Quantifying direct yield benefits of soil carbon increases from cover cropping

Isaac Vendig, Aidee Guzman, Gisel Cerda, Kenzo Esquivel, Allegra C. Mayer, Lauren Ponisio and Timothy M. Bowles ()
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Isaac Vendig: University of California
Aidee Guzman: University of California
Gisel Cerda: University of California
Kenzo Esquivel: University of California
Allegra C. Mayer: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Lauren Ponisio: University of Oregon
Timothy M. Bowles: University of California

Nature Sustainability, 2023, vol. 6, issue 9, 1125-1134

Abstract: Abstract Cropland management practices that restore soil organic carbon (SOC) are increasingly presented as climate solutions that also enhance yields. But how often these benefits align at the farm level—the scale of farmers’ decision making—remains uncertain. We examined concurrent SOC and yield responses to cover cropping, including their direct connection, with a global meta-analysis. Cover cropping simultaneously increased yields and SOC in 59.7% of 434 paired observations. Increases in SOC directly increased crop yields in soils with initial SOC concentrations below 11.6 g kg−1; for example, a change from 5 g kg−1 to 6 g kg−1 increased yields by +2.4%. These yield benefits of SOC did not decline as nitrogen inputs increased or when legume cover crops were used, suggesting fertility inputs cannot substitute for SOC effects. Regardless of direct effects of SOC increases on yields, integrating legume cover crops into systems with simplified rotations or with nitrogen inputs

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-023-01131-7

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