Maximizing Nutrient Efficiency Through the Adoption of Management Practices that Maintain Soil Organic Carbon: Calculating Carbon Turnover Kinetics

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

2-2011

Abstract

A critical component of maximizing nutrient management efficiency is the adoption of management practices that maintain the soil organic carbon (SOC). Management practices that degrade soil resources may have low energy efficiency, while systems that improve soil quality may have the opposite impact. One practice that could reduce soil sustainability is the harvesting of crop residues for animal feed, animal bedding, and ethanol production. Residue harvesting can reduce SOC, which in turn can lead to reduced sustainability and productivity. Yield monitor data sets when combined with spatial and temporal SOC measurements can provide the information needed to develop site-specific carbon management plans. This chapter (1) develops and demonstrates approaches for calculating SOC maintenance requirements and mineralization rate constants at different landscape positions and (2) discusses …

Publication Title

GIS Applications in Agriculture, Volume Two

First Page

198

Last Page

215

DOI of Published Version

10.1201/b10600-16

Publisher

CRC Press

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