Since soil is a highly complex ecosystem, the relationship between organic matter inputs and increased carbon storage, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and improved nutrient uptake efficiency is not straightforward and varies across climates and soil types. Many methods have been developed to characterize the soils’ carbon fractions (e.g., mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), labile carbon, thermal ramping, etc.) Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and hyperspectral spectroscopy are simple methods that allow rapid analysis of soil properties such as total carbon and nitrogen content and the stability of different carbon fractions. Despite the growing carbon market, there is still a significant knowledge gap regarding the effects of agricultural practices on soil carbon and nitrogen cycles, carbon sequestration, and greenhouse gas emissions. This study aims to reduce these knowledge gaps through field measurements and laboratory experiments. We aim to examine the impact of agricultural practices on soil carbon and nitrogen cycles and their environmental implications. Specifically, the research will address the following goals:
- Develop a method to assess soil carbon stability, the lifespan of different carbon fractions, and carbon accumulation rates.
- Quantify the impact of conservation/regenerative agriculture on emissions of methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), reactive ammonia gas (NH₃), and soil respiration (CO₂).
- Examine the effect of conservation agriculture on soil nitrogen availability and the biochemical mechanisms governing it.
- Achieving these goals by the end of the three-year study will provide a knowledge base and quantitative reference point for evaluating the impact of regenerative agriculture on soil and the environment, compared to conventional agriculture and natural areas.
