The document discusses the impact of agriculture on greenhouse gas emissions and the importance of measuring carbon footprints to identify emission sources and enhance sustainability in agricultural practices. It outlines various methods to mitigate carbon footprints, such as increasing soil organic matter, implementing regenerative practices, and improving nutrient management. Additionally, it covers the concepts of carbon sequestration, both abiotic and biotic, and the significance of enhancing agricultural practices to reduce carbon emissions and promote environmental sustainability.

1. Carbon footprint and carbon
sequestration
Course Title: Current advances in agronomy
Course code: Agron 601
Department of Agronomy, CSK HPKV, Palampur, 176062

2. Climate change being today’s major issue
is concerned with the unprecedented
increase in natural resource exploitation
and uncontrolled population increase,
reaching in an irreversible point.
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) responsible for
such changes are emitted by a variety of
natural as well as anthropogenic sources.
Agriculture sector shares a major
proportion in total GHG emission. As the
food demand is increasing with the rising
population, the proportion of GHG
emissions from agricultural sector is also
increasing.
INTRODUCTION

3. Emission of GHG (CO2 emission ) from different
agriculture sector

4. GREEN HOUSE GAS EMISSION IN ECOSYSTEM

7. Understanding of the mitigation potential and developing low
carbon practices in agriculture. For this purpose great efforts
have been given worldwide to quantifying the carbon footprint of
agricultural production which requires an understanding of the
life cycle of a product

8. Carbon footprint
 Carbon footprints originated as a subset of the ‘‘ecological
footprint’’ proposed by Wackernagel and Rees (1996).
 The carbon footprint (CF) approach is used in order to
assess the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to
various economic processes and products. It is defined as
the GHG emission balance over the entire life cycle of a
product or process. The characterization parameter for this
environmental impact category (climate change) is the
global warming potential.
 The total amount of GHGs (in terms of carbon equivalent
(C-eq)) emitted by the processes in agricultural sector is
regarded as carbon footprint of agriculture.
 Various activities related to agriculture such as plowing,
tilling, manuring, irrigation, variety of crops, rearing
livestock, and related equipment emit a significant amount
of GHGs.

10. Why work out a carbon footprint?
Carbon footprint being a quantitative expression of GHG emission from
an activity helps in
Identification of Emission Sources and Quantification of Emissions.
Prioritization of areas of emission reductions and increasing efficiencies
Provide the opportunity for environmental efficiencies and cost
reductions
Useful for respond to legislative requirements, or carbon trading or as a
part of corporate social responsibility, or for improving the brand’s image

11. per capita emission of carbon footprint

12. Defining activities in Crop production
Fertilizer Production
Pesticide and other chemical production
Seed production
Fuel production
Transportation
Field preparation (tillage, harrowing, pudding etc.)
Seed treatment and sowing
Fertilizer and manure application
Pesticide application
Irrigation weeding
Other intercultural operations
Harvesting
Crop residue burning
Drying
Threshing
Winnowing
Storage
Transportation distribution
Consumption
waste
Pre farm
On farm
Post farm

14. The CF of the crop cultivation process of agriculture includes the total
amount of GHGs emitted from the crop cultivation process for each crop,
expressed in carbon equivalent (CE) units. It is estimated using the
following relationship, according to Cheng et al. 2011
where ‘Carbon Footprint’ is the GHG emissions induced by a specific agricultural
input, ‘Agricultural Input’ is the quantity of specific inputs such as fertilizers and
pesticides applied (in tonnes), petrol or diesel consumed (liters), and electricity used
(kilowatt hours). ‘Emission Factor’ is the CE of individual input.
Carbon footprint calculation

15. CFN is estimated using the following equation:
where CFN is the carbon footprint from direct N2O emissions from N
fertilizer application (in tCE); FN is the quantity of N fertilizer (t) applied
for crop production; δN is the emission factor for N2O emission induced by
N fertilizer application (tN2O–N t−1 N fertilizer); Thus, the estimation of
total CF (CFt) in the production of a crop is estimated by summing all the
individual carbon costs from all the inputs used, as follows:

