Carbon Sequestration for Sustaining Soil Health and Improving Crop Productivity in Sugarcane Based System

Abstract

Soil management practices such as no tillage and residue mulching have been reported to promote the storage of carbon from atmospheric origin, and to constitute potential carbon sinks. Their assess remains of major importance now a days (i) for mitigating the increased atmospheric concentrations in greenhouse gases (especially CO2) and (ii) for addressing the problem of agro ecosystem transformation and sustained land productivity. The C fixed in plants by photosynthesis and added to the soil is the primary source of C in ecosystems. Recent concerns with rising atmospheric levels of CO2 and global warming have once again focused attention on soil organic matter and C-sequestration. Carbon sequestration taken as C-storage, can be achieved by various management practices and the capacity of different management practices to promote storage of soil C and provide a major sink for atmospheric CO2, can be evaluated most convincingly from long-term studies that contributes unique information on soil C addition, losses and storage. But any predictions for change in C stock in soils depend on reliable estimates of net above ground biomass and the proportion of which is returned back to the soil.