Does increased crop productivity lead to increased carbon sequestration in agroecosystems?
Kochsiek, Amy*,1, Knops, Jean1, Elgersma, Kenneth1, 2, Stoysich, Kate1, Arkebauer, Timothy1, Cassman, Ken1, 1 University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska2 ABSTRACT- Management changes such as no tillage and switching from dryland to irrigated systems leads to increased productivity. The increase in productivity is assumed to lead to increased standing litter pool and increased carbon storage as this litter is converted to stable soil organic matter. We investigated the impact irrigation on the fate of corn and soybean litter with yearly cohorts of decomposing tissue for 2001-2004 in a no till system. productivity in the irrigated fields was higher than in the dryland fields for both corn and soybean crops. Initial amounts of litter were 565 gCm-2 for the irrigated corn fields and 445 gCm-2 for dryland corn and 336 gCm-2 irrigated soybean and 225 gCm-2 dryland soybean. This shows that increased productivity after management changes can lead to short-term carbon storage by increasi