16. Carbon footprints
The inputs and outputs were multiplied by the carbon emission coefficient to calculate the carbon
equivalents .The total inputs and outputs were calculated by adding the carbon equivalents of all
the inputs and outputs of the crop. According to Malhi et al. 2021
Carbon output (kg CE ha-1) = Total dry biomass (grain yield + byproduct yield)*0.44
Carbon efficiency = Total carbon output
……………………………..
Total carbon input
Carbon sustainability index = Total carbon output- Total carbon input
……………………………………………
Total carbon input
Carbon footprints = Total carbon emission or input
…………………………….....
Total yield of crop

17. Carbon efficiency : Carbon efficiency is a measure of the amount of
biomass produced for a unit amount of GHG emitted to the atmosphere. It
indicates the efficiency of the crop for which added inputs are utilized.
Carbon sustainability index :The carbon sustainability index refers to a
metric used to evaluate the environmental impact of agricultural practices
based on their carbon emissions and sustainability efforts. This index aims to
assess how effectively agricultural activities manage their carbon footprint by
considering factors like greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and
overall environmental sustainability..

18. Inputs Units Carbon Emission
Coefficient
Seeds kg 0.32
Human labor Man-day 0.23
Machinery H 0.89
Diesel L 0.94
Water application m3 0.17
Nitrogen kg 1.3
Phosphorus kg 0.2
Potassium kg 0.15
Insecticide kg a.i. 5.1
Herbicide kg a.i. 6.3
Straw kg 0.44
Carbon emission equivalents of the inputs and outputs

19. Zhang et al. 2017
Carbon footprint emission by crop production

22. Carbon footprint from the inputs in hybrid rice [based on
mean data of 2017 and 2018]

23. How we mitigate the carbon footprint in agriculture
Increase Soil Organic Matter: One effective strategy is to increase the amount of
soil organic matter (SOM) in agricultural practices. This can help reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and promote carbon sequestration in the soil, contributing to mitigating the
carbon footprint.
Implement Regenerative Agricultural Practices: Practices like regenerative
agriculture, which focus on reducing the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and
enhancing organic carbon retention in the soil, can help mitigate the carbon footprint in
agriculture.
Disturbance to Soil: Using cultivation methods that cause less disturbance to soil can
help reduce carbon dioxide emissions in agriculture. Practices like cover cropping and
minimizing soil disturbance can contribute to lowering the carbon footprint..

24. Adopt a 4Rs Approach for Nutrient Management: Implementing the 4Rs of
nutrient management (right time, right rate, right source, and right place) can help
farmers optimize nutrient use efficiency, ensuring that nutrients are applied where
and when they are needed. This approach can maintain crop yield while reducing
the carbon footprint of agriculture.
Include N2-Fixing Pulses in Rotations: Incorporating N2-fixing pulses in crop
rotations can reduce the need for inorganic fertilizers, thereby lowering carbon
footprints without compromising crop yield.
Opt for Sustainable Farming Methods: Embracing sustainable farming methods
like organic farming, crop rotations, and reduced tillage can aid in reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and promoting soil health, thereby mitigating the carbon
footprint in agriculture.
Enhance Carbon Sequestration: Practices that enhance carbon sequestration in
agricultural soils, such as planting cover crops and improving soil management, can
play a crucial role in mitigating the carbon footprint.

26. Potential effect of improving efficiencies (EFFCY), low emission technologies (TECH)
and enhancing carbon sequestration (C SEQ) on average carbon footprints of suckler
beef and dairy farms

27. Carbon sequestration
 Carbon sequestration is
the process of capturing
and storing atmospheric
carbon dioxide. It is one
method of reducing the
amount of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere with the
goal of reducing global
climate change.
 (United States
Geological Survey)

28. Why Carbon Sequestration?
1. Developing technology to reduce rate of concentration of greenhouse gases
in air.
2. Reducing pollution in air as well as improving natural carbon content in
soil.
3. Improvement of soil structure and restoring degraded soil leading to
increase yield in crops.
4. Practices that enhance carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, such as
planting cover crops and improving soil management, can play a crucial
role in mitigating the carbon footprint

29. Types of Carbon Sequestration

30. Abiotic Carbon Sequestration
 Abiotic Carbon sequestration is the capture
of CO2 from the atmosphere through
physical and chemical reaction, engineering
techniques without the aid of
microorganisms.
 Abiotic Carbon sequestration has larger sink
capacity than Biotic Carbon sequestration.
 Oceanic Injection, Geological Injection and
Mineral Carbonation are important
processes.

