Carban sequestration potential of cultivated land and Mango orchard in the plough layer of Alfisols occuring in Givedin district of Jharkhand

Abstract

Conversion of forest area to agricultural land use led to an estimated loss of 36 Pg carbon (C) from soils between 1860 and 1960. Soil organic carbon (SOC) loss through cultivation can, however, be reduced and potentially fixed in soil through proper soil and land management. The objective of this study was, therefore, to determine the effect of crop cultivation vis-à-vis forest and plantation, on the SOC concentration, especially in SOC-poor plough layer, in Irga watershed Dhanwar (Typic Haplustalfs) and Birni (Typic Paleustalfs) soils predominate in the two administrative blocks within the watershed –, respectively. Three plots were chosen for each soil subgroup to represent three predominant land cover conditions viz. forest, plantation and mono-cropped area in Dhanwar and Birni. In general SOC stock was high in the mango orchard in Dhanwar (226 Mg C ha-1) and cultivated land in Birni (242 Mg C ha-1) and least in the plot under Eucalyptus plantation in Birni. In the 0-20 cm depth, mango orchard in Dhanwar and cultivated land in both the sites showed an increase in SOC pool in comparison to forests; (Eucalyptus plantation). The practice of paddy-fallow rotation and the application of animal manure led to an increase in the SOC pool in the plough layer of agricultural soils in the SOC-poor area; and thus have the potential to sequester C in the Irga watershed.