The first set of results are in from the flux towers installed in neighbouring Morley Farms fields to measure carbon emissions from – and carbon uptake into – sugar beet.
The measurements began a year ago, in early February 2023. As explained in earlier news, the pair of towers are part of the project managed by Dr Georgina Barratt from BBRO. Her aim is to calculate carbon emissions from a sugar beet field under typical management practice and what the difference is if alternative management is used. One field was manured and ploughed and the other had a cover crop.
And the news so far
The results so far are published in a poster. As already reported, the project has had its challenges. These have been mainly overcome. Up to the start of 2024, the carbon measurements show that while the beet was getting established the crop in both fields was net emitter or source of CO2.
When the beet got going with a good canopy it became an absorber or sink of CO2. But when temperatures and daylight hours dropped in autumn, the beet at both sites became sources, but small ones, again. The southern field sequestered more carbon than the other, but weed presence might have contributed to that.
All the way to harvest and beyond
It is all still a work in progress. The towers remain in place and in action through the harvest of these Morley beet fields and continue in the following spring barley crop.
Read all the reports so far on the flux towers.