31. Oceanic Injection
 Injection of pure Co2 deep in the ocean.
 Oceanic sink capacity for CO2
sequestration is estimated at 5000-10000
Pg C.
 It is done by 4 methods :
 Injecting 1000m deep as it is lighter than
water.
 Injected as CO2-Seawater Mixture.
 Discharged from large pipe behind the ship.
 It is pumped into depression at the bottom
of ocean floor forming CO2 lake.

32. Geological Injection
 This involves captutre, liquefaction,
transport and injection of industrial
CO2 into deep geological strata.
 Industrial CO2 can be pumped into
aquifer, where is sequestered
hydrodynamically and by reacting
other dissolved salts to form
carbonates.
 CO2 may be injected to coal seams,
old oilwells, saline aquifers.

33. Scrubbing and Mineral Carbonation
 It involves transformation of industrial strength CO2 emissions into
CaCO3, MgCO3 and other minerals in the form of geologically and
thermodynamically stable mineral carbonates.
 It is a 2 stage process i.e. Scrubbing and mineral Carbonation.
 Scrubbing, the process of chemical absorption of CO2 using an amine
or carbonate solvent, is the most widely used method of carbon capture.
 Pure CO2 gas, recovered by heating the CO2-rich amine, is re-
precipitated through mineral carbonation.

34. Biotic Carbon Sequestration
 Biotic Carbon sequestration is
based on managed intervention of
higher plants and micro-organisms
in removing CO2 from the
atmosphere.
 Some options are Oceanic,
Terrestrial, Secondary Carbonates.

35. Oceanic Sequestration
 There are several biological processes
leading to C sequestration in the ocean
through photosynthesis.
 Phytoplankton photosynthesis is one
such mechanism which fixes
approximately 45 Pg C yr.
 Availability of Fe is one of the limiting
factors on phytoplankton growth in
oceanic ecosystems.

36. Terrestrial Sequestration
 Transfer of atmospheric CO2 into
biotic and pedologic C pools is called
terrestrial C sequestration.
 Terrestrial ecosystems constitute a
major C sink owing to the
photosynthesis and storage of CO2 in
live and dead organic matter.
 There are three principal components
of terrestrial C sequestration: Forests,
Soils and Wetlands.

37. Soil Carbon Sequestration
 Implies enhancing concentration pools
of SOC and SIC as secondary
carbonates through adoption of
recommended practices.
 Most soils under the managed
ecosystems contain a lower SOC pool
than their counterparts under natural
ecosystems owing to the depletion of
the SOC pool in cultivated soils.
 The depletion of the SOC pool is
caused by oxidation mineralization,
leaching and erosion.

38. 38
process of
transferring carbon
dioxide from the
atmosphere into the
soil through crop
residues and other
organic solids

39. Role of Carbon in Soils

40. 40
STRATEGIES
Mulch and Residue
management Reduced Tillage
Agroforestry
Nutrient
management
Crop Rotation
BIOCHAR

41. Effect of straw management on carbon sequestration
Treatment Organic
carbon (%)
C sequestered (%
of added carbon)
Straw burned-
Conventional Tillage
0.35
-
Straw burned- Zero Tillage 0.36
-
Straw incorporated-
Conventional Tillage
0.44 16.6
Straw mulched- Zero
Tillage
0.48 25.2
CD (5%) 0.05
Singh et al. (2009) 41
Ludhiana (sandy loam)

42. Crop Rotation

43.  By reducing carbon footprints and enhancing carbon
sequestration are essential components of the global effort to
combat climate change, promote sustainability, and work
towards a cleaner, greener future for the planet.
Conclusion