AMP Grazing: The Future of Carbon Capture Technology

I recently watched Carbon Cowboys and was beyond impressed with the amount of work and dedication the team put in to develop a scientific assessment of AMP grazing. They developed this docu-series over 7 years and it took over 10 million dollars to conduct the study. WOW. As a former academic researcher, I know how hard it is to even get $10,000 of funding, not to mention 10 million! So yes, congrats to the team and bravo.

What is AMP Grazing?

Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazing is a livestock management practice that uses lightweight, portable fencing systems to move animals strategically around a large pasture, mimicking how herds of bison grazed The Great Plains of North America and built some of the world's deepest and richest soils. AMP involves using multiple fenced paddocks, which are grazed for short periods (hours to days, depending on the season), during which plant consumption is monitored (aimed to leave ~50% forage uneaten), followed by an adequate time of recovery after grazing to allow vegetation regrowth.

This intense but brief disturbance creates minimal soil compaction and stimulates plant regrowth during the long period of healing and regrowth. Unlike conventional continuous grazing where cattle are left in one area for extended periods, AMP grazing prevents overgrazing by constantly moving livestock before they can damage the land.

The Science Behind Carbon Sequestration

The research results from Peter Byck's team are nothing short of remarkable. Studies show that AMP grazing sites had on average 13% more soil carbon (9 Mg C ha-1) and 9% more soil nitrogen (1 Mg N ha-1) compared to conventional grazing sites over a 1-meter depth. Even more impressive, the carbon difference was mostly in the mineral-associated organic matter fraction in the A-horizon, suggesting long-term persistence of soil carbon in AMP grazing farms.

Research by Dr. Teague shows that north central Texas ranches practicing AMP grazing principles have been able to sequester an additional 12 tons of carbon per acre over a ten-year period when compared with more conventional grazing practices. In Mississippi, with just 5 years of AMP grazing, significant results can be achieved in terms of building soil organic matter, soil carbon, and overall soil health.

Key Takeaways from Carbon Cowboys

Ditches: The Seed Banks of the Americas

In the docu-series, one of the farmers comments that the tall grass grows free in the ditch with no help at all, so it's not far-fetched that it can grow that way on the farm! And it was such a simple but powerful statement. Some of the farmers who move to AMP grazing in Northern Alberta find that cold-weather grasses pop up on their farm where they previously thought they could not grow or had gone extinct. So that raises the question - where did these seeds come from? My answer: DITCHES!

We think of ditches as something to be forgotten, but that is exactly why they are so powerful. Even the smallest native grass or plant can grow and proliferate in a ditch. This way, even if just one plant reaches maturity it has the chance to spread. I think it's incredible that if you want to find the beautiful things, look no further than in the shadows where they have been placed and forgotten—there you'll find them growing and reaching for the light.

Cow Movement Stimulates Plant Growth

The carbon cowboys "replicate this system with their cattle—breaking up their land into much smaller paddocks, and moving their herd frequently, sometimes daily, sometimes 4 to 5 times a day. It's a heavy hit from the cattle, their hooves stimulate seed growth, their poo and pee bring the groceries for the microbes."

I did not know this and learned more about it in the movie. Cow movement stimulates seeds to grow, just like bison once did on the land. I read that there were actually many millions of bison in North America before they went the way of the giant sloth due to human activity. The amount of cows on the land now pale in comparison to the number of bison that once roamed. That leads me to think that there is so much opportunity to symbiotically work with cows and grazing animals to heal the earth!

The Economic Benefits Are Equally Impressive

The healthier soil on AMP-grazed farms can save farmers $50,000 or more per year on nitrogen and fertilizer. This dramatic cost reduction comes from the natural fertility building that occurs when soil biology is restored through proper grazing management.

After they learned the results of the study, four out of five conventional ranchers in the study asked to learn more about AMP grazing from the team's experts. This speaks volumes about the compelling economic case for transitioning to regenerative practices.

Beyond Carbon: The Biodiversity Bonus

AMP grazing can help restore the declining populations of grassland birds. Immediate observations were that root structure and development, including root depth and mass, were significantly greater with AMP management. In addition, there were noted differences in soil texture, aggregation, and apparent soil life with earthworms present in the soil of the AMP farm.

AMP grazing can increase biodiversity, plant nutrition and cow health. The system creates a win-win-win scenario: healthier soil, healthier animals, and healthier ecosystems.

Water Cycle Benefits

AMP grazing appears to be a viable mitigation of water shortages and can contribute to reducing the magnitude of flooding. When soil organic matter increases, so does the soil's ability to hold water. This improved water infiltration and retention capacity makes farms more resilient to both drought and flooding events.

The Methodology That Makes It Work

With adaptive grazing management, there is no preset schedule. As Allen Williams says: Adaptive grazing also means being adaptive to the people! You don't have to move cattle every day; it could be every other day, or once a week – it is what works best for you and what works best for the land.

AMP grazing management adjusts livestock numbers to not exceed available forage and to avoid overstocking and overgrazing. Additionally, AMP practitioners seek to minimize the use of external inputs (i.e., fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides).

Climate Change Mitigation Potential

This research provided data sets that allow AMP grazing to be represented in greenhouse gas emission modeling, helping to create agriculture strategies to address climate change. The potential scale of impact is enormous when you consider that grasslands cover approximately 40% of the Earth's land surface.

These findings provide evidence that AMP grazing is a management strategy to sequester carbon in the soil and retain nitrogen in the system, thus contributing to climate change mitigation.

My Journey Into Regenerative Agriculture

I have continued to watch Carbon Cowboys and listen to the stories of farmers and ranchers across North America. The show was so moving that I have spent the last while traveling across BC and Alberta myself to talk to local organic farmers and even yak farmers to understand my role in this ecosystem and how security includes data, land, and life!

The beauty of AMP grazing lies not just in its environmental benefits, but in its ability to restore the relationship between humans, animals, and the land. "Utilizing the natural interactions between cattle, plants, and soil, we can revolutionize the agriculture industry. This revolution can provide more nutritious food and provide a comfortable income for farming and ranching families while offering one significant solution to climate change, storing carbon in the soil."

Looking Forward

The research from Carbon Cowboys represents a paradigm shift in how we think about livestock agriculture. Rather than seeing cattle as environmental problems, AMP grazing demonstrates how they can be part of the solution. The key is working with natural systems rather than against them.

The ability to build such significant differences within a relatively short period of time make AMP grazing an attractive tool for land improvement and remediation. With results visible in as little as five years, farmers don't have to wait decades to see the benefits of their management changes.

Stay tuned for a summary of my talks with a local organic farmer in St. Albert and a yak rancher in Wildwood, Alberta! The future of agriculture is regenerative, and the Carbon Cowboys have given us the roadmap to get there.

This blog post contains information from peer-reviewed research from the Carbon Cowboys project, led by Peter Byck at Arizona State University, with funding from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and McDonald's USA.