13 - Organic amendment management: impact on carbon dynamics, sugarcane quality, and productivity

Abstract

Sugarcane is one of the most efficient crops with higher biomass accumulation rates (550kgha−1 day−1) and provides the third highest quantity of plant calories after rice and wheat. The decline in sugarcane productivity and sugar production is a major concern for the ever-increasing population. To get higher productivity, the cane growers are using excessive and imbalance chemical fertilizers that have created problems such as deficiency of several nutrients, and as a result, soil health and ecology have deteriorated. Soil organic matter content is continuously declining due to the nonaddition of organic matter and continuous and intensive use of inorganic fertilizers. This has caused the lowering of the factor productivity due to which cane yield showed plateau in recent years. Nowadays, worldwide, more focus is given on carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change. Organic matter addition in the soil will not only enhance the carbon content of the soil, but it is also a storehouse of macro- and micronutrients. The addition of organic amendments is one of the alternatives for sustaining the crop yield and maintaining soil health. It improves the carbon content and microbial activity of the soil, which results in a higher mineralization rate and nutrients available to crops. The unsustainability of modern agricultural practices has compelled farming communities of the world over to relook the alternative agricultural practices to make the agricultural system more viable and profitable. There are various eco-friendly practices such as traditional, natural, and organic farming. Addition of various organic amendments, viz., farmyard manure, compost, vermicompost, etc., in the soil, will not only improve the soil organic matter status but will also be helpful in enhancing the cane and sugar yield in the sugarcane-based cropping system.