Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Soils: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Innovative Methods

322 Pages·2012·4.06 MB·English

by  Alessandro Piccolo (auth.)

Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Soils
.
Alessandro Piccolo
Editor
Carbon Sequestration
in Agricultural Soils
A Multidisciplinary Approach
to Innovative Methods
Editor
Prof.Dr.AlessandroPiccolo
UniversitadiNapoliFedericoII
OrdinariodiChimicaAgraria
ViaUniversita`100
80055Portici
Italy
[email protected]
ISBN978-3-642-23384-5 e-ISBN978-3-642-23385-2
DOI10.1007/978-3-642-23385-2
SpringerHeidelbergDordrechtLondonNewYork
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2011943755
#Springer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg2012
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Preface
As part of the international quest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the
atmosphere and on recommendation of the Kyoto Protocol, this book highlights
alternativestocurrentsoilmanagementpracticesforturningagriculturalsoilsinto
sinks of organic carbon. While common agronomic practices are based on tradi-
tionalknowledgeofsoiltransformationprocesses,thisbookindicatesthatmodern
orprogressive understandingofcomplexbiological systems inthe soil ecosystem
mayalreadybeexploitedtodevisenewsoilmanagementpractices.Exploredinthis
bookistherecentparadigmaticchangeinthechemicalunderstandingofsoilhumus
whichhaspromptednewmechanismsforthecontrolofsoilorganicmatterstability.
These mechanisms may be significantly more efficient at sequestering carbon in
soilthancurrentagronomicpractices.
Thebodyofthisbookreportsfindingsoftwomethodsforsoilcarbonseques-
tration related to their application in agricultural field trials. These methods are
definitivelybasedontheinnovativeunderstandingofsoilorganicmatterchemis-
try as supramolecular association of small molecules (1) the protection from
mineralization of labile soil molecules by the hydrophobic domains present in
humified mature compost amended to soils, (2) the in situ oxidative photo-
polymerization of soil organic matter molecules after soil spreading with a
biomimeticwater-solubleiron–porphyrincatalyst.
Thefirstmethod,althoughinnovativeinitsmechanisticapplication,maybewell
consideredwithinthecurrentacceptedsoilmanagementpracticeswhichmakesuse
of exogenous organic matter (EOM). The second method is based on a catalytic
chemical technology that appears still foreign within the traditional agronomic
approach,toboththefarmingworldandmostagriculturalscientists.
IntheexperienceoftheEditorofthisbook,proposingthecatalyticmechanism
of carbon sequestration in agricultural soil to a scientific audience was hardly
receivedpositively.Thereisageneralskepticismoftheuseofbiomimeticcatalysts
inagriculturalsoils,perhapsbecauseofthepossiblenegativeconsequencesonthe
biological soil quality and the reduced nutritional functions of soils, due to a
restrictedavailabilityofsoilhumusformicrobialtransformation.
v
vi Preface
The criticism was a beneficial stimulus to scale up research ambitions from
laboratoryorglasshousetofully-fledgedfieldagronomictrials,throughwhichnot
onlytheeffectivenessofthesoilcarbonsequestrationmethodscouldbeverifiedin
practice, but also the concerns about the eco-toxicological, biological, biotechno-
logicalandnutritionaleffectsofthecatalyticsoiltreatmentcouldbedissipated.
AmultifacetedresearchprojectwaspresentedtotheItalianMinistryofResearch
(MIUR) within the strategic FISR programme. The intention was to cover all
possible aspects inherent in soil organic matter transformations in agricultural
soilsleadingtoenhancedsoilcarbonsequestration,whilemaintainingsoilquality
andthehighlevelsofcropproductivityrequiredbythefarmingmarket.Theproject
was titled “Metodi Sostenibili per il sequestro del carbonio organico nei suoli
agrari. Valutazione degli effetti sulla qualita` chimica, fisica, biologica ed agrono-
micadeisuoli”,withtheMESCOSAGRacronym.Theprojectwasapproved,under
thecoordinationofthisEditor,andwasfundedwithatotalbudgetof2.5MioEuro
overa3yearsworkingspan.
TheMESCOSAGRprojectreliedontheworkofsixresearchunitsbelongingto
sixdifferentItalianUniversities.InparticulartheUniversityofNapoliFedericoII
