Potential soil carbon sequestration in different land use and management systems in peninsular India

Abstract

Information on dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural soils is gaining importance because of its impacts on climate change and benefits for crop productivity. Conservation agriculture, application of residue and manures, appropriate cropping systems including legumes, green leaf manuring through leaves of N-fixing trees, conjunctive use of organic and chemical sources of nutrients, balanced fertilization, etc., play an important role in improving SOC. Besides management practices, soil types, parent material, clay content and other soil properties and climate are very important factors that determine carbon sequestration, CO2 emissions and overall net carbon balance in soil. The Deccan Plateau in India has huge diversity in terms of climatic and edaphic conditions besides land use systems and soil management practices. Cropping systems like rice-maize, if continued for long term, may deplete SOC. Among other alternate land use systems, the highest SOC was observed in the agri-silviculture system followed by the silvi-pasture and agri-silvi-horti systems. Regular additions of nutrients through fertilizers along with organic manures are found necessary for carbon sequestration, particularly in soils with nutrient deficiencies. In this chapter, efforts have been made to collate the information on the effects of land uses and soil management on SOC stock. With the introduction of carbon trading, agroforestry systems may become more attractive. Research addressing both biophysical and socio-economic issues and identifying, developing and bringing out best management practices (BMPs) with reference to carbon sequestration and sustainable production needs to be intensified.