Can adding organic carbon to farm soil store carbon and improve yields at the same time?
Carbon Research International Forum, 22nd session, March 11, 2026.
Farmers have been adding organic material to soil for millennia. Compost, manure, crop residues: these are among the oldest agricultural technologies. What is newer is the idea that these same amendments might serve double duty, improving soil fertility while also pulling carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and locking it underground. Whether both goals can be achieved simultaneously, or whether they involve trade-offs that current enthusiasm tends to overlook, is the subject of a public webinar taking place on March 11, 2026.
The forum and its speaker
The 22nd session of the Carbon Research International Forum features a keynote lecture by Nanthi Bolan, Professor of Soil Science at the University of Western Australia. Bolan's research spans soil nutrient cycling, greenhouse gas emissions, and sustainable waste management. With more than 500 scientific papers and an h-index of 119 on Scopus, he is among the most cited researchers in the field. He has been recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher from 2018 through 2022.
The session, titled "Reconciling Soil Health Benefits with Carbon Sequestration Value of Organic Carbonaceous Amendments," will be hosted online by Professor Hailong Wang of Foshan University at 2:00 PM Beijing time.
The tension between soil health and carbon storage
Organic carbonaceous materials, including crop residues, compost, manure, biosolids, and biochar, serve well-established roles as soil conditioners. They improve soil structure, feed microbial communities, enhance nutrient availability, and support crop productivity. These benefits are not in dispute.
The carbon sequestration claim is more complicated. Adding carbon-rich material to soil does increase soil organic carbon in the short term. But how much of that carbon remains stored over years and decades depends on a web of factors: soil type, climate, microbial activity, tillage practices, and the chemical stability of the carbon compounds themselves. Some forms of organic carbon decompose relatively quickly, releasing CO2 back to the atmosphere within months. Others, particularly biochar, can persist for centuries.
Bolan's lecture will examine recent research on managing these inputs to support both soil productivity and long-term carbon storage, a balancing act that requires understanding how carbon moves through soil systems at the molecular level.
Why the distinction matters
Carbon credit markets and climate policy increasingly treat soil carbon sequestration as a measurable, verifiable offset for industrial emissions. If the carbon added to soil through organic amendments is less permanent than assumed, the climate benefit is overstated. On the other hand, if management practices can be optimized to stabilize carbon in more durable forms while still delivering agronomic benefits, the approach could contribute meaningfully to both food security and climate mitigation.
The webinar is open to researchers, students, and practitioners interested in soil science, carbon management, and sustainable agriculture. It will be held via Zoom (Meeting ID: 615 672 5359, Passcode: 123456).