Don Reicosky, (Soil Scientist, Emeritus )

1. Agricultural Research Service USDA-ARS-MWA North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory Morris, MN USA "SOILS LAB" * MORRIS ICCI – Kharkiv Field Day Mar. 5, 2019 Karkiv, Ukraine Soil Carbon Management: Crop residue burning and tillage impacts by Don Reicosky, (Soil Scientist, Emeritus) don.reicosky@gmail.com

2. C OUR HUNGRY WORLD OUR THREATENED PLANET OUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE OUR ONE CHANCE… Conservation Agriculture All rest on “OUR LIVING SOIL” and “SOIL HEALTH” that depends on soil organic carbon! The “key” component is: carbon!

3. C C “Carbon is the framework and the fuel of every living thing.” Source: Bryan Jorgensen, No-till Farmer It’s All About the C’s: “C”onservation “C”reates “C”arbon “C”onnections “C”reating pathways to sustainability

4. 5% OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER IS LIVING ORGANISMS http://www.rw.ttu.edu/2302_butler/chapter6.htm

5. Crop residue burning A general review of the literature indicates that no measurable negative effects are associated with occasional and short-term burning (7 to 15 years), but that prolonged burning (>15 years) results in a significant loss of soil health and function, and ultimately, crop productivity. What may, at first, be attractive as short-term benefits, eventually become long-term cost increases in soil nutrient and crop production management (Fasching, 2001; Skidmore et al., 1986).

6. Heard, J., Cavers, C. and Adrian, G. 2006. Up in Smoke --Nutrient Loss with Straw Burning. Better Crops, Vol 90 (2006, No 3.).

7. Heard, J., Cavers, C. and Adrian, G. 2006. Up in Smoke --Nutrient Loss with Straw Burning. Better Crops, Vol 90 (2006, No 3.).

8. Heard, J., Cavers, C. and Adrian, G. 2006. Up in Smoke --Nutrient Loss with Straw Burning. Better Crops, Vol 90 (2006, No 3.).

9. Spring Wheat Oats Flax Heard, J., Cavers, C. and Adrian, G. 2006. Up in Smoke --Nutrient Loss with Straw Burning. Better Crops, Vol 90 (2006, No 3.).

10. Flax Spring Wheat Oats Heard, J., Cavers, C. and Adrian, G. 2006. Up in Smoke --Nutrient Loss with Straw Burning. Better Crops, Vol 90 (2006, No 3.).

11. Source: Heard, J., Cavers, C. and Adrian, G. 2006. Up in Smoke --Nutrient Loss with Straw Burning. Better Crops, Vol 90 (2006, No 3.).

12. No. 1 Environmental Enemy in Production Agriculture Conventional Tillage Promotes SOM Oxidation and Soil Degradation Tillage-induced Carbon Dioxide Loss

13. M = Mobile R. = Research G = Gas E = Exchange M = Machine MR. GEM Invisible effects of invisible forces!

16. Less Tillage Less Tillage

17. Strip Tillage #1 3 June 1997 Swan Lake Cumulative Carbon Dioxide Loss after 24 hours Increasing carbon loss

18. C Our soils contain “living biological partners” enabling carbon and nutrient cycling synergies. Soil degradation has two causes: Residue Burning + Tillage Soil recovery is accomplished by one word: Carbon Soil health maintenance is accomplished by one word: Carbon

19. C Carby Carbon CO2 CO2 Keep your carbon footprint small and manage carbon for ecosystem services! CO2 CO2 Be a “Mega-voice” for Carbon management! .

22. 1998 Plow Depth Study Swan Lake Farm Soil Surface Not Tilled 4 in. 100 mm 6 in. 152 mm 8 in. 203 mm 11 in. 280 mm

23. 12 Aug., 1998 Plow Depth Study Swan Lake Farm Soil Surface Not Tilled 4 in. 100 mm 6 in. 152 mm 8 in. 203 mm 11 in. 280 mm 24 hour cumulative CO2 losses (g CO2 m-2) 229 202 105 48 10

24. Tillage–induced CO2 loss to the atmosphere CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 Tilled soils are vulnerable to: raindrop impact; soil crusting; wind, water, and tillage erosion; temperature extremes; water extremes; biology destruction; carbon loss; biodiversity loss; increased runoff; decreased infiltration; increased evaporation; increased leaching; increased pollution;

25. Intensive tillage “butchers the biology” in the soil. It cuts, slices, and dices the soil and blend’s, mixes, and inverts the soil creating havoc for the soil biology (fauna). CO2 loss CO2 loss Before Primary Tillage After Primary Tillage After Secondary Tillage

26. Denmark Intensive soil tillage opens the “all-you-can -eat buffet” for the birds and microbes. Minnesota, USA Tillage creates twin problems: -- Accelerated soil degradation -- Accelerated soil erosion

27. Tillage is a biotic disturbance! “Turmoil of Tillage” The soil is a natural living system that contains a lot of life and when tilled intensively is dramatically changed. It can be considered analogous to human reaction to a combination of: asteroid impact earthquake forest fire tsunami hurricane tornado all rolled into one perturbation event!

28. The “living soil”, a biological system. Mammals - gophers, moles, mice, groundhogs Earthworms - night crawlers, garden worms Insects and mollusks - ants, beetles, centipedes, snails, slugs Microfauna - nematodes, protozoa, rotifers≈ Microflora - fungi, yeast, molds, mychorhiza Actinomycetes - smaller than fungi, act like bacteria Bacteria - autotrophs, heterotrophs, rhizobia, nitrobacter Algae - green, blue-green ≈ “That soil fauna and microbial action is the equivalent of grazing ~ 2 African elephants per acre.” Source: Jerry Hatfield, the director of USDA’s National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, Iowa.

29. Heard, J., Cavers, C. and Adrian, G. 2006. Up in Smoke --Nutrient Loss with Straw Burning. Better Crops, Vol 90 (2006, No 3.).

30. Source: Albrecht et al., 1994 USDA-ARS Pendleton, OR Crop Residue CO2 92% No Burn CO2 80% Crop Residue Microbial Decomposition (Wheat) Soil OM 20% CO2 60% Burn CO2 32% Ash 40% Microbial Decomposition Soil OM 8%

31. Effect of residue addition on biological activity % increase in biological activity over control. Day Wheat strawStubble ash 1 80 29 4 61 9 7 47 0 10 28 0 Source: Albrecht et al., 1994 USDA-ARS Pendleton, OR

32. Fresh plant biomass is the favorite food of most of all the soil organisms requiring carbon nutrition as opposed to leftover ash from a burning operation. Charred toast Fresh bread Butter me up! Butter me up? Nutrient poor, bad taste unhealthy Nutrient rich, tasty healthy