Organic carbon sequestration potential of Slovenian agricultural soil and the impact of management practices on SOC stock

Mavsar, Sara (author), Grčman, Helena (author), Turniški, Rok (author), Mihelič, Rok (author)

Improving soil management is crucial for mitigating climate change by increasing soil organic carbon (SOC). This study addresses the question of whether Slovenian agricultural soils can increase SOC stocks and achieve the 4per1000 initiative (4p1000.org). We calculated the SOC stocks, soil carbon sequestration (SCS) potential of the fine soil fraction (<20 µm) (Csd) and the SCS potential of bulk soil for different agricultural uses in Slovenia. In addition, we conducted agricultural land management scenarios to determine a possible increase in SOC stocks. The results showed an average SOC stock of 94.7 t ha$^{−1}$ in the agricultural soils of Slovenia. High Csd values were mainly found in croplands, intensive orchards and vineyards. The Csd (0–30 cm) amounts to 16.3 Mt SOC for the entire country. In addition, our results on SCS potential were compared with similar assessments from other European countries, where the range of bulk soil SCS potential was between 0.03 and 2.8‰ SOC change yr$^{−1}$. With the current management of agricultural land in Slovenia, the SCS is almost balanced (+0.1‰). Different management scenarios showed that efficient fertilizer use, no-till, vegetation cover with biodiverse crop rotation and keeping residues on the surface lead to a significant SOC stock increase by 19.6 t ha$^{−1}$ in 20 years, which supports the 4per1000 initiative target (10.5‰).

• Language: English
• Keywords: soil organic carbon sequestration potential, conservation agriculture, land use, fine soil fraction, soil management, soil organic carbon
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 16 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 11, iss. 1, art. 2437574
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-165968
• UDC: 631.4
• ISSN on article: 2331-1932
• DOI: 10.1080/23311932.2024.2437574
• COBISS.SI-ID: 219154179
• Publication date in RUL: 16.12.2024

MAVSAR, Sara, GRČMAN, Helena, TURNIŠKI, Rok and MIHELIČ, Rok, 2024, Organic carbon sequestration potential of Slovenian agricultural soil and the impact of management practices on SOC stock. Cogent food & agriculture [online]. 2024. Vol. 11, no. 1,  2437574. [Accessed 18 May 2025]. DOI 10.1080/23311932.2024.2437574. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=165968

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Cogent food & agriculture
• Shortened title: Cogent food agric.
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 2331-1932
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523038233

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: sekvestracija ogljika, ohranitveno kmetijstvo, raba tal, drobne frakcije tal, obdelava tal, organski ogljik v tleh