A research team led by Michigan State University soil scientist Bruno Basso has been awarded a $1.95 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop and disseminate educational resources on soil organic carbon evaluation. The aim is to provide training for underserved agriculture professionals in Maine, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont.
Funded by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, this initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance soil carbon stock monitoring across the country. The project brings together experts from academia, private companies, governmental organizations, and nonprofits to evaluate the steps farmers can take to promote soil carbon sequestration.
Soils possess the capacity to sequester more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined. Recognizing the environmental benefits and economic incentives tied to carbon sequestration, the research team aims to address farmers' concerns regarding the costs and complexity of soil sampling and carbon stock assessment techniques.
To overcome these barriers, the team, including collaborators from Woods End Laboratories, plans to employ innovative approaches such as remote sensing combined with crop modeling. Their goal is to develop practical solutions that accurately measure soil carbon stocks and provide insights into the effectiveness of sustainable agriculture methods.
The project targets an inclusive audience, including farmers, agronomists, and agribusiness professionals from underserved groups Collaborations with organizations in the five states will ensure that information is shared in an inclusive manner.
The training opportunities will be diverse, offering in-person field days, printed materials, online resources (including bulletins, videos, podcasts, and a documentary), and hands-on learning experiences. Field days will be strategically selected to coincide with regionally relevant activities such as fairs and farm shows.
The content will cover soil carbon science, practical implementation, and the management of carbon monitoring programs. It will guide participants on aspects such as sample collection, sampling equipment, laboratory selection, result interpretation, and re-sampling practices.
By involving a wide range of stakeholders, particularly those historically underrepresented in agricultural circles, this comprehensive training program aims to increase field-based measurements and foster a deeper understanding of carbon sequestration potential in different management and cropping systems.
Through this collaborative effort, the research team seeks to empower agriculture professionals and promote sustainable practices that ensure the long-term health of our soils and the resilience of our agricultural systems.
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