Researchers from Stavropol State Agrarian University, together with colleagues from Lomonosov Moscow State University and the All-Russian Research Institute of Agrochemistry, have found that Russian chernozems can absorb up to 90 million tons of co₂ per year when switching to sustainable agricultural technologies.

The conclusions are based on a 50-year-old agrochemical experiment conducted at the SSAU experimental station.

Calculations have shown that with the right agricultural technologies, carbon reserves in the soil can reach 79-85 t/ha, which helps to retain carbon in the ground and reduce emissions into the atmosphere.

The results of the study are published in the highly-rated journal Eurasian Soil Science. One of its authors is Professor Alexander Yesaulko, Director of the Institute of Agrobiology and Natural Resources at SSAU.

Russia has about 327 million hectares of chernozems (about 45% of the world's reserves), which is not only the basis for high yields, but also a potential tool for reducing greenhouse emissions and preserving soil fertility.