Developing a range of adaptation and mitigation practices
Climate-smart agriculture comprises a range of adaptation and mitigation practices for crops and the soils they depend on. We test and demonstrate technologies and practices that benefit crops and soils in the following areas:
Precision management of crop inputs
Pinpointing exact rates of seed, nitrogen and soil amendments needed for target crop yields can improve productivity while reducing the environmental footprint of crop production.
Cover cropping
Crop productivity can be boosted through planting cover crops, which fix nitrogen and supply animal feed. Cover cropping also can improve soil health and reduce erosion, while mitigating climate change and supporting adaptation to the shifts in weather patterns.
Soil amendments
Soil amendments increase inorganic (rock dust) and organic (biochar) carbon sequestration in soils. They can also boost crop yields, improve soil structure, increase soil nutrient content and retention, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.