Jennifer Marohasy

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‘Plantstones’ Could Allow Farmers to Claim Carbon Credits

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Grasses such as wheat and sorghum can store large amounts of carbon in microscopic balls of silica, called phytoliths. Phytoliths, also known as plantstones or plant opals, are formed in and around the cell wall of many plant species replicating the cell wall shape and encapsulating the inner organic content. These silica bodies are deposited into the soil when a plant dies and are highly resistant to decomposition.

Southern Cross University researchers recently completed field trials that reveal cane can retain three-quarters of a tonne of carbon dioxide equivalents per hectare in the soil each year, and will continue to do so for thousands of years. Cane farmers may therefore be able to cash in on carbon credits because of their crop’s new-found ability to lock away large amounts of carbon.

“This could be worth millions to the sugar industry and all grass-growing industries,” said researcher Jeff Parr of Southern Cross University.

Draft rules for a national emissions trading scheme are being discussed with a view to being implemented by 2010, but the rules regarding global emissions trading don’t yet fully factor in agriculture, or any role it may have in carbon sequestration.

Read more:

Landline: Calculating Carbon

Cairns.com.au:Carbon credit option for cane farmers

Sydney Morning Herald: Grass could help save the world

Thanks to Gavin for his note about plantstones.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Luke says

    Quite interesting Gavin. Never knew about plantstones.

    PM is cautiously interested in soil carbon it seems.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/04/2179208.htm

    I’m cautious too as the whole legal framework isn’t there yet. Issues with sampling statistics of your soil cores, interpolation over wide areas, which laboratory tests your samples at what standard (NATA?), soil bulk density difficulties with many swelling soils – these issues are about estimating what reserves you actually have.

    Then one gets into liabilities and responsibilities – are the sample locations GPS’ed, who holds the carbon records and for how long, does it go on your land title. What if you sell your property and the new owner adopts land management actices which release the carbon – is the new owner responsible for the emissions or you?

    Lots of work yet to be done here.

  2. Luke says

    And meant to say that this phytolith development at least seems to offer a way to lock up soil carbon more securely in situ.

  3. Ian Mott says

    Hhmmn. They take our clearing credits, ruthlessly stack the whole carbon credit deck to seriously discriminate against any landowner with carbon in trees, ignores 90 million hectares of sequestration in vegetation thickenning, provides a tax subsidised free ride for our plantation competitors who grow their carbon in less durable products, ignores the sequestration by our territorial waters and the clown wants applause for merely “looking into” soil carbon sequestration on the land that is left?

    Gosh, watch out, don’t get knocked over in the rush to mortgage your kids future to a pack of spivs.

  4. Luke says

    Where I agree with your sentiment on vegetation carbon issues, I doubt he is after “applause”. He will be being lobbied by extensive vested interests on this matter – read the rural press. However there is no framework set up on sampling techniques, record keeping or legality – it’s a brand new field and caveat emptor. People need to be most cautious about get rich quick schemes. Soil carbon is currently policy free IMO and not well researched either. And the spivs are currently private enterprise actually.

  5. gavin says

    A NSW farmer on ABC 666 this morning during their regular rural chat confirmed there is a “dearth of information out there” on “plantstones” and soil carbon in general.

    There was a small debate on OLO after the article “Farming the Climate” that I missed.

    http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5436&page=2

    However I notice this statement by the authors Parr & Sullivan is now reflected in other languages on the www.

    “Plantstones currently store 300 million tones of CO2 p.a. worldwide, and there is the clear potential to increase that carbon storage rate many times by careful plant selection and crop management”.

  6. Ian Mott says

    Not to mention the fact that up to 200t of C/ha can be stored for over 1000 years as charcoal and improve fertility and moisture retention to boot. But that option is off the table for as long as they persist with this stupid notion that the CO2 is released the moment the tree is cut.

    And there is also the issue of the steady build up of charcoal from cool burns and the wholesale destruction of these stocks by preventable wildfires in the green movement’s park estate. (soon to be car park estate)