kg/ha) Fallow R R74V V

Result – C from Biomass

Result –Carbon Sequestration (1) Net carbon sequestration = [the total gross organic C input] – [the organic C loss in erosion] Approximately 30% is contributed to the atmosphere % is contributed to cultivation in first 2 to 5 years Assumption Land have low in soil organic carbon Cover crops are repeatedly planting each year with sweet corn ReferenceGaiser et al. 2009, Ingram & Fernandes 2000, Ruffo & Bollero 2003

Result – Carbon Output Outputs from planting cover crop Note:Emission of C in production of nitrogen fertilizer is estimated at kg C/kg ReferenceIngram & Fernandes 2000, Sainju et al. 2005, West & Marland 2002 Sources C outputs (kg C/ha) Cover crops R100 Nitrogen Carbon Cover crops R74V26 Nitrogen Carbon Cover crops V100 Nitrogen Carbon

Practices in cultivation

Net Carbon in Cultivation Carbon Inputs from practice in cover crop cultivation No tillage No irrigation Planting (~5 gallon diesel/ha for drilling) Seed production (total 108 kg/ha)

Result – Carbon Input Inputs from practice in cover crop cultivation Note: Planting assume to use 5 gallon/ha Using 108 kg seed/ha ReferenceZoterlli et al. 2009, West & Marland 2002 ActivitiesC input kg (C/ha) Tillage0.00 Irrigation0.00 Planting5.87 Seed production R Seed production R74V Seed production V

Summary

Summary – Net Carbon Footprint Net carbon footprint of planting Rye and Hairy vetch comparing with sweet corn yield Cover crops mix Net carbon footprint (kg C/ha) N fertilizer Corn yield (Mg/ha) Seed production R Seed production R74V Seed production V

Thank you!

References Zotarelli et al. (2009), Benefit of Vetch and Rye Cover Crops to Sweet Corn under no Tillage Sainju et al. (2005), Biculture Legume-Cereal Cover Crops for Enhanced Biomass Yield and Carbon and Nitrogen Ruffo & Bollero (2003), Modeling Rye and Hairy Vetch Residue Decompostion as a function of Degree-Days and Decomposition Days Sainju et al. (2006), Carbon Supply and Storage in Tilled and Nontilled Soil as Influenced by Cover Crops and Nitrogen Fertilization Timothy M. Reinbott (2004), Tillage and Cropping Systems Ingram & Fernandes (2000), Manging Carbon Sequestration in Soils: Concept and Terminology West & Post (2002), Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration Rates by Tillage and Crop Rotation: A Global Data Analysis