In recent years, climatologists have been hopeful that careful management of farm fields, including the use of cover crops, decreased tillage, and addition of manure, might allow carbon to be sequestered in the soil. This would be an advantage for farmers, who might be able to monetize the trapping of carbon as greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increase over time. But a new study based on a 30-year analysis of management on a Wisconsin research farm shows that being able to sequester carbon in agricultural soils is much harder to do than expected. That may mean less benefit to farmers who want to use this as a way to supplement farm income. You can read more about the study at MOSES Organic here.

Oat field. Source: H. Zell, Commons Wikimedia.