A Clean Seed DocumentaryEarth on the Edge
CarbonSequestration
No Till has been a fixture on dryland farming for many years. The increase in Organic Matter in the soil is directly related to how much carbon dioxide can be captured and sequestered. Highly tilled soil with almost 0% Organic Matter sequesters almost no C02 on an annual basis. For every 1% increase in Organic Matter, each 1 acre of soil will sequester an additional 20 tons of Carbon Dioxide. The unique DX opener system on the SMART Seeder does it better. Designed to preserve and build organic matter by doing No Till better, the DX system is designed to cut through field trash and accurately place seed, fertilizers, and amendments with minimum soil disturbance in a single pass! Many “No-Till” seeding and planting systems on the market today are advertised with the same features, but in reality require some level of light tillage or additional in ground fertility placement which prevents organic matter from building or building quickly to take advantage of maximizing your carbon sequestration.
During our rigorous testing and development cycle the DX opener system underwent a soil disturbance analysis conducted by UBC Center for sustainable food systems.
CarbonSequestration Cycle
SOLAR ENERGY
The sun plays an integral role in the photosynthesis process of the Carbon Cycle. Plants trap light energy with their leaves then use the energy of the sun to change water and carbon dioxide into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is used by plants for energy.
ATMOSPHERIC CARBON
Atmospheric oxygen comes mainly from green plants. When they’re exposed to light, green plants use carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to manufacture living matter and release oxygen into the air.
CARBOHYDRATES
Plants use energy from sunlight to combine carbon dioxide (C02) from the atmosphere with water (H2O) from the soil to form carbohydrates. The roots then extrude carbohydrates to feed soil organisms that release (C02) back into the atmosphere.
ORGANIC CARBON
Organic carbon result of interactions among living plants, fungi, bacteria, and other soil organisms trapped under the soil, it helps to combat global warming by binding to minerals or remaining in organic forms that will slowly break down over time, aiding in the reduction of atmospheric carbon.
WATER
Carbon rich soils hold more water. Amending soil with organic carbon not only facilitates healthier plant life, but it also drains well, prevents water pollution, is beneficial to useful microbes and insects and eliminates the need for using synthetic fertilizers.
