Enhanced weathering in the US Corn Belt delivers carbon removal with agronomic benefits
University of Sheffield · University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · +6 more institutions
Abstract
Terrestrial enhanced weathering (EW) of silicate rocks, such as crushed basalt, on farmlands is a promising scalable atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy that urgently requires performance assessment with commercial farming practices. We report findings from a large-scale replicated EW field trial across a typical maize-soybean rotation on an experimental farm in the heart of the United Sates Corn Belt over 4 y (2016 to 2020). We show an average combined loss of major cations (Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ ) from crushed basalt applied each fall over 4 y (50 t ha −1 y −1 ) gave a conservative time-integrated cumulative CDR potential of 10.5 ± 3.8 t CO 2 ha −1 . Maize and soybean yields increased significantly (…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 22.71
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 71
Authors
17Topics & keywords
- Environmental science
- Soil fertility
- Carbon dioxide
- Agronomy
- Nutrient
- Weathering
- Phosphorus
- Soil carbon
- Zero hunger