# Presentation: 003393

## GRACEnet

- Standard protocols
- Based on Version: 7-2003 (JLS)

## GRACEnet Site Characterization and Sampling Protocol 

- The emphasis is management rather than crop or crop sequence due to varied regional cropping practices.
- At each location, and in each management scenario, measurements will be made that will quantify the management practice with respect to soil carbon storage, greenhouse gas emissions and changes in other soil properties.

## Four scenarios 

- Business as usual
- Maximum carbon sequestration
- Optimize Greenhouse Gas Benefits
- Optimize Environmental Benefits

**Notes:**
BAU This scenario refers to management practices typical of an area.  Included will be the major crop(s), tillage practice(s) and inputs used in the representative area.

This scenario refers to management practices that will generate the most sequestered carbon. 

This scenario refers to changing management practices such that greenhouse gas production is reduced or eliminated.
Nitrous oxide and methane data will be one of the distinguishing features of GRACEnet.  

– This scenario refers to the optimization of agricultural systems to sequester carbon, reduce trace gas emissions and to increase other environmental benefits.  

## Sampling guidelines

- Site Characterization
- Soil Sampling Guidelines
- Soil Assessments
- Plant Sampling Guidelines
- Plant Assessments
- Organic amendments Assessments
- Sample Archiving

## Sampling guidelines

- Trace gas
- Micrometeorological
- Data base
- Website** **

## Site Characterization

- Landscape and soil profile attributes
- Geo-referenced location of experimental area
- Soil survey map of experimental area
- Field slope and aspect
- Soil type and texture
- Morphological soil profile description

## Site Characterization

- Climatic attributes (long/short term)
- Air and soil temperature
- Soil water content over time
- Precipitation
- Evaporation (or humidity and wind speed)
- Net radiation
- Wind speed and direction

## Site Characterization

- Vegetation / Crop
- Characteristics, planting date, row width
- Rotation (s)
- Phenological measurements
- Biomass yield

## Site Characterization

- Management history (current coupled with vegetation/crop; as far back as possible)
- Tillage practice with chronology and physical description
- Cultivation during growing season
- Surface residue status
- Fertilization, date, type and rate
- Amendments

## Soil Sampling Guidelines

- Random sampling pattern.  Record GPS coordinates
- Minimum of 8 cores per depth.
- biological soil properties (%CV) of >50%,
- chemical properties 25 to 45%
- physical properties 15 to 40% depending upon the scale of sampling.
- [e.g., 500 g from 0-5 cm will require 12 samples with a 3.14 cm probe tip (SBD = 1.1 g cm-3)].

## Soil Sampling Guidelines

- Preferred sampling depth increments are 0-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-60, 60-100 cm
- 500-g should be collected from each depth for time zero sampling.
- 4oC as much as possible during processing,
-  2 mm sieve,
- Determine gravimetric water

## Soil Assessments -Minimum

- Soil organic C  (combustion)
- Soil inorganic C
- Particulate organic matter C
- Soil bulk density
- Total N
- Extractable NH4-N and NO3-N, Extractable P and K
- Soil pH (water)
- Electrical conductivity
- Particle-size distribution (initial sampling)

## Soil Assessments - optional

- Soluble organic C (required if there is drainage in the system)
- Microbial biomass C and N
- Water-stable aggregates
- Total C by mid/near infrared method
- Moisture release curve

## Plant Sampling Guidelines

- Above and belowground plant biomass should be assessed.
- Methods to collect plant biomass should be determined based on the vegetation / crop sampled.
- Timing and frequency will be system dependent

## Plant Assessments

*Aboveground biomass: Minimum*
- Live and dead biomass on an oven-dry basis (60oC)
- Ashed biomass
- Harvest (grain) yield
- Total C and N
- Optional
- Residue quality parameters
- (e.g., Lignin, soluble C, others?)
- Leaf-area index

## Plant Assessments

*Belowground biomass: *Minimum
- Root biomass on an oven-dry basis (by depth)
- Ashed roots
- Total C and N
- 	Optional
- Residue quality parameters
- (e.g., Lignin, soluble C, others?)

## Plant quality assessment

- Fresh or freeze-dried, or dry at or below 45oC,
- 1 mm mesh.
- Determination of equivalent dry-weight at 100oC
- Note the age or physiological stage

## Plant quality assessment

| Component | NREL protocol |
| --- | --- |
| Total solids (biomass) | LAP-001 |
| Extractives | LAP-010 |
| Starch | LAP-016 |
| Carbohydrates | LAP-002 |
| Acid-insoluble lignin | LAP-003 |
| Acid-soluble lignin | LAP-004 |
| Ash | LAP-005 |

- http://www.eere.energy.gov/biomass/analytical_procedures.html

## Organic amendments Assessments – if applicable

- 	Total C and N
- 	Extractable NH4-N and NO3-N
- 	Extractable P and K
- 	Soil pH
- 	Suite of elements (contaminants with potential negative effects)

## Sample Archiving

- T=0, a minimum of 50 g air-dried soil;  5 g oven-dried plant material
- T=n, minimum of 10 g of soil and 1 g of plant material.
- airtight containers i.e. sample vials in moderate climate conditions.  If possible a field moist sample should be archived at 4oC.

## Soil/plant Guidelines were developed by...

- Ron Follett
- Gary Varvel
- Verlan Cochran
- Don Reicosky
- Jim Reeves
- Jerry Schuman

- Hero Gollany
- Ken Potter
- Ray Allmaras
- Wayne Honeycutt
- Mark Liebig

## Trace gas 

**USDA/ARS Grace-Net Trace Gas Measurement Workshop** (3/2003)
- Chamber-based trace gas flux measurement protocol
- Down-loadable PDF at
- _[http://www.gracenet.usda.gov/](http://www.gracenet.usda.gov/)_

## Trace gas

- Chamber design
- Chamber deployment
- Gas sampling
- Gas analysis
- Data Analysis
- Noisy data
- Minimum detection limit
- QA/QC

## Trace Gas protocol development Committee

- John Baker
- Geoffrey Doyle
- Greg McCarty
- Arvin Mosier
- Tim Parkin
- Don Reicosky
- Jeff Smith
- Rod Venterea

## Sampling guidelines

- Site Characterization
- Soil Sampling Guidelines
- Soil Assessments
- Plant Sampling Guidelines
- Plant Assessments
- Organic amendments Assessments
- Sample Archiving
- Trace gas
- Micrometeorological
- Data base
- Website

## Goals

- Material and methods for Project plan
- PDF of all guidelines on website.