English

Abstract

Subtropical India is faced with the challenge of improving current food security on highly degraded land. At the same time, the region has to develop strategies to ensure future food security for the increasing population under worsening climate change. Conventional tillage (CT) has for many years resulted in the deterioration of soil quality through depletion of soil organic matter. In India, agriculture contributes about 17 per cent of the country’s total GHGs emission. An intensive agricultural practice during the post-green revolution era without caring for the environment has supposedly played a major role towards enhancement of the greenhouse gases. Due to increase in demand for food production the farmers have started growing more than one crop a year through repeated tillage operations using conventional agricultural practices. Increase in carbon emission is the major concern, which is well addressed in kyoto protocol. This review of literature provides an overview of the impact of conservation agriculture (CA) on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration of the major agricultural strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and improve agricultural sustainability. An overview synthesizes the much-needed state-of-knowledge on the effects of conservation agriculture practices on SOC sequestration and greenhouse gas emission identifies potential research gap, and limitations in studying SOC dynamics in rice –wheat cropping systems in subtropical India.