A team of experts from Trent University have been awarded a $750,000 grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Missions Grant for anthropogenic greenhouse gas research, which aims to enhance farmers' adoption of regenerative agriculture practices.    

The project is co-led by Trent agroecologist Dr. Kira Borden to develop new on-farm monitoring techniques and technologies that monitor the success of carbon sequestration efforts made by farmers more quickly and easily.    

Regenerative agriculture: A sustainable farming approach for improved soil health and carbon sequestration

Unlike intensive farming practices that can harm the soil, regenerative agriculture aims to improve soil health by promoting a symbiotic relationship between crops, soil, and the environment.   

"Regenerative farming practices, such as growing cover crops, can help tighten the nutrient loop, allowing for the efficient use of fertilizers. This results in crops taking up added nutrients, translating into more food for people, or breaking down into stable carbon forms in the soil," says Professor Borden.   

By implementing and tracking the benefits of regenerative farming practices, farmers can help mitigate climate change by enhancing carbon sequestration, the capture and storage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the soil, and meet the increasing demand for sustainable food.

Quantifying short-term changes in carbon sequestration requires collaboration across disciplines

“Although you can measure carbon in soil, it may not show an immediate change. Our project aims to overcome these methodological challenges in quantifying short-term changes in carbon sequestration at the farm scale,” Prof Borden said.   

To develop monitoring techniques that provide more rapid and accurate feedback, Prof. Borden describes this project as having four pillars, each led by experts from Trent and industry partners to enable a holistic solution to the challenges faced: 

• Plant ecologists, led by Prof. Borden's team, use novel technologies to image plant roots belowground and link carbon supply to soil. 
• Microbiologists, led by Trent’s Dr. Karen Thompson, use metagenomic and stable isotopes to link microbial carbon cycling with crop management.   
• Chemists, led by Dr. Sanela Martic's team, explore the potential to develop biosensors to quantify the chemical markers of carbon fluxes in the soil. 
• Social scientists, led by Trent’s Dr. Anne Pasek, Canada Research Chair in Media, Culture and the Environment, interview farmers to understand their views on regenerative farming and carbon sequestration. 

“What’s particularly exciting and novel about this work is how our team will integrate our methods from remote sensing to molecular analysis in capturing a fuller picture of how plants, and plant traits, impact carbon in the soil,” Prof. Borden said.