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“Soil carbon projects consequently offer a no-regrets pathway to scalable sequestration” gains in crop or pasture through increased moisture holding capacity and ability to hold nutrient through better cation exchange capacity. Certain types of soil organic matter can hold up to 20 times their weight in water. Research has shown that for each 1 per cent increase in soil organic matter, the available water holding capacity in the soil increases by 3.7pc. CALCULATE YOUR GAINS For every tonne of soil organic carbon sequestered, we multiply it by 3.67 to get tonnes carbon dioxide (C O2) equivalent sequestered. The latest spot price for ACCU’s is $16.50/tonne CO2. If, for example, we start with a soil weight of 1.4 grams per cubic centimetre and convert this across 1 hectare to 0.2 metres deep, that equates to 2,800 tonnes of soil per hectare. If we get a change in soil carbon from say 1pc to 1.1pc, that is an extra 2.8 T/ha carbon in that soil or 10.276 tonnes/ha of CO2 equivalent. That is ambitious. It also depends on sequestration rates and change of practice. Being more conservative, let’s
say 1T/ha of carbon sequestered per year x 3.67 x $16.50/tonne = $60.55 /ha/yr. START-UP COSTS Baselining is the first significant step in a soil carbon project and involves quantifying soil carbon stocks on the proposed project area. The initial carbon stocks are used to determine any prospective soil carbon sequestration, so the earlier baselining occurs, the more soil carbon, potentially, will be available to trade. The cost of baselining depends on the size of the property. As a guide, around 200ha would cost about $5,000 (ex GST), whereas around 400-500ha costs around $10,000 (ex GST). DEMAND PRECISION Thomas Elder Consulting’s baselining will not limit soil sampling to 300 millimetres. There is often more soil carbon below 300mm than above and this carbon is likely to be very stable. Furthermore, properly managed land is expected to promote deeper soil carbon. We also undertake detailed soil mapping, with
Peter specialised in this area. Many other providers only estimate the total amount of soil carbon and don’t provide any information about how soil carbon varies across paddocks. TEC, however, will locate the better spots for carbon sequestration, and the connections between management practice and the carbon level. Your TEC consultant will precisely assess soil variation to a depth of 1 to 2m, which significantly improves the accuracy of the soil carbon measurement. The more accurate the measurement, the more carbon is saleable, thanks to less variation in the projected carbon yield. Peter Spies is an approved adviser under the Land Restoration Fund - Carbon Farming Advice Rebate program in Queensland. This is to assist eligible applicants with the cost of accessing eligible advice about undertaking a carbon farming project on their land through the Land Restoration Fund. https://www.qrida.qld.gov.au/program/approvedadviser-program-under-carbon-farming-advicerebate-program The Carbon Farming Advice Rebate Program provides landholders with rebates of up to $10,000 to offset the cost of obtaining relevant advice related to carbon farming projects. Peter can also advise producers in other states.
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