comprised: the group of Prof. Alessandro Piccolo, for the determination of
carbon and nitrogen sequestration in all treated soils, as well as the molecular
transformation of soil organic matter upon soil treatments; the group of
Prof. Fabrizio Quaglietta Chiaranda`, for the evaluation of the agronomic effects
oftreatmentsonsoilsoftheUniversityexperimentalfarm(TorreLama);thegroup
ofProf.GiancarloMoschettiforthemicrobiologicalaspectsofallproject’streated
soils;thegroup ofProf.AmaliaVirzo fortheevaluationofsoilbiologicalquality
and emissions of greenhouse gases from field soils; the group of Prof. Stefano
Mazzoleniforthedevelopmentofanewmodellingapproachtopredictsoilorganic
matterdynamicsinagriculturalsoils.TheUniversityofTorinowasrepresentedby
thegroupofProf.CarloGrignaniwholedtheoverallagronomicexperimentsand
conducted field trials at the University experimental farm (Tetto Frati). Dr. Giu-
seppeCelanowastheheadofthegroupoftheUniversityofBasilicatathathadbeen
in charge of 13C and 15N isotopic measurements in soil samples and conducted
agronomicexperimentsundersorghumattheexperimentalfarmofBattipaglia.The
University of Bari was present with the group of Prof. Pacifico Ruggiero for
the evaluation of genetic diversity in samples from treated soils. The University
of Reggio Calabria took care of microcosm experiments and measurements
of plant activities under the supervision of Prof. Maurizio Badiani. The group
of Prof. Attilio del Re of the Catholic University of Piacenza evaluated the
eco-toxicologicalparametersinallprojects’ssoilsamplesandmanagedfieldtrials
atthelocalUniversityexperimentalfarm.
ThisbookthusreportsthemainresearchfindingsoftheMESCOSAGRproject
and amply responds to the queries placed by the early critics of the innovative
methods for carbon sequestration in soil. Briefly, the methods were able to fix
asignificantlylargeramountofcarbonthanthatpossiblysequesteredbytraditional
methods. Concomitant to such very positive project outcome, both proposed
Preface vii
methods did not significantly alter the productive, physical, chemical, and
biologicalpotentialsofthetreatedsoils.
Readerswillfindinthisbookdataandresultsoftheirowninterest,buttheywill
alsohavetheadvantageofbeingabletocrossreferencewithotherinterdisciplinary
subjects, thereby receiving a complete picture of the effects of the new soil
managementmethodsandtheirpotentialforpracticalapplicationinfarmmanage-
ment. I am also sure that the most perceptive soil scientists will find in the book
several hints for new confirmative experiments, further ground for speculating on
moresoil–plant-technologyinteractionsandthepossibilitytodevelopnewmethods
orapplications.
Finally,Itakethechancetothankallthescientificandadministrativecollabora-
torsofthe MESCOSAGRprojectwho madeitpossible,despitethemanylogistic
difficultiesoftenencountered,inreachingtheproject’sambitiousobjectives.
Portici,Italy AlessandroPiccolo
November2011
.
Contents
1 TheNatureofSoilOrganicMatterandInnovative
SoilManagementstoFightGlobalChangesandMaintain
AgriculturalProductivity .................................................. 1
AlessandroPiccolo
2 TheKyotoProtocolandEuropeanandItalianRegulations
inAgriculture .............................................................. 21
DavideSavy,AntonioNebbioso,RocíoDánicaCóndor,andMarinaVitullo
3 FieldPlotsandCropYieldsUnderInnovativeMethods
ofCarbonSequestrationinSoil .......................................... 39
CarloGrignani,FrancescoAlluvione,ChiaraBertora,LauraZavattaro,
MassimoFagnano,NunzioFiorentino,FabrizioQuagliettaChiaranda`,
MarianaAmato,FrancescoLupo,andRoccoBochicchio
4 CarbonSequestrationinSoilsbyHydrophobicProtection
andInSituCatalyzedPhoto-PolymerizationofSoilOrganic
Matter(SOM):ChemicalandPhysical–ChemicalAspects
ofSOMinFieldPlots ..................................................... 61
RiccardoSpacciniandAlessandroPiccolo
5 TheStableIsotopesApproachtoStudyCandNSequestration
ProcessesinaPlant–SoilSystem ........................................ 107
GiuseppeCelano,FrancescoAlluvione,MostafaAbdelAzizAliMohamed,
andRiccardoSpaccini
6 ImpactofInnovativeAgriculturalPracticesofCarbon
SequestrationonSoilMicrobialCommunity .......................... 145
ValeriaVentorino,AnnaDeMarco,OlimpiaPepe,AmaliaVirzoDeSanto,
andGiancarloMoschetti
ix