Farming with crops and rocks to address global climate, food and soil security

Beerling, D.J. and Leake, J.R. and Long, S.P. and Scholes, J.D. and Ton, J. and Nelson, P.N. and Bird, M. and Kantzas, E. and Taylor, L.L. and Sarkar, Binoy and Kelland, M. and DeLucia, E. and Kantola, I. and Müller, C. and Rau, G. and Hansen, J. (2018) Farming with crops and rocks to address global climate, food and soil security. Nature Plants, 4 (3). pp. 138-147. ISSN 2055-0278

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Abstract

The magnitude of future climate change could be moderated by immediately reducing the amount of CO2 entering the atmosphere as a result of energy generation and by adopting strategies that actively remove CO2 from it. Biogeochemical improvement of soils by adding crushed, fast-reacting silicate rocks to croplands is one such CO2-removal strategy. This approach has the potential to improve crop production, increase protection from pests and diseases, and restore soil fertility and structure. Managed croplands worldwide are already equipped for frequent rock dust additions to soils, making rapid adoption at scale feasible, and the potential benefits could generate financial incentives for widespread adoption in the agricultural sector. However, there are still obstacles to be surmounted. Audited field-scale assessments of the efficacy of CO2 capture are urgently required together with detailed environmental monitoring. A cost-effective way to meet the rock requirements for CO2 removal must be found, possibly involving the recycling of silicate waste materials. Finally, issues of public perception, trust and acceptance must also be addressed. © 2018 The Author(s).