Hedges capture more carbon than grassland - University of Leeds study
Hedgerows increase soil carbon storage by almost half compared to grassland, according to research from the University of Leeds.The team of scientists analysed soil samples from farms in Yorkshire, Cumbria and West Sussex, to find out how carbon storage under hedgerows compared to that found in adjacent grass fields.The research found that soil under hedges stored on average 40 tonnes more carbon per hectare than grassland.Dr Sofia Biffi, a research fellow in agricultural ecosystems, said the results showed hedgerows could have a positive impact on soil health and soil carbon storage.
"In the past few years, we have witnessed how farmers are engaging with hedge planting. They can see the difference that hedges make to the biodiversity on their farms," she said."They see more birds, bats and pollinators, and they enjoy their flowers, wood and shade. And now they can also know they are playing their part in storing more carbon in the soil."The results were published in the journal Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment.Dairy farmer and England chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, James Robinson, said it was "good to have the science to back up what we farmers already know".He said: "There is an ever-growing list of reasons to plant and manage hedgerows, from livestock health, crop protection and biosecurity, through to carbon storage."Hedgerows should be seen as a huge asset both to farmers and the landscape and if we manage them in the right way, using traditional hedge laying techniques, we can make them an eternal feature of our rural landscape."The team compromised researchers from the University of Leeds School of Geography and the University of Sheffield's School of Biosciences. They said the data could be used to predict the impact of planting new hedgerows on the UK's net zero targets.About half of Britain's hedgerows were lost between the 1940s and 1990s, mostly in England, due to intensive farming and development.According to the Woodland Trust, around 118,000 miles of hedgerows disappeared in that time.While the loss has slowed since the 1990s, neglect, damage and removal remain big threats.Study co-author professor Pippa Chapman said existing hedgerows needed to be maintained to ensure the carbon stored in the soil does not disappear into the atmosphere. She said: "We have seen some important hedgerow planting commitments from the government, which we hope they will support farmers to achieve in the next few years. "It is not only hedgerow planting that brings so many benefits to farmland but also maintaining the network of hedges and hedgerow trees that we already have."Planting, gapping-up, and hedge laying are all important actions that farmers can take to help protect the carbon stored in soil beneath hedges and the environment."Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
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Edinburgh Reporter
2 days ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Research in Scotland is revolutionising farming in Africa
Representatives from The Roslin Institute attended the first Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Science Week in Nairobi recently as part of The Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) delegation. CTLGH is a strategic partnership among the University of Edinburgh through the Roslin Institute, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Scotland's Rural College (SRUC). This partnership aims to contribute to the development of livestock in low to medium income countries (LMICs) through genetics and biotechnological advancements. Although CTLGH is headquartered at the Roslin Institute, it has nodes in Nairobi, Kenya and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. By working in collaboration with national and international partners, CTLGH allows the flow of research and knowledge among different players and stakeholders for implementation on real farms. Current efforts have focused on finding solutions to some of the major productivity and health problems facing smallholder farms in Africa. Historically, there have been strong links and connections between Scotland and Africa. Some of these go back to the times of Dr David Livingstone. Over the years, Universities and research institutions in Scotland and different countries in Africa have worked together and even exchanged expertise. Not surprisingly, the current Director General of ILRI, one of CGIAR institution, Professor Appolinaire Djikeng is an affiliated Professor for Tropical Agriculture and Sustainable Development at the University of Edinburgh, a position he held previously when he was Director of CTLGH in Edinburgh. The delegation from the Roslin Institute to the CGIAR Science Week, which included CTLGH scientists and Centre Management staff, was led by the current director of CTLGH and Chair of Tropical Livestock Genetics, Professor Mizeck Chagunda. During the week-long event, which comprised of conferences, side-events, workshops, demonstration stands, the CTLGH had a manned-stand and held a side-event. These activities highlighted the importance of CTLGH's research and knowledge exchange work in contributing to the African Union's Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want. The CGIAR institutions based in Africa are driving their research and development strategies towards this theme. During such events, CTLGH aims to communicate in simple ways the contribution of advanced scientific endeavours and biotechnologies in tackling global challenges and to the transformation of food systems through improvements in tropical livestock. All this with the goal of creating high-level awareness and an enabling environment to generate the discussion on how to harness the benefits accruing from agricultural biotechnology, innovation and emerging technologies to transform the livelihoods of smallholder livestock farmers in LMICs. CTLGH's Centre Operations Manager at Roslin, Mrs Jen Meikle explained: 'Our booth was visited by farmers, pastoralists, community workers, school teachers, pupils and university students all with an interest in science and increasing livestock production and welfare. CTLGH have a capacity in building knowledge that we hope to be able to expand to schools in Africa. Professor Chagunda added: 'Our work supports the main CGIAR mission to transform food, land and water systems by ensuring that genetic innovations reach smallholder farmers improving productivity, resilience and livelihoods. 'Our presence at the first CGIAR Science Week in Nairobi highlighted the importance of science-based solutions tailored to LMICs (low to middle income countries) and showcased how targeted genetics research can contribute to sustainable agriculture, climate adaptation, environmental impact mitigation and food security.' 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One of the funders of CTLGH is the Gates Foundation and two of the scientists in the film below conduct research work for CTLGH. Food and nutrition security remains a challenge in Africa. However, biotechnologies for livestock conservation and development offer potential solutions. There are African instruments to support the needed transformation, those instruments are embedded in the Agenda 2063-The Africa we want, and in the STISA 2024 to 'Accelerate Africa's transition to an innovation-led, Knowledge-based Economy', and in the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan: 2026-2035 (Building Resilient Agri-Food Systems in Africa). Professor Mizeck Chagunda CGIAR Science Week in Nairobi At the CLTGH booth Professor Appolinaire Djikeng, Jen Meikle, Centre Operations Manager and Andy Peters, Chair of ILRI Like this: Like Related
