One of agriculture's major opportunities to help mitigate the effects of climate-warming gases lies in management of soil to increase organic content, thereby removing carbon from the atmosphere. Many scientists are conducting studies to determine which agricultural practices will in fact sequester carbon.
Recent studies, summarized in the fact sheet, demonstrate that a number of biological, soil-based practices employed in integrated systems have great potential to sequester carbon. In contrast, recent studies suggest that no-till, a form of conservation tillage, has environmental benefits such as reducing soil erosion, but may not sequester more carbon than conventional tillage (plowing).
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