Recycling

Biography

Biography: Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino Cerri

Abstract

Agriculture provides food, fibers and energy, which have been the foundation for the development of societies. Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) plays an important role in providing essential ecosystem services that historically have been reduced to plant nutrient availability, and agricultural management was driven for obtaining maximum benefits of this soil function. SOC, as part of the soil organic matter, comprises several fractions, such as the light fraction, microbial biomass, water-stable organics, and humus. It is considered one of the most useful indicators of soil quality, because it interacts with other numerous soil components, affecting water retention, aggregate formation, bulk density, pH, buffer capacity, cation exchange properties, mineralization, sorption of pesticides and other agrichemicals, color (facilitate warming), infiltration, aeration, and activity of soil organisms. It is the interaction of the various components of a soil that produces the net effects and not organic matter acting alone. According to recent concepts, sustainable land use must be assessed in terms of its impact on the SOC pool. There are several examples for SOC management for multiple benefits in Brazil, with new soil management techniques attempting to reverse this trend by increasing SOC stocks. One example is the zero tillage which has the advantage of reducing CO2 emissions from the soil and thus preserving or augmenting SOC stocks. Another positive example is the adoption of no-burning harvest of the vast sugarcane area in Brazil, which also contributes to reduced CO2 emissions, leaving crop residues on soil surface helping the conservation of essential plant nutrients and improving water storage.