Sequestro di CO2 nei suoli agricoli: opportunità, sfide e rischi

Management of agricultural soils may determine soil carbon emission to the atmosphere (source) or soil carbon sequestration (sink). Conventional agricultural practices (based on tillage operations) are the main factor causing soil degradation and CO2 eq. emissions from agricultural activities. To accumulate carbon in soils, it would be necessary to interrupt and invert the soil degradation process and to adopt rational fertility management practices. There is evidence that in the medium term the most effective way for adaptation to climate change is represented by a rational management of the biosphere and particularly of the agricultural sector: by the adoption of specific agricultural practices, agriculture is potentially in grade to reduce its emission with the minor costs with respect to other activities, to increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gases emission. In fact, agricultural activities play a fundamental role in carbon sequestration and reduction of emissions, mainly because the high stock capacity of this element associated with the retention time into the soil.The extent of actual SOC sequestration achieved on Italian agricultural land will depend crucially on future policies. These could be inclusion of agriculture in an emissions trading scheme, either as a covered sector, or as an offset provider. It is important to resolve outstanding research questions as a matter of urgency, to remove this barrier to inclusion of soil carbon in emissions trading.Complementary measures, such as research, development and technology transfer to improve the extension to improve adoption of existing techniques or subsidies to accelerate the adoption of conservation farming systems, should be contemplated.[...]