Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | BBS/E/C/00005214 | |
| Title | Maximising carbon retention in soils | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Not Energy Related 40%; Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Applications for heat and electricity) 60%; |
|
| Research Types | Basic and strategic applied research 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (Biological Sciences) 100% | |
| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Dr PJ (Philip ) Murray No email address given Agriculture and Environment Division Rothamsted Research |
|
| Award Type | Institute Project | |
| Funding Source | BBSRC | |
| Start Date | 01 April 2012 | |
| End Date | 31 March 2017 | |
| Duration | 60 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £590,016 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Transport Systems and Vehicles | |
| Region | East of England | |
| Programme | ||
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Dr PJ (Philip ) Murray , Agriculture and Environment Division, Rothamsted Research (100.000%) |
| Web Site | ||
| Objectives | Objectives not supplied | |
| Abstract | This project is part of the Cropping Carbon Institute Strategic Programme that aims to build a whole systems understanding of carbon allocation both above- and below-ground to provide the knowledge for achieving an optimal balance between harvestable and sequestered carbon in perennial cropping systems. This project aims to establish how different crop types influence the quantity and quality of carbon inputs into soils, how these inputs turn-over and how these processes are affected by environment and even crop genotype. There are 4 components (Work Packages -WP) to the project: 1. We will build on strong research in carbon cycling in plant-soil interactions to assess the potential for carbon storage beneath the three perennials (willow, Miscanthus and pasture grass). We will develop methods for quantifying root biomass (WP2.1). 2. We will quantify total carbon and use NIRS to explore gross changes in soil carbon content and mass spectrometric (GC-MS, HPLC) techniques to determine and quantify the different organic components of labile and stable soil organic matter (SOM) and relate this to the results of WP1 on the metabolome of different plant compartments in willow and pasture grass (WP2.2). 3. Our close links with IBERS will also allow us to determine the effects of grass rooting morphology on plant carbon delivery and stability in soil, whilst access to Miscanthus genetic lines will allow us to distinguish between plant carbon turnover in soil and turnover of existing soil organic carbon (SOC) using natural abundance 13C-enrichment (WP2.3). 4. We will exploit in vivo and in vitro experimental approaches and cutting-edge biogeochemical applications to specifically determine: (i) the fate of plant carbon inputs to the SOM pool;(ii) the effects of fresh plant carbon inputs on residual SOM; and, (iii) differences in SOM turnover rates under changing land use (WP2.4). |
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| Publications | (none) |
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| Final Report | (none) |
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| Added to Database | 14/04/14 | |
