The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be enhancing soil carbon monitoring efforts with an $8 million investment. Building on the carbon monitoring network is part of USDA’s overall plan to increase the implementation of climate-smart agricultural practices. The investment is meant to expand monitoring efforts on working agricultural lands and evaluate how certain ag practices impact carbon sequestration.
“Healthy soils are a powerful tool when it comes to sequestering carbon. We want to enhance our measurement tools and integrate them into program delivery to advance quantification efforts of the effects that climate-smart agricultural practices have on carbon sequestration,” Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Terry Cosby said in a news release. “Soil health management practices and activities are a tremendous part of our strategy when it comes to climate-smart agriculture and forestry.”
NRCS is seeking proposals for projects focused on soil organic carbon stock monitoring. Project proposals are due November 28. NRCS will be funding four regional agreements, with funding amounts ranging between $1.5 to $2 million. Selected projects will last between two and four years. Project priorities include outreach to encourage participation and recruiting specialists to assist producers in implementing monitoring approaches. NRCS is also seeking proposals for projects that provide training on soil sampling, data collection and management, and processing methods. Projects will serve as counterparts to other soil carbon monitoring efforts USDA is engaged in.
A new conservation evaluation and monitoring activity will soon be offered by NRCS. The new activity will provide assistance for measuring and quantifying organic carbon stored in the soil. The soil carbon monitoring will be conducted with a hydraulic probe for sampling. Samples will be tested for organic carbon and bulk density to help producers better understand carbon stock levels.
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