Irish mineral soils sequestering more carbon than thought

Teagasc said carbon farming — offering additional income for landowners who remove and store carbon in Ireland's soils, forests, grasslands, croplands, and hedgerows — requires the confidence, verification and certification of a well-functioning National Carbon Farming Framework

Irish soils might hold substantial carbon, but are we adding to or depleting these stocks?

Irish mineral soils sequester nearly 4.5 times more carbon than is allowed for in the current measurement of Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions, according to preliminary findings of the National Agricultural Soil Carbon Observatory (NASCO).

But long-term measurements are required to validate these findings, said Teagasc Research Officer Rachael Murphy, at the Counting Carbon: Science and Practice Conference organised by Teagasc.