A review of 140 field studies found that most farming practices on the Canadian Prairies, like keeping perennial cover and reducing tillage, store more carbon in soil or cut greenhouse gas emissions. Results vary a lot from place to place, so some practices, such as rotational grazing and wetland rewetting, still need more research.
1
Perennial cover and reduced tillage significantly increased soil organic carbon by 5-10%, or 4-17 Mg C/ha.
2
Nitrous oxide emissions fell 19-88% (85-941 kg CO2e/ha) with shelterbelts, perennial cover, organic soil amendments, nitrogen management, and diversified crop rotations.
3
Almost all nine practices showed benefits but with high variability; rotational grazing and wetland rewetting had the biggest evidence gaps.
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