Benchmark Soil Carbon Now

Benchmark Soil Carbon Now

Farmers should know the carbon content of their soils, and now is the best time to establish that according to farm business specialist Peter Floyd. Benchmarking soil carbon and condition in spring and early summer, when moisture levels are still reasonably high, meets internationally approved protocols and gives the most useful overall results, he says.

“Soil carbon measurements in conjunction with visual soil and pasture assessments give farmers vital information about the condition of their soils,” says Floyd.

“Armed with that knowledge they can determine the best ways to improve soil and pasture productivity and manage grazing to yield sustainable increases in soil carbon.”

Floyd reports that at the recent carbon farming conference he attended in Australia, farmers were enthusiastic about the sustained increases in carbon they had achieved even in deep topsoils. Similar improvements have been attained in New Zealand, and in several cases the resulting carbon credits have a potential value on the Voluntary Carbon Market of around $250 per hectare.

“Even without taking carbon credits into account, the value of assessing soil condition in this way is immense and can lead to better soil, pasture and stock health,” says Floyd.

“However, farmers need to act smartly to establish the baseline conditions and we are setting up cluster groups to help farmers start carbon farming immediately.”

ENDS

Note to editors
Carbon farming involves managing soils, pastures, grazing, animals and fertilisers in a way that promotes the sequestration of atmospheric CO2 into soil organic matter. This occurs via photosynthesis through plants that are the food source for farm animals as well as the myriad of life forms in soil. There is now a large body of evidence from around the World showing that the growth of soils in this way can be faster, more effective and more permanent than growing trees. The potential for pastoral carbon farming in New Zealand is vast, and early calculations indicate that if all of our pastures were managed to produce small, sustainable increases in soil organic matter (mainly carbon) it would more than offset the emissions from transport and all other sources in this country.

A few farmers in New Zealand have achieved a 5% increase in soil carbon (measured using international protocols) in each of the past two years. If accredited this carbon could be sold on the Voluntary Carbon Market for a price equating to $200 - $400 per hectare.

The first step in becoming a successful carbon farmer is the taking of 1m soil samples to establish a baseline level of carbon content. This along with other measures is part of a protocol gaining approval from an international carbon accrediting agency.

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