Ground sequestration of carbon is one of the main ways to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and slow global warming. However, there is very little data available on the extent to which cereal fields absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. A three-year project is currently underway at the Finnish Meteorological Institute. It is studying carbon sequestration in arable soils and includes identifying the most effective farming practices for sequestering carbon in the soil.

...studying carbon sequestration in arable soils and includes identifying the most effective farming practices for sequestering carbon in the soil.

In the summer of 2023, the first measurements were taken at Lantmännen’s Hauho farm in Finland, and now additional farms around Finland will be linked to the project. The measurements are reported continuously and are openly available. The study, co-financed by Lantmännen Research Foundation, is the first of its kind in the Nordics, and will contribute valuable knowledge. However, carbon sequestration alone is not enough, it is also important to reduce agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions. These can be reduced now, such as by using fossil-free fuels and mineral fertilisers produced without fossil gas. Unfortunately, nitrous oxide emissions from arable land are more difficult to manage, so our research foundation and Yara, a mineral fertiliser manufacturer, are investing in nitrous oxide research at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Skara and the University of Gothenburg. The project will examine how using different fertilisers and cultivation strategies can reduce nitrous oxide emissions from arable land. Field trials started in 2023 and measurements will continue until the spring of 2025.

Significant research efforts are needed to enable climate-neutral food production and achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement by 2050.

Significant research efforts are needed to enable climate-neutral food production and achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement by 2050. These projects can provide us with important new knowledge that can be practically implemented in agriculture and make a real difference.

Text: Pär-Johan Lööf, Lantmännen R&D
Photo: Lantmännen