While annual cropping systems such as maize/soy rotation perpetuate soil organic carbon (SOC) loss, perennial crops have been found to contribute to SOC increases. However, most perennial crop studies have been short-term, resulting in incomplete understanding of their long-term impacts on SOC. A new study found that planting perennial crops on land formerly used for annual maize/soy can slow or reverse soil carbon losses, with the greatest increases in soil organic carbon from species-rich prairie.

A study by researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) found that net primary productivity in Miscanthus × giganteus is driven by aboveground productivity, influenced by nitrogen application and site. The results provide useful data for agroecosystem models and crucial insights for future perennial belowground sampling, and will help improve understanding of the carbon sequestration potential of this perennial grass.

A research team has developed a ferromanganese oxide-modified biochar that achieved exceptional performance in eliminating copper–citrate (CuCA) complexes from contaminated water.