Organic carbon, deep within New Zealand soil, holds the potential to protect against the effects of climate change.
By adapting orchard management practices to maximize and enhance soil organic carbon, kiwifruit growers can contribute to the long-term sustainability of the New Zealand kiwifruit industry by ‘growing’ soil. The contribution of soil organic carbon to carbon footprint analysis may also provide potential for growers to ecoverify their production and even to receive carbon credits.
Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) refers to the carbon stored in soil and is critical natural capital stock for primary producers. Photosynthesis converts atmospheric carbon dioxide gas (CO2) to plant material some part of which decomposes into SOC. The ability of soil to sequester carbon provides numerous production benefits and natural advantages to growers. It is the main component of soil humus.
Read the full publication here: Soil Organic Carbon in Kiwifruit Orchards (PDF, 911kb)
