Centre for High Carbon Capture Cropping
Increasing carbon capture through farmed crops and their utilisation
What is the project doing?
Capturing carbon
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving resilience to extreme weather, are global challenges for farming and land management. Input-efficient crops that can increase carbon capture will help farming and associated industries address climate change, but there must be confidence in achieving profitable and sustainable outcomes.
Image source: Elsoms Seeds
Image source: Elsoms Seeds
Working towards Net Zero
The Centre for High Carbon Capture Cropping (CHCx3) is a four-year, multi-partner project, led by NIAB. The research aims to help UK farmers and growers target Net Zero and build farming resilience through diversifying their arable and forage cropping. It will enable new revenue sources through a carbon marketplace and support enhanced value chains for industries such as textiles and construction.
Diversifying cropping options
The project is focusing on four cropping options: cover crops; annual fibre crops (industrial hemp, flax); perennial food, feed, and forage cropping (including cereals and herbal leys); and perennial biomass crops (miscanthus, willow/poplar). Field trials and demonstrations will examine the effect of cultivation systems and agronomy on economic returns and environmental outcomes, with practical outputs including crop guides, web tools and apps.
Image source: Terravesta
Project objectives
Increase carbon sequestration
Evaluate food, forage, and industrial cropping options with potential to enhance carbon capture, and sequestration in the soil and crop-based products
Monitoring carbon
Quantify carbon removals, consistent with emerging standards for measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification
Carbon insetting and offsetting
Develop a platform for tracking soil carbon, to facilitate insetting or offsetting of emissions, enabling new revenue opportunities for farmers and supporting corporate sustainability.
Increase crop output markets
Optimise production of renewable biomaterials for fibre, textiles, and construction, and build value chains.
Knowledge Hub
Establish a UK Knowledge Hub providing resources to support effective uptake and utilisation of crops with high carbon capture potential