Adding Limestone to Mississippi River Basin Farmlands Acts as a Major Carbon Sink, Study Finds

Adding limestone to Mississippi River Basin farmlands acts as a major carbon sink, study finds

In a discovery as broad and far-reaching as the Big Muddy itself, a new Yale–led study says farmers in the Mississippi River Basin are storing more carbon dioxide (CO2) in the soil than they emit when they add limestone to their fields, an agricultural practice known as "liming."

A widespread agricultural practice is an unexpected CO2 sink

Nature, Published online: 23 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02646-7‘Liming’ to reduce soil acidity has long been considered a carbon dioxide source, but in North America’s largest river basin, it has resulted in net capture of atmospheric carbon.

Environmental News Network - Adding Limestone to Mississippi River Basin Farmlands Acts as a Major Carbon Sink, Study Finds

In a discovery as broad and far-reaching as the Big Muddy itself, a new, Yale-led study says farmers along the Mississippi River Basin are storing more carbon dioxide (CO2) in the soil than they are emitting when they add limestone to their fields, an agricultural practice known as “liming.”