Abstract
Agricultural systems have potential to store carbon (C) when soil C
management practices are in place. Some of these practices may include
the production of perennial crops, inclusion of grass species in a crop
rotation, reduced tillage, and leaving post-harvest crop residues in the
field. Increases in soil C could be beneficial to enhance soil
fertility, soil biodiversity, and soil structure, and could also provide
opportunities for participation in future C markets. There is great
interest to determine the C storage of Oregon grass seed systems and the
role of management practices on C cycling for potential involvement in
cap-and-trade, soil C, or soil health incentive programs. A better
understanding of these factors should help inform future offset projects
and help establish the potential for the grass seed industry to
participate in incentive programs that may reward management decisions
that lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions or greater C storage. This
review presents the current state of knowledge on C storage in both
perennial and annual grass seed cropping systems and identifies
knowledge gaps as a resource for C storage estimates. Soil C discussions
are focused on two main themes: 1) overall estimates of soil C storage
and the factors that influence this parameter in the topsoil of grass
seed production fields, and 2) comparison of how soil C storage in grass
seed cropping systems compare to intensively managed and
uncultivated/minimally managed cropping systems.