Author(s): KHALIL, M. I.; FRANCAVIGLIA, R.; HENRY, B.; KLUMPP, K.; KONCZ, P.; LLORENTE, M.; MADARI, B. E.; MUÑOZ-ROJAS, M.; NERGER, R.

Summary: Understanding management-induced C sequestration potential in soils under agriculture, forestry, and other land use systems and their quantification to offset increasing greenhouse gases are of global concern. This chapter reviews management-induced changes in C storage in soils of grazing grassland systems, their impacts on ecosystem functions, and their adaptability and needs of protection across socio-economic and cultural settings. In general, improved management of grassland/pasture such as manuring/slurry application, liming and rotational grazing, and low to medium livestock units could sequester C more than under high intensity grazing conditions. Converting cultivated land to pasture, restoration of degraded land, and maximizing pasture phases in mixed-cropping, pasture with mixed-livestock, integrated forestry-pasturage of livestock (silvopastoral) and crop-forestry-pasturage of livestock (agro-silvopastoral) systems could also maintain and enhance soil organic C density (SOCp). In areas receiving low precipitation and having high erodibility, grazing exclusion might restore degraded grasslands and increase SOCp. Yet, optimizing C sequestration rates, sowing of more productive grass varieties, judicial inorganic and organic fertilization, rotational grazing, and other climate-resilient approaches could improve overall farm productivity and profitability and attain sustainability in livestock farming systems.

Publication year: 2020

Types of publication: Book sections

Unit: Embrapa Rice & Beans

Keywords: Carbon sequestration, Carbono, Grasslands, Grazing, Integrated agricultural systems, Intensive livestock farming, Silvopastoral systems