Benchmarking greenhouse gas emissions for the UK arable and horticultural sector Supporting the journey to net zero…
Read the full reportThe review emphasises the critical role of soils in achieving net zero emissions, highlighting opportunities for reducing emissions and increasing carbon sequestration through practices such as reduced tillage, cover crops, and incorporating organic materials. Additionally, smaller-scale land use changes like hedgerows, rotational leys, and agroforestry can further enhance soil carbon storage on farms.
What this review highlights
- Benchmark GHG emissions for important UK arable and horticultural crops
- Identifies the most important emission sources for each crop
- Opportunities for reducing emissions on arable and horticultural farms (i.e. the hotspots) Opportunities for increasing carbon removals
- A brief overview of the new technologies available to mitigate emissions in cropping systems
Soils play a crucial role in achieving net zero through carbon sequestration and reducing emissions from nitrogen fertilisation and soil management practices. In terms of soil carbon, it focuses on 5 ways that farmers can increase soil carbon:
- Reduced tillage intensity
- Establishment of cover crops
- Incorporating crop residues
- Incorporating livestock manure and slurries
- Incorporating of high organic carbon materials
Smaller-Scale Farm-Level Land Use Changes for Carbon Removal:
- Hedgerow can increase below ground carbon storage
- Rotational leys can build up soil carbon
- Establishing permanent buffer strips can increase soil carbon
- Implementing agroforestry can increase soil carbon
Recommendations for policy implementation
- Utilising precision techniques and nutrient planning to reduce nitrogen applications and improve nitrogen use efficiency.
- Increasing soil organic carbon inputs through the use of cover crops, composts, and livestock manures.
- Minimising tillage depth to enhance carbon storage in surface soil layers.
- Increasing vegetative carbon by planting trees and managing hedgerows to sequester carbon.