Carbon Storage Potential and Saturation Behavior of Soils As Influenced by Level of C Input and Soil Types in Indian Sub-Continent

ABSTRACT

Agricultural soils have the potential to store C (carbon), thereby improving soil health, and contributing to climate change mitigation. However, the capacity of a soil to hoard C may be limited. We tested the C saturation behavior of agricultural soils belonging to predominant soil orders (Inceptisols, Entisols, Alfisols, Aridisols and Vertisols) in Indian Subcontinent. A mesocosm experiment in open environmental conditions was conducted with six rate of farmyard manure (FYM) addition (0, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, 20.0 and 40 Mg ha⁻¹) for three and half years and total carbon (TC) was analyzed. Addition of more than 10 Mg FYM ha⁻¹ enhanced TC content of soil with the period of experimentation irrespective of soil orders. Application of C input of the agriculturally recommended addition of FYM in India at 5.0 Mg ha⁻¹ maintained the soil TC content. Without addition of any C input, sometimes there was depletion in native carbon. With higher levels of C additions, all the soils did not show any evidence of C saturation, thereby suggesting their higher potential to additional C storage. Indian agricultural soils could contribute significantly toward achieving the target of “4 per 1000” initiative of the United Nations. Higher organic carbon in soils would make agroecosystems more resilient toward extreme climate events and sustain crops productivity thereby could help to meet the food demand of the ever-increasing population of the country in the years to come.

KEYWORDS:

• Carbon saturation
• FYM application
• mesocosm experiment
• total carbon content

Acknowledgements

The first author is thankful to Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India for providing an INSPIRE Fellowship during the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).