Carbon sequestration in agricultural soils and measures

¹ Environmental Engineering, East China Jiaotong University, Jiangxi, 330000, China
² Agricultural Resources and Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan, 610042, China

^* Corresponding author: wangyafei@stu.sicau.edu.cn

Abstract

Against the background of increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions such as CO₂ from human activities, reducing carbon and growing sinks has become a hot issue of global concern. Soil, with its strong CO₂ absorption capacity, has gradually attracted widespread attention. Agricultural ecosystems are the most active carbon reservoirs in the carbon cycle process. In recent years, some progress has been made in achieving carbon emission reduction through carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, but the ways of carbon sequestration in agricultural soils have not been systematically sorted out. This paper reviews carbon sequestration characteristics in agricultural soils by straw return, organic fertilizer and biochar. Straw return to the field affects soil carbon sequestration capacity by increasing soil active carbon and nitrogen content and stimulating microbial activity. Organic fertilizer significantly increases soil organic carbon (SOC) content. Biochar affects soil carbon sequestration capacity by improving soil aeration, increasing cation exchange, and inhibiting methanogenic bacterial activity to reduce CH₄ emissions from paddy fields. Optimizing fertilizer management measures, rationally using resources such as straw return, organic fertilizer and biochar, and combining conservation tillage and precision farming techniques are effective ways to improve the carbon sequestration capacity of farmland soils and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.