Abstract
Although soil C sequestration with cover crops (CCs) has been linked with the potential of CCs in climate change mitigation, the long-term usage of CCs on soil C storage and farm-based economics have been widely overlooked. Therefore, in a CC experiment established in 2007 in a temperate humid climate, four CCs and a no-CC control were compared to evaluate their potential to sequester C and provide economic returns. Total amount of plant C added to soil with CCs translated into greater soil organic carbon (SOC) content by 10–20 Mg C ha−1 than the no-CC control across both sites. Greater crop yield and reduced yield variability with CCs suggest the long-term potential of CCs in increasing agroecosystem resiliency. Moreover, greater profit margins with CCs in processing vegetable crops but not grain and oilseed crops indicate CC effects on crop profitability are dependent on the production system. Our study results indicated that the loss in profit margins with CC usage in grain and oilseed crops might be overcome with C pricing (at $50 Mg−1) on quantity of C sequestered after 9 years of CCing; thus, providing financial compensation to growers may be a mechanism to encourage CC adoption.
Highlights
Soil C sequestration with cover crops (CCs) has been linked with the potential of Cover crop (CC) in climate change mitigation, the long-term usage of CCs on soil C storage and farm-based economics have been widely overlooked
This study indicates the positive influences of annual CCs in increasing C storage in surface soil after using CC 6 times over 8 years
Among the tested CCs, Oilseed radish (OSR) contributed to greatest cumulative plant above-ground C inputs and soil organic carbon (SOC) gains
Summary
Soil C sequestration with cover crops (CCs) has been linked with the potential of CCs in climate change mitigation, the long-term usage of CCs on soil C storage and farm-based economics have been widely overlooked. There is the potential for producers to benefit financially from the additional C sequestration in Canada through a C pricing policy that was recently implemented as a component of the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate C hange[10]. Under this framework, the C price was $20 per tonne in 2019 and is set to rise by $10 per year to $50 per tonne in 2022; clear C pricing has been actualized in Canada. Assessment of SOC storage in response to CC treatments is needed for various production systems
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