US researchers tackle greenhouse gas emissions with climate-smart soybean harvest

16 Sep 2024 --- Biologists at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) have harvested their first crop of climate-smart soybeans, which were grown in collaboration with marginalized farmers in South Texas, US. 

The harvest falls under a US$5 million project funded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to examine whether climate-smart agricultural practices can slash greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while improving yield. Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are among the gasses that contribute significantly to climate change.

“We are the first to harvest climate-smart soybeans in this program, partly because of the earlier growing season in South Texas,” says Woo-Suk Chang, professor of biology at UTA and principal investigator on the USDA grant.

“Most people don’t realize it, but farming activities make up about 10% of GHG emissions. We’re hoping to help the agriculture industry change that.”

Climate-smart farming

The four-and-a-half-year project saw collaboration between researchers from UTA, Texas A&M AgriLife, Tarleton State University, the University of Missouri and 14 farmers in Texas, Arkansas and Missouri to execute five climate-smart farming practices.

These include no-till agriculture, where farmers are encouraged to adopt no-till planting techniques to protect carbon storage. Conventional tillage typically disturbs the soil, resulting in a loss of nutrients and the release of carbon from the ground.

Farmers are supported with cover crops, where different crops are grown as the season changes to improve the soil’s nutrients. Soil scientists from the institutes are testing various cover crop combinations to determine the most effective ones in enhancing soil quality.

The experts are currently testing the most efficient crop rotation strategies for climate-tolerant soybeans (i.e., drought-tolerant and flood-tolerant cultivars) that have been created to handle bad weather.

The research team is also introducing bio-inoculants, which comprise bacteria and fungi that can naturally fertilize the soil and build plant resistance to disease, pests and extreme weather events. As part of the project, a trial of a drought-tolerant nitrogen-fixing inoculant that can increase production while lowering emissions is underway.

Scientists are assessing the ability of biochar — a type of black carbon produced by the partial burning of organic waste — to help the soil retain water and trap GHGs. The first climate-smart soybean harvest came from fields where biochar was applied.

“Biochar would play a leading role in enhancing agricultural and environmental sustainability with climate change mitigation in soybean fields,” notes Eunsung Kan, professor of biological and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M AgriLife.

Commercializing climate-smart products

The climate-smart team at UTA will assess the reduction of GHG emissions and yield increases due to adopting new agricultural practices as more farmers reach the harvesting stage during fall. The analysis will use a portable gas analyzer to measure and monitor if the participating farms reduced carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide levels.

“Just as consumers are willing to pay extra for organically grown products, we hope to create a marketplace where they will have a choice to support underserved farmers whose practices help reduce GHG emissions,” says Andrew Scott, an agricultural consultant and soybean expert in South Texas.

The USDA partnership plans to commercialize these products. If the trial proves successful, the team will attempt to create a market for climate-smart agricultural equipment through advertising and communication activities. While efforts to create demand for such products are ongoing in South Texas, the team sees export opportunities in Mexico.

“We’re already seeing this trend in the energy market where consumers have a choice to select plans where much of the electricity comes from wind or solar. Our goal is to offer a similar choice when purchasing commodities,” concludes Scott.