The Guardian
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Country diary: There's some hot chemistry going on in the woods
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The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
How fruit peels could be used to jump-start your car
Imagine turning fruit waste into technology that stores electricity. This would reduce food waste and promote clean energy storage. Postdoctoral researcher Vianney Ngoyi Kitenge transformed mangosteen peels into specialised carbon materials that he used to make supercapacitor energy storage cells. He came up with a simplified way to do this, hugely reducing the cost. This breakthrough converts agricultural waste into valuable components for energy storage technology. He sets out how it works and what's needed to make it happen. What is a supercapacitor? Supercapacitors are a type of energy storage cell, similar to a battery, but with some key differences. They are standalone devices that store and release energy on their own. The biggest difference between a supercapacitor and a battery is how quickly a supercapacitor can charge and release energy. While batteries are designed to provide energy steadily over a longer period (like minutes or hours), supercapacitors are built to deliver energy very quickly – within seconds or minutes. This makes them perfect for applications that need a quick burst of power. You probably use supercapacitors every day without realising it. They help devices like flashes in your smartphone camera, portable jump starters for cars, fitness trackers, and smartwatches that need quick energy boosts to work efficiently. When making devices, the manufacturers choose whether to use a battery or a supercapacitor. This decision is based on how much power is needed and how fast it's needed. Most of the time, consumers aren't even aware of whether there's a battery or supercapacitor inside their devices. In energy storage cells where electrical charges are stored, electrodes are key. Supercapacitors' electrodes can be made with activated carbon. This can be made from biomass waste, such as coconut shells, banana peels, mangosteen peels, and coffee grounds. I used mangosteen peels in my research. What are supercapacitors used for? Apart from camera flashes and emergency doors, supercapacitors are useful in renewable energy. They act like super-fast energy sponges that can quickly soak up extra electricity when solar panels or wind turbines produce too much. They can also quickly release this energy when too little is produced. This helps keep the power flow steady even when it's not sunny or windy. Supercapacitors are still a small player in the energy storage world, with sales at around US$3 billion to US$4 billion yearly. To put this in perspective, the sales of lithium-ion batteries are US$50 billion to US$60 billion annually. Most are made in China and Japan, with some production in Europe and America, too. Supercapacitors haven't caught on widely yet. This is why scientists continue to work to increase supercapacitors' total energy storage while maintaining their speed and longevity. What role can mangosteen peels play? There has been little research into using the peels of the mangosteen fruit to create carbon. Yet, mangosteen trees grow abundantly from the east coast of South Africa to Somalia and Guinea, and they can withstand drought and rainstorms. Their peels naturally contain 35%-45% carbon-rich compounds. When processed through drying, oxygen-free heating and chemical activation, these peels transform into activated carbon. Through my research, I developed a simplified method to transform mangosteen shells into highly porous activated carbon. By combining the dried shells with potassium carbonate and directly heating to 700°C in a single step, I created valuable activated carbon from agricultural waste. Usually, creating activated carbon is a longer process of pre-heating fruit peels and reheating. So my method speeds the process up. This faster method makes activated carbon much cheaper by eliminating the initial five-hour heating phase at 400-500°C. This saves on electricity and reduces both production costs and the amount of time the furnace needs to operate. This then makes it more affordable for widespread commercial use. Using fruit peels to create activated carbon also prevents them from being dumped on landfill sites and instead uses them to make valuable energy storage devices. Just three to five kilograms of fruit peels are enough to produce hundreds of supercapacitors. The global demand for supercapacitors is projected to grow significantly over the coming decade. This demand will be driven primarily by electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and consumer electronics markets seeking high-power, rapid-cycling energy storage solutions. Citrus peels can also be used to make activated carbon. Worldwide, the citrus juice industry generates 15 million tonnes of wasted peels, pulp and seeds every year. This waste could be used to make supercapacitors. What's needed to make this happen? Some companies are already turning food and agricultural waste into activated carbon. For example, Haycarb, based in Sri Lanka, turns coconut shells into activated carbon. Takachar in the US is also developing small-scale technology to turn agricultural waste into useful products like activated carbon. In Africa, fruit processing plants could set up facilities to turn their waste into activated carbon. They could then sell it to energy storage companies or other industries that need it. To make this happen, experts are needed to further develop the science. Governments and the private sector will need to fund equipment and facilities. Then, the factories making supercapacitors need to be connected with industries that could buy them (electric vehicles, renewable energy and electronics manufacturers). Making supercapacitors from fruit peels could create jobs and support Africa's renewable energy goals.
