What agricultural activities sequester carbon?
Soil conservation practices not only reduce soil erosion but also increase the organic matter content of soils. Principal conservation strategies, which sequester carbon, include converting marginal lands to compatible land use systems, restoring degraded soils, and adopting best management practices. For example, removing agriculturally marginal land from annual crop production and adopting an ecologically compatible land use, such as livestock grazing and/or wildlife habitat, can lead to increases in total biomass production and an increase in carbon content in the soil. The following best management practices have been proven to sequester soil carbon: • conservation tillage practices like direct seeding systems; • elimination of summerfallow; • extending crop rotations to include perennial forage crops for hay or pasture. • management of crop residue and application of organic materials and manures; • soil fertility optimization through improved fertilizer placement and site-specifi
