Conservation agriculture as a climate change mitigation strategy in Zimbabwe

Source Publication (e.g., journal title)

International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability

Authors

Deb O'Dell, University of TennesseeFollow
Neal Eash, University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleFollow
Bruce B. Hicks, MetcorpsFollow
Joel Oetting, University of TennesseeFollow
Thomas J. Sauer, USDA‐ARS, 1015 North University Boulevard, Ames, IA, 50011Follow
Dayton M. Lambert, Oklahoma State UniversityFollow
Tarirai Muoni, Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesFollow
Joanne Logan, University of TennesseeFollow
James A. Zahn, DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, LLCFollow
John J. Goddard, University of Tennessee Extension-LoudonFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 6-5-2020

DOI

10.1080/14735903.2020.1750254

Abstract

There is a need to quantify agriculture’s potential to sequester carbon (C) to inform global approaches aimed at mitigating climate change effects. Many factors including climate, crop, soil management practices, and soil type can influence the contribution of agriculture to the global carbon cycle. The objective of this study was to investigate the C sequestration potential of conservation agriculture (CA) (defined by minimal soil disturbance, maintaining permanent soil cover, and crop rotations). This study used micrometeorological methods to measure carbon dioxide (CO₂) flux from several alternative CA practices in Harare, central Zimbabwe. Micrometeorological methods can detect differences in total CO₂ emissions of agricultural management practices; our results show that CA practices produce less CO₂ emissions. Over three years of measurement, the mean and standard error (SE) of CO₂ emissions for the plot with the most consistent CA practices was 0.564 ± 0.0122 g CO₂ m^-2 h^-1, significantly less than 0.928 ± 0.00859 g CO₂ m^-2 h^-1 for the conventional tillage practice. Overall CA practices of no-till with the use of cover crops produced fewer CO₂ emissions than conventional tillage or fallow.

Recommended Citation

O’Dell, D., Eash, N. S., Hicks, B. B., Oetting, J. N., Sauer, T. J., Lambert, D. M., Thierfelder, C., Muoni, T., Logan, J., Zahn, J. A., & Goddard, J. J. (2020). Conservation agriculture as a climate change mitigation strategy in Zimbabwe, International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 18(3), 250-265. doi:10.1080/14735903.2020.1750254

Submission Type

Post-print