Humus formation and CO2 storage
Perennial biomass plants store huge amounts of CO2 in their above-ground biomass and their roots. That is why the cultivation of those plants is central for Carbon Farming as is can compensate own emissions and store additional carbon. This carbon storage effect can be rated according to the correspondend humus accumulation or it is incorporated in long-living products. Both aspects are research items of the project ZertiFix (see below).
Current projects
ZertiFix: Suitability of perennial crops as carbon storage in soil, plant and products in regard to development of CO2 certification models
The reduction of CO2 emissions presents a key strategy for the mitigation of climate change. However, recent studies state that a simple reduction will not be sufficient. Negative CO2 emissions seem necessary to reach the goals set for 2050 (Detz & van der Zwaan, 2019). In this, technologies are to be developed for fixating CO2 from the atmosphere. For fixating carbon, complex technologies might not be needed. Perennial crops like fruit trees or perennial and fast-growing renewable resources fixate high amounts of CO2 in their plant organs over the time of usage. If bio-based products are fabricated from renewable resources the CO2 is bound in them for their operating life. For monetary assessment of the performance provided by fruit trees and perennial, fast-growing renewable resources, ZertiFix aims at examining the possibilities of such CO2 certification models. Thus, financial incentives shall be provided for farmers to do their bit in reducing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Therefore, detailed analysis of carbon sequestration in different parts of plants as well as investigations on plant’s carbon dynamics in developmental stages and over vegetation periods are necessary. The project aims to further investigate fruit trees and perennial renewable resources (including their products) for certification models for CO2 fixation (ZertiFix).
funding by MULNV NRW
